Spring Sewing

I did a little sewing in the spring and after I was done I was too tired to blog about it. I think I have adequately recovered and am ready to tell you about the bags that I made. I had to make a new purse/bag because the strap of my last one basically rotted away. It was an Amy Butler pattern called the birdie sling and I had used AB quilt weight fabric to construct it. I decided that I wanted the same bag design but that it would be in my best interest to use a home dec weight fabric this time. I labored over fabrics until I fell in love with this crazy beautiful fabric from the drawing room collection by Anna Maria Horner.

I was totally decided...that was until I fell in love with the designs of Joel Dewberry. His fabric is perfect and so cool and beautiful and interesting and I love it. I was very torn between my two loves so I decided to make two bags. The first fabric (the Horner) was very whimsical, as is the design of the birdie sling, so I paired those together. The Dewberry fabrics I chose where more clean and mellow so I paired them with the Amy Butler pattern “frenchy.” Here is what they look like.

Birdie Sling

Frenchy

In the end I am totally attached to the new birdie sling and use it all the time. I have some complaints about the design of the frenchy bag, I don’t like the pockets or the overall slouchiness of the bag. I plan to make another one in the future with some modifications, smaller or divided pockets and sewing the straps to the top part. Also, the frenchy bag pattern is not designed as well and you are left with some stitching showing in the end whereas the birdie sling is magically turned inside out so no stitching is present on the outside of the bag.