Choosing a Magical Bag Pattern

I love this bag. Yeah, Marie Kondo, it brings me joy.

 

When I first saw the Small Things Magical & Mystical collection from Lewis and Irene I knew I had to own at least some of it. I found a fat quarter collection at Fat Quarter Shop so I got a little bit of all the fabrics. Win!

For my first project using the collection, I wanted to make a bag. I desperately needed a new bag. While the purple wizards and unicorns are my favorite, I had a lot of black fabric, so I decided to start with the black and gray wizards. (But I have serious plans for those purple fabrics!)

For this bag, I decided to try a new bag pattern. Picking a bag pattern is difficult. There are a ton of patterns out there, both free and that you do have to pay for. Just doing a search for bag patterns can be overwhelming when you don’t know exactly what you are looking for.

I get overwhelmed going into TJ Maxx thinking, “I need a bag” because of all the options – when you add in the fact that when I sew a bag I get to customize it, my thoughts can spiral out of control.

“That’s cute, but is is the fabric or the pattern? Eh – not enough pockets. Oooh – that looks nice. Wait? With a model to scale? That’s giant/tiny/hitting her hip strangely.”

Thankfully at this point I have made enough bags that I’m starting to understand what to look for:

1. I need the pattern maker to understand interfacing and structure. If the pattern does not call for enough products that will create structure, I know I do not want to make it. A floppy bag made out of quilting fabric is not for me.
2. I don’t know about you, but I tend to have a few things that I want to have at hand that I just throw in my bag – so I loved that the pattern I chose has a lot of outside pockets. Phone, keys, Kindle, speeding tickets and more fit right into those pockets.
3. I do love inside pockets. (Note: One thing I have learned is that a lot of purse designers are a little older and think I need a place for pens. Please. I don’t use paper. However, the beautiful thing about making your own bags is that you get to make the right size pockets for you!)
4. I need it to be a good size – like Goldilocks, not too big and and too small. When bags get too big I just dump things in there and when they’re too small I can’t fit everything.

 

After all that consideration, I chose to make the Trendsetter bag by Annie’s Patterns. I loved the shape and the way I had an option to highlight a fabulous fabric like these wizards.

When I make a pattern for the first time, I try to follow the instructions to the letter (unless I think it’s obvious that something is missing) so that I know how to change it for the next time.

With this pattern, though, I knew from the outset that I would want to change the inside pockets.

The pattern calls for you to measure to have pockets for pens – but my phone is much more necessary in my life.

So instead of following the pattern, on the inside I made a pocket big enough for my phone and my car keys.

And then regretted it because I should have made a pocket big enough for my Kindle (next time!). The good news is that the outside pocket is the perfect size for my Kindle so I can still carry my books around with me.

 

 

 

For construction, I have to give a shout out to my mom. She gave me a Top Stitch foot for Christmas and I used the heck out of it while I sewed this bag. I used it on the pockets and the handles and it was so easy to make beautiful seams.

Because I was researching that presser foot, I also found a stitch on my machine that is a “Topstitch Stitch” – it stitches three times for every stitch. So this is the best constructed bag I may have ever made because on all the seams I used that stitch – take that stress of everyday life!

Overall Pattern Review (4 stars)

I love the outside pockets on this bag. I drop so many things in there and I love that the special flare of the bag is functional.

What I don’t love is the opening. Somehow it feels really small. I’ve gotten my wallet, a winter hat, a pair of gloves, and all the everyday things you shove in a bag into this thing – but digging around for any of those things is really difficult. I think I might try to adjust the pattern to have a recessed zipper that might open wider.