I Made a Bag!

Homemade bags have been around for ages, and have seemed to really gain in popularity in the last few years, but for some reason I just never saw a bag that I would make, then actually carry.  I guess I was just needing the right bag.  And I found it.

This bag pattern is in the Fall edition of Quilts and More, it's available right now wherever you buy your quilty magazines.  This bag was designed by Carrie Nelson and she was offering kits for this bag on her online shop, so I ordered one. 

The kit came with fabric for the outside and inside and the cute polka dot handles.

The first order of business, piecing the front and back.  And that was a breeze, piecing is what I do.

For my batting I used Soft and Stable, because I wanted my bag to stand up and look neat, not slouch down in a hump.  This stuff is great, I could not recommend it more highly.  It was easy to work with and gave my bag the exact look I wanted.

Next up was the quilting, that's not what I do.  I played around with some stitches on my machine and the blue marking pen I sometimes notice other real quilters use.

In the end I just went with a straight stitch, in the ditch from left to right, and every 1/4" top to bottom.

I had not quilted anything since I made my 3 Countdown to Christmas pillows.  It seemed like it took forever to quilt those two pieces of fabric.  I think it took at least 2 hours per side.  But I love the look, that might be my favorite thing about the bag, the quilting!

Rookie mistake, what else can I say?

Every now and then I would draw a line down the back of the piece to make sure I wasn't getting off track on my vertical lines.  I would use the horizontal lines as my guide to line up my vertical lines.  I checked it about every 8 to 10 stitches.

The directions for this pattern were wonderful and easy to follow.  Here's the bottom of my bag. In one try!  I was thrilled with how it all came together, and looked neat, not sloppy.

Here's the inside of the bag, all pieced.

Here's the inside of the bag with the lining.  My lining is a little big, I maybe trimmed off more of the outside of the bag after it was quilted and squared up, so that's on me.  But I've bought purses with worse lining than this and I'm OK with it.  After all, this is my first bag, and I think there's a learning curve with this type of project.

I didn't want  my bag to have a saggy bottom so I added some support.  I just took the front cover off an old political book that had been on my bookshelf for over 20 years.  I picked this book because it was the right size and had a very substantial cover.

I just made a little case and slid it in.

So here's my finished bag, a bag I love and can hardly wait to carry.  I don't make little side projects like this very often, I've made a sewing machine cover and 3 pillow covers and that's about it, so I'm very proud of myself for trying something new, and thrilled that the end result doesn't have that look that screams, "look at me, I'm homemade".  I've never read a bag pattern before this one, maybe they are all the same, but this pattern was very easy for a beginner to follow and has some nice details that make the bag look stylish, like the stitching around the top and how the lining is a good inch below the outer print inside the bag.  Believe me, if you've been too scared to try to make a bag try this pattern, I had no troubles at all.

This is Lifetime Bag Number 1!

The fabric is Road 15 by Sweetwater for Moda

It finished at 13 inches top to bottom,  12 inches wide at the base, and 17 inches wide at the top.

There are approximately 80 pieces, counting the handles.

After making 114 quilts I'm amazed by how proud I am of myself over this silly little bag, but I just love it and I will use it.  I love it so much that I want you to have one too.

The kits that were available when the magazine first came out have all been sold, except for one.  I bought one of the last ones for a giveaway.  So if you are like me, and never thought you could or would make a bag, or even if you are a real bag lady with a dozen bags but need one more, leave a comment on today's post for a chance to win a kit.  You will need to supply the batting and some backing for the pieced sides.  The kit does not come with the pattern, but Carrie has volunteered to supply a magazine with this kit. Thanks Carrie, I'm glad I don't have to give mine away, I may make another one!

Leave a comment on this post by the end of day Saturday, September 14th.  If the USPS will deliver to your address you are eligible to enter.  I will announce the winner on Sunday, please leave a way that I can contact you in your comment.  In your comment I would like to hear about the favorite thing you did or made this summer.  I went to Paris and I made a bag, I had a great summer!

Giveaway now closed, thank you for stopping by.