Cooper Bag by Colette Patterns

Tada! My finished Cooper Bag. Actually it's not completely finished. I still have to add the jiffy rivets.

I am soooo excited about this bag! It was a really quick make. But be warned if you decide to make it out of waxed canvas. Pressing the seams was new to my, but it's no problem with a tailors clapper. It really helped getting neat flat seams without melting the wax too much.

You also have to clean your sewing machine really good afterwards, but it is worth the trouble. 

As mentioned in my previous post, I bought the kit from Colette Patterns new store 'Gifts for Crafters'

I also added a hook for my keys.

Even thou it is a quite easy and straightforward pattern, I enjoyed the picture detailed sew-along on the Colette blog.

The inside of the bag. It is a very roomy bag with four inside and four outside pockets.The adjustable strap is one of my favorite features. Can't wait to take this bag with me on the plane to Seattle!

 

Pattern Description:
Cooper gives you three different bags from one basic body: messenger bag, backpack, and satchel. These highly durable bags can be made in a range of sturdy fabrics such as duck canvas, waxed canvas, twill, and heavy ticking.

All versions are lined and feature eight large pockets, magnetic closures, and hardware details. The messenger bag (version 1) has an adjustable cross-body strap. The backpack (version 2) has two shoulder straps and a hang loop. The two-handled satchel (version 3) does double duty as a bike pannier. (from website)

Pattern Sizing:
One size, different bags

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Like all Colette Patterns instructions very easy to follow. They have a sew-along on their website with lots of step-by-step pictures.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
There is nothing to dislike. It's great that it gives three different bag options and offers lots of room for customizing.

Fabric Used:
I bought the kit, which came with waxed cotton canvas for the outside and nylon ripstop for the lining.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I added a strap to attach my keys to.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I will for sure sew it again, and highly recommend it.

Conclusion:
I love my new messenger bag!

In the making

A quick view of the two projects I am currently working on:

First one is the Cooper Bag from Colette Patterns. I love this version in waxed canvas.

I bought the kit from their new online shop Gifts for Crafters 

I like that the pattern offers three different takes on the bag. My first go will be version 1, the messenger bag.

So far I have finished the lining and the strap. I am still waiting for the tailors clapper to arrive so I can press the waxed canvas. As usual, Colette Patterns has excellent instructions. They also have a sew-along for all three versions of the bag on their blog. I am looking forward taking this bag with me on my Christmas vacation.

The second project is this wrap dress from Burda:

I made it before in the short version with cap sleeves. The fabric I am using is a dark purple strech poly silk charmeuse. 

I would have loved this fabric from Mood Fabrics

 Silk Crepe de Chine in crushed berry, but it was slightly out of my budget. Maybe next time.

Why am I making this dress? Because I can!

Everything Wristlet

Now that my closet is full with a complete wardrobe I take some time here and there to sew bags and home decorating things again. I have all these nice books in my shelf with tons of mini quilts, quilts, bags etc. Not to mention all the ideas I pinned on my Pinterest boards.

One of these books in my shelf is Amy Butler's "Style Stitches". I forgot when and where I bought the book. There are a couple of really nice bags in there, and to be honest a couple of rather ugly bags too. (in my opinion anyway) Like the Fringed Hobo Bag or the Miss Maven Ruffled Handbag. Anyway, back to the nice bags in the book. Like the Everything Wristlet. I made the small size.

 

Before you attempt this pattern go here for measurement corrections!

The fabric is Karen Tusinski - Gallery Fiori 

fitting to my Poppy Swing Dress

I am not a big fan of embellishments, so no useless button on top of the front flap. The pattern was quite the challenge. I had to read most steps a couple of times to figure out what she means.

The biggest challenge was sewing in the zipper. It was weird and complicated, but probably the only way to put it in there with this design. The other thing is the compartment between the card holders. I am so sure I followed every step by the letter, but I still ended up with the interfacing showing. It is very confusing at times.

 I am glad to have made the small version. It is the perfect little bag to fit in just the necessary stuff without having to much baggage.

I forgot to stitch down in the middle of the two card holders, silly me! The wristlet did not fit under my sewing machine to sew the lining in the shell. I ended up sewing it in there by hand. Well, I am getting quite good with the whole hand stitching thing. But that also means I wasn't able to topstitch around the upper edge.

Next on my list from this book is this beauty, the Blossom Handbag. I haven't decided on a fabric yet.

Messenger Bag

I was looking around for a nice Messenger Bag pattern, but I didn't really like any of the patterns I found. They don't seem to make messenger bags with inside pockets. But then I found the Lola Bea Diaper Bag from Sew Much Ado. I immediately thought it would make the perfect Messenger Bag. And I also had found the perfect project for 1000 Cranes fabric by Rashida Coleman Hale I fell in love with a couple weeks ago. An ode to New Mexico! 

The Sandhill Crane flies south for the winter. In their wintering areas they form flocks of over 10,000 birds. One place to observe this is at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, 100 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. There is an annual Sandhill Crane Festival in November.

 Read more here

I extended the front flap and skipped the ruffles (I don't like ruffles), since I was going for a messenger bag look. I also lengthened the strap a couple of inches.

Another thing I would like to add if I was going to make the bag again is a zipper pocket on the front under the flap.

 And maybe another one on the back.

 Here the inside. A lot of pockets so stuff doesn't just fly around in there. It easily fits a laptop in there.

First Project with knit and some bags

A couple of weeks ago I bought the Kyoko dress pattern by modkid.

I love the pattern and plan to make it with Karavan knit by Valori Wells, the Obi belt will be from the same line in the Fuchsia solid knit.

But before I was to cut into the good fabric I made this wearable muslin from $1/yard knit that I bought at Walmart a while ago. I have never sewn with knits before and I thought I would try it our first on some cheap fabric. After reading a couple of tutorials about sewing with knits and reading the knit chapter in the "Fabric Sewing Guide" by Claire Shaeffer I felt confident enough to give it a try. This particular knit is very lightweight and has a lot of drape. It looks way better on the dress form, then it does on me, though.

This is the back of the dress. First when I finished the dress I was very disappointed with how it looked on me. But then I decided to make the Obi belt too, and it gives the dress a way better look. At least with this fabric I wouldn't wear it without the belt. The hem of the skirt is finished with a lettuce hem.

I finished all the hems with my serger and I really like the look of it. With the other fabric I will finish the hems with binding from the solid Fuchsia color. The Obi in this version is just one piece of fabric finished with a narrow hem with my serger, since I didn't had enough fabric left to make it from two pieces. 

The intention here wasn't at all to make wavy seams like this, but I am also very new to the whole serger thing and still have to figure out a lot of things. I might take a serger class at the store where I got my Bernina sewing machine. If they let me with my second-hand Singer serger ;-)

I took a break from sewing cloths for a while, because I was so unhappy about the outcome of this dress, so I decided to make some bags. I made this reversible shoulder bag with this tutorial 

It was nice to do some stash busting. I used two different fabrics from Lark by Amy Butler. 

Initially I bought this polka dot fabric for the Dino Baby Quilt I made, but I ordered the wrong kind and ended up with 1 1/1 yard of this cotton duck. So I decided to make this tote from the book "The new handmade" by Cassie Barden. I didn't put the plywood bottom in it. I think it's just fine without.