Okay. This was not easy to take pictures of. This is Amy Butler's High Street Messenger Bag. I made it for our daughter. This is actually her second one as I made her one when she was still at university, several years ago. She asked for a new one and asked for dark blue so it would stand up to lots of use. I used a navy cotton twill and used a decor weight cotton as the inner liner and then some Prospect Park stripes for the lining. The last one I made was a lot heavier because I used a very heavy home decor weight fabric with a canvas inner liner and it was just too hard to sew. This was a lot smoother. The bag is still heavy and durable but the construction went so much smoother.
If you have not made an Amy Butler pattern before... hmmm. Design always great. Directions are spotty and I should have ignored the zipper installation and done my own thing but that being said, the bag is just snazzy.
I also did away with the tab closure and used my hair tie method with a big and I mean BIG vintage coat button. The bag features three zipper pockets. One on the back as you can see just below, one on the inside of the flap and then a third on the hanging inner pocket. The bag also has pleated pockets on the main front body for storing who knows what. I seriously top stitched the strap for strength and because I just like stitching lots of straight lines.
It won't look floopy for long because she will just cram it full of stuff when she goes off to work.
I am glad to hear you are as on the fence as I am about Amy Butler’s patterns. I was starting to think I was just being fussy, but I also find her directions more of suggestions and her suggestions not always the best choice perhaps for the my finished product. Her designs are great - no doubt about that! But even with decades of sewing experience under my belt, I have set her patterns aside for now. You did a wonderful job! Great bag!
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I love the purple zipper and the big button with the hair-tie closure adds so much to the design. I'm not a bag maker usually, because I hate spotty directions for something that's not my norm..quilting I can figure out and usually clothing too since that's how I learned to sew, but 3D objects like bags and stuffies and things--I need explicit directions.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great Cathy. I've never tried an Amy Butler pattern before. I need clear concise directions so not sure if it would work for me or if it would fill me with anxiety!
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely!
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