This bag is the medium Grocery Bag but made with the body divided into two fabrics. The cat fabric is from a collection called Katie's Cats and the handles and fabric at the bottom are a light weight dark blue denim.
This bag was meant to be a project tote for knitters so it has two pocket panels spanning the width of the lining. There is stitching dividing the pocket panels into some smaller sections. This bag turned out super nice! It's weighty, sturdy, cute, colorful, and it has cats.
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Today the strawberry apron from this post is available as a sample. This apron is SO cute! I'd keep it for myself, but it's too small for me. It's the small size in the pattern (see the blog post for pattern and fabric info).
The skirt top measures 36" total and for most people it is going to cross in the back about 1-2 above your waistline. The fit of this apron is very forgiving but I think it's going to fit best if your waist is in the 30" range. The pattern maker suggests these bust and hip measurements for the small:
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Crossbody Drawstring Project Bag
Exciting news! A new pattern has arrived and this time it's for a bigger bag.
This is the Crossbody Drawstring Project Bag and the first thing I'll say about it is if you are on my email list and have made the Tiny Bins, this box bottom bag is made using the same basic idea. There is just one seam up the back, which is super efficient and for me, my box bottom corners have never been better and easier to sew!
Before I get to more details about making this bag, I also wanted to tell you this pattern is also available in a bundle with 19 other bag patterns.
Sew Modern Bags put together the collection and if you like a lot of variety and love to sew bags, the bundle is a great choice because there are so many patterns included at a great price.
There are smaller bags, bigger bags, one of those clever zipper pouches for pens where the top pulls down, clutches, a wallet that looks very nice and has loads of card slips, and more.
Take a look here to see all the patterns included in the bundle.
There are just a few things I wanted to point out with my new pattern.
One is the super nice drawstring casing has a little strip of fabric up the middle. The bow needs a little space in order to tie nicely and I wanted to point out this piece for fussy cutting and print selection.
You can see this piece in the photo below. Also make note that this area with the bow and under it is considered the "bottom" of the casing. This is important for directional fabrics and for when you attach the casing to the exterior body fabric (more about that below).
The second is the drawstring casing is the most involved part of the bag and there are a couple places where things can go wrong. So don't do these things:
In the photo below I made mistake #3 and I'm unpicking the casing because I've attached the top instead of the bottom. The pin in the lower left of the image is now marking the bottom side of the casing so I don't do it again.
Ooops...wrong end!
The third thing is pay attention to directional prints--especially for the casing and front pocket. The cutting notes on page 2 of the pattern mentions where the print needs to be placed.
Front Pocket with 10" Knitting Needles
The fourth thing is in this pattern the main body pieces and both pockets are made from one piece of fabric each. This is quick and efficient and for the front pocket, the one piece construction turns out a really nicely square pocket. The corners of the pocket above would not be nearly as squared off as they are if it were made from two pieces of fabric.
And finally, this a measure and cut pattern. Some of my others with larger square/rectangular pieces have some measure and cut elements, but this one is the first where it's all measure and cut.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new pattern. The bag turns out awesome.
Please let me know if you have any questions by getting in touch somewhere, or leaving a comment.
P.S. Don't forget to check out the bundle!
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Next up for the sample sale is this little wallet. Sold - Thanks!
This was made using the Two Pocket Wallet pattern, a floral fabric from Sevenberry, cotton/linen fabric from Robert Kaufman that is sold out and no longer available (so unfortunate...I'll miss this one), pink gingham from Maywood Studio, and two pink snaps from Snap Source.
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This month we are saying goodbye to the Patchwork Coasters pattern as it goes off into retirement.
I have made many, many of these over the years and don't plan to stop making them. They are popular in my shops, I use mine--even the old and kind of decrepit ones--every single day, and they are one of my favorite things to make!
But...this pattern is from 2013 (!!!) and could use some photo updates.
There's nothing wrong with the photos, but the pictures in my newer patterns have a pure white background and the photos in this pattern do not have the white background.
Not a huge deal, but the photos look better and brighter with a white background, and it saves ink. Retaking and editing the photos is a big time investment and it's always a guess whether it makes sense to to do it for an older pattern so mostly I just let them "retire".
So the Patchwork Coasters pattern is now considered "an oldie, but a goodie" and is on sale for 50% off through the end of the month.
You can find it here at michellepatterns.com or here on etsy. The sale price is marked.
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The pattern for this crossbody bag is coming soon! By "soon" I mean this week.
I'll be back with more details soon, but the basic gist is this a small crossbody bag with a fold over top, a small flap that closes with two 14mm magnetic snaps, a long strap on swivel hooks, and this beautiful back pocket that is a great spot for a phone:
If you aren't already on my email list, you might want to sign up so you'll get a message when it's ready to order.
The fabrics used are this striped Essex linen and this black floral fabric.
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