I was recently contacted by a lady overseas who wanted a bag made for her sister in eastern Canada, as a birthday gift. After much discussion I set to work making a bag which has, I think, fit the bill in terms of being incredibly practical and functional, but it also has a quirky, fun interior which will bring a smile to the face of anyone who sees it. Unless of course they hate the Wizard of Oz….

I have bought a couple of patterns from the lovely Nikki Mallalieu of You Sew, Girl and I’m taking part in her Review Round-Up Competition. This review is for her adult hat pattern. If there is interest in this as a potential product, please let me know and I will see whether it is a viable option. Hat making requires precision and accuracy and is not something that can be rushed, but I am hoping that with a few more practice runs I can perfect the process to make them at an acceptable price. So here goes!

2. Difficulty rating

Advanced sewing skills

I have used this pattern three times so far. The first hat (orange polka dot one) came together quite well, with a couple flaws that are not immediately obvious to anyone but me. It has a narrow brim, using 3 layers of medium-weight interfacing.

The second hat (narrow wale raspberry corduroy with fancy purple satin lining) also uses medium weight fusible interfacing and turned out well, though the plain fabric highlights an error in my construction, which I think was a problem with attaching the brim pieces together. I should have sewn more rows of stitching around the brim – as instructed! It does not pay to be impatient when making a hat! Other than that issue, I really like this hat.

My latest attempt is my absolute favourite of all. I LOVE this hat! I decided to try the large size this time, having made the previous two in medium. They fit ok, but left a slight mark on my forehead, so I decided to move up a size, which was a good call. (Please note – the instructions indicate to go up a size if you are borderline, but I didn’t listen!) The hat is constructed with quilting weight cottons, medium weight fusible interfacing and bias tape trim for the brim.

On the whole, the instructions were very clear. The only part I struggled with was understanding how to  join the ends of the bias tape together on the third hat. Colour pictures would have helped make this clearer, but I figured it out in the end and was really pleased with the result.

The instructions were easy to follow and I learned how to make a variety of hats. The pattern allows for multiple brim widths and orientations and has small, medium and large sizes.

4. Did the finished project look like the one on the pattern cover or did you ‘tweak’ it? (If tweaked, what did you do change?)

As you may have gathered, I love my hats!

I particularly like that I can now make hats for myself! I love the versatility of the pattern, in that I can make a wide variety of hats, each with a  different look, depending not only on fabric choices, but also brim widths and orientation. The next one will probably be a wider-brimmed sunhat, then a winter weight one.

I will absolutely be using the pattern again and would recommend it to others – if they have more than a little sewing experience. Definitely not for beginners, as indicated by the rating. My young daughter likes my latest hat so much that she wants one of her own and is encouraging me to buy the children’s hat pattern too!

I have been wanting to start making bags for men to broaden my experience and my product range, even though, thus far, there hasn’t been much demand. I figure, make it and they will come! I recently made a messenger bag art satchel for a young man and used a modification of this design to make a messenger bag for my brother. I used a woodgrain print (Joel Dewberry) for the exterior, in combination with a hard-wearing striped fabric and a coordinating print for the interior and pockets. The bag has a wide, adjustable strap, key clip, parachute clip closure, pockets under the flap, large, divided pockets inside and a large pocket at the rear. It will easily fit all the essentials they need, whilst not looking like a traditional diaper bag.

I have just started a restorative yoga class to help me restore some core stability after my back injury last year. Of course, this was a perfect excuse for a new project! I have been wanting to try making a yoga mat bag for ages, but as I didn’t do yoga there wasn’t much incentive to get it off the to do list. In the midst of sewing a big order, I set aside some time to work on a project for myself and here is the result:

I’m going to test it out a few times to see if I need to make any modifications, before making another. I’ve been asked to make one as a donation for a fundraiser for the local Child Development Centre, so I have another perfect excuse! Mind you, at this stage of the game, do I really need any excuses to justify doing what I love to do!

Obviously, most of my bag orders are from women, but I have just completed by first order for a young man. He is very artistic and likes to carry his supplies with him, so I designed a unique messenger bag that allows him to carry 24 pencils, his large sketch book and sundry gizmos and gadgets. He chose a somewhat eclectic selection of fabrics and I did the rest. The bag features an adjustable strap, large pencil pocket with a flap with magnetic clip closures, a zippered pocket, interior divided pockets, large rear pocket, waist strap and a panel for concealing the strap.
I used a variety of fabrics in this bag, including a snakeskin vinyl, outdoor fabric, cotton, fleece, polypropylene strap as well as various metal hardware and a parachute clip closure.

As mentioned in the previous post, I made two bags using neutral-toned fabric. The second bag was also a roomy, yet sleek messenger bag as a Mother’s Day gift. The exterior is constructed using a faux lizard skin vinyl. The lining is a very pretty and soft sage green print from the home decor department, with a pattern of swirls and circles. It also incorporates some of the double sided print I used in the last bag.

Just don’t tell Mum!

Many, many bag makers these days use very bold, vibrant prints which immediately catch the eye. They are incredibly visually appealing, but that certainly does not mean that they are practical or necessarily well thought out. Even if the interiors are pretty, they often have just one or two pockets. These two bags which I made recently are just the opposite of this. A custom order for a neutral, understated bag – without flowers – was a new challenge, as many of my fabrics are brightly coloured and/or incorporate floral elements. I’m also steering away from lightweight cotton exteriors at the moment, as I like more of a structured feel in the messenger bags. I know adding interfacing will help make cottons more suitable, but I also want to make sure most of my bags are washable and that they will retain their original look and feel. Anyway, a trip to the store was in order and I found a number of fabrics that I hoped would fit the bill. The client’s requirements were: beige/blue/black, no flowers, subtle, goes with everything. The end result was just that! The bag features a wide, adjustable strap, rear magazine pocket, divided pockets under the flap and inside the bag, a key clip, zippered pocket and parachute clip closure (aka side release buckle). I used three different drapery/upholstery fabrics, one of which was double sided, so in effect four fabrics, plus fleece interlining for structure and durability.

As you can see, this bag is deceptive! It looks small, but it can hold so much! This is a large wallet, essentials pouch with countless bits and pieces, pencil roll, sketch pad, pens, notepad, cell phone, shopping bag and a magazine in the rear pocket – and there is room for more!

I have just completed an order for a custom messenger bag. The lady chose a selection of pink and yellow fabrics and is going to love the way it all worked out together. The bag features an adjustable strap, parachute clip closure, a magazine packet at the rear, multiple pockets under the flap and inside the bag, as well as a key clip. She is going to be a very stylish and organized mom on the go, with her one of a kind bag!

As always, the interior is just as beautiful as the exterior.

I just finished this bag and couldn’t wait until tomorrow to take proper pictures! I love this bag so much. It is made in super soft pearlescent creamy vinyl for the exterior and the interior features two Joel Dewberry fabrics in gorgeous yellow and grey tones. The bag has a divided pocket under the flap, another divided pocket in the interior, a key clip and magnetic snap closure. The bag is interlined with Armo fleece to give it a soft structure and the strap is double sided, interfaced and sewn with multiple rows of decorative stitching.

Pricing of handmade goods is a serious issue for many, many people. Artists, crafters and customers alike often struggle with this. I know I do find it hard to price my goods to reflect the cost not only of materials, but also to factor in my time, overheads, profit and my skill – not to mention the development and product testing that came before a bag was ready for sale. I came across this fantastic article today and it should be required reading for everyone who makes, sells or buys handmade goods. Please read through the post and the comments that follow. I would be interested to hear what you think.