New Fancy Handbag!

I made a plan before I moved back to DC. I would spend my jetlagged first week making myself a pretty handbag, just for me, while Paul was at work. That didn't happen. Instead, I slowly cut out all the pieces and then last Friday I took a vagary and sat down and made the whole bag! I've never made a bag before. I was stunned at how quickly I got it together. There was some unpicking along the way, but no cursing (if you know me you know how astonishing that is!). I think that once you start to see it come together it is promising to be so pretty that you're happy to do whatever it takes to get it all worthy of that promise.

Made with Tsuru ...and Old Lace in Indigo by Rashida Coleman Hale,
Salt Water Submarines and Seaweed in Coral by Tula Pink,
and piping in Flamingo from Free Spirit.

Now, all of this is not some previously untapped well of bag-making talent. Oh no. Helpfully I have inserted some zippers before (and don't have super high standards in getting them put in, that they work and no fabric gets caught in them is all I'm after!). But most helpfully I was making my bag from one of Sara's bag patterns. Sara is the wee genius behind Sew Sweetness and she is just really lovely and helpful. At the end of her pattern she gives ways to contact her in case you are pulling your hair out and need some guru-like advice and a cup of tea/cold gin!!

The bag's first time in the Metro - the Metro is not as well
lit as it looks in this photo. We can't understand
why it looks so bright here...

I made the Velocity Girl bag. I needed a non-giant hand bag to replace my last one which I got a year ago for my birthday and proceeded to use to death! Especially since I hurt my back at Christmas I've needed to cut down on the amount of stuff I carry around with me, and since that is directly a result of how much space I have in my handbag I've needed to downsize (a lot). Velocity Girl is perfect! PERFECT! I carried it around all of Memorial Day and my back and shoulder didn't get sore once. It stands up by itself because I used some of Annie's Soft and Stable as recommended by Sara. I love it. And I love having some really pretty fabric with me all the time.

The bag in the wild at the Bethesda Farm Women's Co-Op!

Oh, and Sara put in plenty of pockets. So many that I even have one or two still free of purpose which is amazing, cos I love pockets. I like to put my phone, some tissues, some spare food, my keys, my metro card, and lip balm all into pockets. I love having them right at my fingertips and not having to root through the bottom of my bag as soon as I reach the Metro or my building!

Outside Pockets - there's five overall, just on the outside!!

I made a mistake - there's excess fabric in the interior because
I thought I knew it all and didn't actually read the steps right... There's
a lesson in there somewhere! But look, pretty magnetic clasp and zipper!!

Yeah, as you can tell I love this bag. I will definitely be making another bag from Sara. I own some more patterns. Hopefully by the end of June I'll have an Accordion Bag of my very own too! Secretly, when I was planning making Velocity Girl once I got here, I also bought fabric to make Accordion... Hence my current self-imposed fabric shopping ban! So worth it though, look at my bag!!!

Memorial Day exploring with a cardigan!! I enjoyed needing a
cardigan. Also, fancy bag hardware in the shape of a big metal O!

Linking up to TGIFF, over at Charm About You this week!! I hope to share the other bits of sewing I've been getting done this weekend with Fresh Sewing Day, because holy shit it's June tomorrow!

Aoif :)