A Bag for ME

This may look like just another cute bag because of the fabulous fabric, but in all honesty, it is the PERFECT bag! It has room for all my stuff which always includes a miniature first aid kit, a notepad, a box of crayons, and my ever important inhaler. Add to that credit cards, identification, my ASG calendar, a cell phone, tissues, and all the other random things that end up in my purse and we have the makings of a disaster, but NOT in this bag! The reason this bag works so well....lots of pockets, a credit card organizer, a clear window for ID, a cell phone pocket, and elastic to secure a couple pens. See for yourself...

So after all those mad ravings, I'm sure you are just a bit curious about the pattern! The pattern is Odyssey by Studio Kat. I have to admit, this bag is a bit of an odyssey and not for the easily defeated. It has about a zillion pieces and 7 pages of instructions! My suggestion is to be very methodical in cutting everything out. Pin all the fabric to the pattern pieces or you will never remember which little squarish piece is which. The edges get a little bulky and my machine groaned a few times as I crammed stuff under the presser foot. It is also a bit akward to maneuver at times with all the bulk. The assembly is nothing short of ingenious even though it involves a lot of basting and some hand stitching.
The pattern calls for a purse zipper which I ordered online only to receive the wrong kind of zipper and find out after it was already installed that Hancock's carries them! The zipper pocket should have the zipper pulls in the middle not on either side like mine. I don't think that's going to be a big deal for me though. I may make another just to have the right zipper!

All in all, this was definitely worth the effort, 2 trips to Hancock's, online order of the wrong zipper, and lots of basting! I think this purse will serve me well through the summer! Maybe the next one will be a winter version!