I have had the Amy Butler Weekender Bag pattern for a looooong time now…. and every time I think “YES, I will do this”, I read another IG post or blog post saying how terribly hard and complex it is and I get scared off!
So, this time when @happylittlecottage1 and @sewlux announced they were going to have a sew along to make the bag, I decided it was time to pull up my big girl pants and get this done!
I have been collecting fabrics I would like to use in my bag for quite a while, so first step was to pull all these out and stare at them. A lot.
And then I opened out the pattern and WHAT THE?! It is a huge pattern and a bit overwhelming. But I continued. And kept looking at that pile of fabrics and then I froze……. there were SO many gorgeous fabrics I wanted to use. Coz, you know, I was probably never going to make this bag EVER again… so it has to be the BEST, right?
Hmmmm…..
Cue another couple of weeks gone by with me staring at this huge fabric pile (which I have added more to!)……..
Then I finally got my act in gear. Figurative kick up the backside. It is just a bag after all!
So here are my two end pocket panels all ready. I quilted these with some straight line quilting and used the stiff Pellon inside. I did just a normal binding on the top of these rather than using piping (or nothing) here.
and here are my two side pockets. I must confess I did redo a little bit of one of these as the fabric placement wasn’t sitting right with me (I woke up at 2am with it nagging in my mind!? Seriously Anne?!?) I haven’t quilted these as I got ahead of myself and cut to size before I thought about it… my side pockets changed size HEAPS when I quilted.. so I will see how they go without quilting.
I am now at the point of creating the two sides… and I just have to have my sloth fabric in there somewhere!
I am determined to beat this bag into submission. Stay tuned for the rest of the saga soon 🙂
I so enjoyed reading this post!, and am looking forward to following your progress on this bag! It’s looking good so far – keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks Beth, trying to get back to it this week!
Oh I wish you nothing but clear skies ahead! The bag does look intimidating, but with the sew along, you can always get help if needed. And you’ve started! Remember that when doubts creep in. You conquered your fear and started. So all will be well and the sewing fairies will look after you!
Love your fabrics. I would have thought about it that long too. I’m so like that. Selecting the fabrics for a project is like breathing life into it, and I’m always so meticulous at that stage. Wish I could say that about the other stages, but hey, that’s what a ripper is for! Can’t wait to see this project progress. That bag is so cool!
Jennifer I love the thought of the sewing fairies! 🙂 I am looking forward to having this project finished 🙂