Doesn't the green Harris Tweed bag look amazing?
When I saw this pattern, I was very excited to make it. I ordered the pattern as a PDF off of the Charlie's Aunt Etsy shop and it was e-mailed to me shortly.
I debated a long time on which fabric to sew this amazing bag with. I think I may have been trying to channel the lovely green bag because I finally decided on these items from the Premier Prints collection on Fabric.com:
These fabrics are much lighter in person, and make my bag look like a diaper bag.
The Charlie's Aunt pattern was very easy to follow and had very concise directions. Sometimes it seems like patterns have far too many unnecessary steps and words, but this was not at all the case with this pattern. The fabric requirements were listed on the second page so it was nice to take only a single page to the store. Another sheet lists which and how many pieces were cut out of each fabric as well as the pieces themselves giving the information. I like the fact that the pattern is a PDF because I can always reprint if I cut a piece incorrectly or reprint it out on heavier paper.
I had no complaints or problems with it except for what was a result of my own lack of skill. For some reason, I could not get the side inset in correctly and finished the bag without it. I was most upset about this because it is the feature that really sets the bag apart. Next time I sew it, I might cut out the side inset with a larger seam allowance. I think I just wasn't able to sew it close enough to get it to look right.
This bag also has a lot of top stitching (which really makes it look nice and polished) so go very slow during this process (you can tell that I free-hand top-stitched the outer pocket) or see if a seam foot is available for your machine. I had a 1/4" Seam foot which worked perfectly for this project once I remembered I had it.
An optional addition to the bag is the use of batting in the front, back, and side inset pieces. I did this and really makes my bag feel sturdy. I was able to carry a small cross-body bag, a tablet, one large fashion magazine, and other essentials inside of this bag with no concern for the sturdiness of it.
Here is my finished bag:
Something about this fabric gets really wrinkly. I swear I pressed it before and during the sewing process!
The lining is actually my favorite part because of its retro feel.
I love the pattern, but I really hate my outer fabric and button choices. I am definitely remaking this one in the fall with a nice corduroy- this time with the side insets!
I highly recommend this pattern, and I'm sure her others are of the same quality. Check out her patterns and blog here:
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