Bag Swap - Finished Bag

Since I know my partner, Bess, got her bag, I'll go ahead and post all the pics. I used the Ruthie Clutch from Anna Maria Horner with Amy Butler's Wallflower print in Sky. I lined it with a yellow Kona cotton (I think it's Maize), and I found a nice wooden button for the closure. I love this big, oversized clutch! And I love the fabric. And I had fun making it.


I changed two things in the pattern:
1) I added a slip pocket on the lining, basically just a big rectangle divided into 3 pockets. *note* I totally forgot that I wanted to do this until I'd already sewn the lining... so it took a bit of trickery to get it sewn in there! I wrote myself a nice note on the pattern for next time

2) I pleated the exterior instead of just gathering it. It's sort of a hybrid gathered-pleat thing, especially in the back. I just wasn't liking the way it was looking with regular gathers. I was more purposeful on the front and actually ironed out (in?) the pleats before gathering; on the back I did the opposite (which is why it became the back).


I had a little trouble with the interfacing on the top band too, because apparently it was a couple of inches narrower from the bolt than the pattern called for. I didn't even think to check the width, because I used the interfacing she recommended. Oh well, nothing I could do about it by the time I figured it out (sorry, Bess!) It's one of those things that gives it character. When I bought the pattern, I was told that her instructions for the band were a little weird and the shop owner told me another way to do it. When I got home and read the pattern, though, I decided to just do it as written. The only trouble was keeping the interfacing at the right spot in the fabric band when I was fusing it, because the fabric ends up wrapping around it and getting stitched into the lining very nicely - but I had several spots where it didn't go as nicely because I had the interfacing too high. If that makes any sense at all... Basically, I might just cut the band bigger next time so I can get it to cover my inside seam.


I also sent her a little zippered pouch because, well, I wanted to make one. My last attempt at a zipper was not great. This one was much better.


I wanted the package to look fun when it arrived too, and I got a great bag from a store the other day that I decided to re-use. It was a flat bag, so I just cut off a little from one side of the top, like so:


Rounded it off to make a prettier flap:


And put a piece of paper on top for the address.


And I definitely plan to make one of these for myself. But not until I finish at least a few other things... I did get a WIP finished yesterday, though! However, I have managed to destroy the pictures. Well, not destroy, but Aperture thinks they're lost. And this being the first time I've ever used Aperture, I don't know how to make it see them. And unless Aperture sees them, I have to re-edit them all. Boo.

But the bag is done, and I'm expecting a package in the mail. Lovely!