A New Bag for a Weekend Away to Sacred Threads


I wanted a new purse to take to my weekend get away to Sacred Threads, plus I have a commission to make six purses for Christmas for a friend. She likes the size of my current purse and loved the free motion quilting/embroidery I did on it. Neither one of us liked the strap on it, so I decided to redraft a purse pattern combining  the handles from a huge tote bag I designed and love plus the size and pockets of my current bag.


Since this is the prototype and time was short, I made it in a print and did not do any major quilting on it. Above, I am stitching the bottom which has plenty of stiff Peltex in it to help keep its shape. Those last seams are tricky!


I might make another that keeps the seams on the outside of the bag and bind the edges as I really liked the straighter lines of the bag before I turned it right side out. I fussy cut the outside fabric to make the print symmetrical. I have a serious thing for turquoise and blue right now!


I had originally planned to quilt around the floral shapes but after doing that for the bottom and side pieces, I wanted to do something different. So I used the two main 'vines' in the print to establish a feather spine and feathered most of the bag. So much fun!!!!!

The verdict on the design? Perfect size and shape. Great pockets, one for my tablet and another for papers, plus smaller ones for the cell phone, pens and such. Straps stay on my shoulder well, but are just a bit narrow and I need to adjust the angle of the top seam where each handle joins at the top.

Not bad for the first from a newly designed pattern! What do you think?

BTW, I played around with the layout here. Does the second side bar make my blog look fat cluttered?


3 comments:

  1. Great bag design and love the fabric and quilting.

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  2. okay - the new rule is when someone says - Hey I love that purse - you need to answer - Thanks - I designed and made it!! Aduhhhhh - grin!!! I love this purse now even more now that you did it yourself!! I didn't know Janomes sewed purses!! Wow - might have to make me one!

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