This is my second project from One Yard Wonders, and it's a birthday present for my brother's girlfriend. The fabric was from Ikea, and it was 99p a metre, like the stuff I used for the messenger bag. The print on it is huuuuge, and I wasted quite a lot of fabric because I wanted specific bits of the pattern for the front and back, and just plain cream for the bands at the top of the bag, but at 99p a metre I really don't care :)
(warning - this is a long faffy explanation. For the short version, skip down to the sentence marked *) Things were going fine until I came to join the top band to the lining - you sew the exterior panels together and attach a top band, and then you sew the lining panels together and attach a top band, and then sew them altogether with the straps sandwiched in between, if that makes sense. The lining pattern piece was slightly smaller than the exterior pattern piece, but you used the same top band pattern piece for inside and out. So when I came to join the lining to the top band, the band was too big. So I had to make it smaller. But then when I came to join the inside to the outside, the bands didn't match. So I had to put an ugly great pleat in the band on each side of the bag :( Pah!
I've since found out there are corrections to the pattern on the publisher's website. The pleats on the exterior have been widened, so that presumably when you sew them they make the inside and outside the same width. Although this would mean the top bands would still be too big, but at least you could make them smaller and then everything would be the same size. Confused? All you really need to know is:
*It went wrong but now I know how to fix it the next time I make it. And I will make it again, it's a lovely bag. I stuffed it full of organic chocolate and a cute purse I bought from Spunky, and posted it a couple of days ago, so the birthday girl should have it by now :) And I've posted my pics up on Finny and AfricanKelli's One Yard Wonders Sew Along group on Flickr - the bag is their project for Feb. Right, on to the next project! I have no idea what's wrong with me this month, I have been ridiculously productive...
Cute bag, sounds like a headache in the middle though! I hate when things do go together properly although it's usually my fault...
ReplyDeleteBTW, I just received my metric pattern cutting for kids book today!
I hate it when patterns are wrong, but it's so satisfying when you figure out how to fix something. The bag is lovely!
ReplyDeleteI love the bag. nice work
ReplyDeleteI had to do the same thing when I made it. I put pleats on the side as well. I also had 4 extra pieces of interfacing when I was done!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had that problem! Not in the sadistic sense... But I had the exact same problem. I posted about it on Sew, Mama, Sew's forum to see if anyone else had the same issue. A few people posted that they had made it with no problems at all, someone else posted with a different problem, and I began to think I was crazy. I even measured the pattern pieces and *knew* it couldn't be right.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, the fix they list will only make it a different kind of problem. Next time I make it, I plan to make the lining with the exterior pattern and pleat it as marked.
I love that fabric! Ikea is such a deal for fabrics - good call. Thanks for pointing out the pattern corrections. I'll try to put up a reminder on the blog about those soon. Great work :)
ReplyDeleteI read your post on Sew Mama Sew indywriter and have been following the post hoping to figure out this problem because I too want to make this bag. I just finished the Simply Beautiful Sundress and was disappointed with the directions and lack on info on the pattern pieces. This Ikea fabric is great. I've been shopping there lately and making pillows for my room. Nice job, thanks for posting this. It really helps others to learn from it.
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