A bag and some tips

I am a girl who Luh-oves her bags. I can never have too many. I am always up for making more too. When my mom comes to visit, we usually make a bag too. Guess the bag obsession must run in the family! We whipped together this sweet little number. I must say, I am lovin' how it turned out. A few guidelines with bags...you can always add a pocket on the inside or outside whether it has that in the pattern or not. Make the pockets meet your needs. You can sew down them to make as few or as many as you want. Pockets on the outside of bags can have pleats, ruffles, ribbon, buttons, flowers whatever you want. So go ahead and customize. I am still thinking about a flower for this one, but just haven't gotten to that yet.

Make sure you add plenty of stabilizer/interfacing in your handles. I like my handles plush and sturdy. I made a bag once with not enough and it bugs me every time I use it.

When you are sewing a lined bag, if the lining and the exterior are not sewn together, that can get annoying quick. So find an already done seam on them and line them up. Pin them well and stitch in the ditch. You may think...WHAT?? Stitching in the ditch is just where you stitch in an already sewn seam. You stitch in the same exact place so you don't notice new stitching. I did that with this bag to keep the lining sewn with the exterior so the lining wasn't just flopping around. I like it tacked down inside. Hope that makes sense to you. Let me know if it doesn't and I can elaborate with pictures if it helps.

There are about a million free patterns for bags on the web. Okay, maybe not a million but you know, there are a LOT! If you are obsessed with bags like me and need some inspiration or just don't want to come up with your own, check these out:

Spring Tote by Homemade by Jill
Book Bag (literally) by Remodelaholic
Buttercup Bag by Made By Rae
Pleated Purse by My Spare Time
Totebag by Skip to My Lou
Handbag by Sew Take a Hike
Keisha Bag by Lola...again
Shoulder Bag by Tiny Happy

Like I said, there are a million. These are just a few of the many I have bookmarked. Go check them out. SO cute! You have any cute patterns for bags? Do share!

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