I seem to be making a lot of bags lately, but this one will finish me for a while. My favourite thing about it is that it’s done!

The pattern is the Blanche Barrel Bag from Swoon Patterns. I bought a paper pattern from Emmeline Bags because I was buying some hardware from them anyway. It’s also available as a PDF. (The first link is to the designer’s website.)

The pattern includes the bag in two sizes. I made the larger one. My plan is to make the smaller one as well, but not just yet.

My main challenge with this bag was self-inflicted. I chose vinyl for the handles, base and accent, and this did not bring joy to my sewing machine. I should have borrowed access to my friend’s industrial machine for sewing those thick bits.

Still, it came out pretty well:

You can’t be surprised that I got all matchy-matchy with the birds.

I made a couple of modifications. Originally, I had made piping with the light caramel vinyl and sewn it around the ends. I wasn’t happy with the appearance of it – as with the Weekender overnight bag, I had a hard time sewing up flush to the piping in some areas. This time, I just took out the piping. It means the piping on the top of the end pockets is kind of a solitary feature, but (luckily) the colour matches the fabric I chose for the lining. It ends up looking like a plan. 🙂

I also added one of those Ikea thin cutting boards into the base of the bag, and some bag feet. And I added an open pocket into the other side of the bag lining – this was partly to use up a piece of fabric that was cut the wrong way. The pattern seems to assume that your fabric doesn’t have a directional print. Mine did – both the birds on the outside and the lining inside, which has little flower buds – and I cut the pocket lining in the wrong direction. I cut it again, then (ha) ended up putting it in upside down. I have drunk birds inside the zipped pocket in my lining. (My guess is that few people will know or notice.) So, my pattern has a bunch of notes on it for future reference since I do like directional prints.

Finally, I sewed the lining to the inside of the zipper by hand, instead of by machine. This is the same modification I made with the Weekender bag, as I just couldn’t fit all that under the arm of my sewing machine.

The other thing I did on the vinyl was colour the cut edges with a Sharpie marker. Vinyl often has a white backing, so when you cut it, the edges look bright. A matching Sharpie marker squares that away. I should have done that on the edge of the contrast piece on the base of each side of the bag before sewing it to the main fabric. I’m thinking that if I do it now, I’d likely get the Sharpie on the bird fabric, which wouldn’t be cool.

Once upon a time, I had a purse that was this shape and loved it to pieces. This one is a bit big for a purse – it’s looking like a knitting bag to me right now – so I will make the smaller version, but my sewing machine and I need a little break first.

The girls are also certain they need some new clothes. 🙂