A Fun Bag Project

One of the best parts about having Fat Quarter Shop as one of my sponsors is getting to participate in new pattern launches. Today, they are introducing Kimberly’s Sac Bag Pattern.If you clicked on the pattern link then you will have noticed right away that mine looks slightly different. This is a fold-over bag with a button closure which is way easier to make if you’re not trying to add a large metal zipper (#mybad). All that aside, I want to talk about this pattern because I really like it and it took no time to make (zipper aside).

Regular readers of this blog will know that I love black and white. I chose the Ink Modern by Moda layer cake for my bag fabrics knowing that there would be some left over. I plan to use the remaining layer cake fabrics in future projects.

I already had a collection of the Ink Modern fabrics in the white palette which I used for my lining. For the bag bottom I used a small piece of dark Yarn Dyed Essex Linen. The pattern calls for a little quilting. For the body’s bag I did a lot of straight stitching. It’s pretty hard to see because of the black thread on black fabric, but it’s there. In order to not get off course when quilting, I needed a way to mark my quilt. I found a really great Silver Water Soluble Pencil and it worked great for seeing the lines. (affiliate)I also used this wavy utility stitch on my machine for some of the quilting. It is so hard to see on the dark linen so I made a small sampler on the bag lining fabric.Here’s where I shifted gears slightly (and now wish I hadn’t). If you watch the video below you will see how to insert the lining into the bag. It’s simple and straight-forward. At this juncture, I decided to add a metal zipper. I thought the gold and white of the zipper would add a little style to my bag.

To insert the zipper, I used the same technique you would use if you were making any zipper bag. Because it was a little complicated (and less-than-successful) I would advise you to stick to the pattern.

The pattern calls for some hardware for the handles. Since I was using black fabric I went with black metallic hardware which I found at Hobby Lobby. Note: You can purchase the bag pattern in a kit which includes the hardware.

Even with the zipper debacle, I still think the bag turned out great and I’d make it again without the zipper. For my final touch I added a pleather tie to the zipper pull. I love crossover bags and this one is lightweight and just the right size.

This is a very well-written pattern that also includes video instructions. To see how simple this bag really is, I’ve included the video below.

If you decide to make this bag and purchase a layer cake of fabric you will enough left over to make several bags. Since layer cakes have a variety of fabrics, no two would be alike. For me, I plan to use some of my leftover fabric to make a couple of zipper bags for carrying small items in my bag. If there is any left after that I may play around with another project or two.