Bags, Uncategorized

Dot Dot Dash Bag

dot dot dash cover

I’m really happy to announce the first pattern to go up in my pattern shop, the Dot Dot Dash Bag, available in pdf or paper! This is a bag that features 5 zippers on the front of the bag, and a top closure in the form of a recessed zipper. The strap is adjustable. The pattern is intermediate/advanced sewing level.

The pdf pattern includes 18 pages of sewing instructions, complete with 41 step-by-step color photos.
Finished Size: 13” long x 15” tall
Supplies Needed to Make this Bag:
1 yard of Exterior Fabric (for quilted version, substitute 1 charm pack or 36 charm (5”) squares)
For quilted version only: 1/2 yard of fabric for the straps/top/side
1-1/4 yards of Lining Fabric
2 yards of Pellon® SF-101 Shape Flex® fusible woven interfacing
2/3 yard of By Annie’s Soft and Stable™, available at local quilt shops or on-line
(Soft and Stable is a thin, foam sew-in interfacing; one of my testers also recommends automotive headliner fabric in place of the Soft and Stable)
Helpful Hint: 2/3 yard of Pellon® #TP971 Thermolam® fusible interfacing (a needled fleece) may be substituted for the Soft and Stable, for a great slouchy look.
1-1/2″ metal rectangle and metal slider (I buy mine here:http://www.etsy.com/shop/JennaLouDesigns?section_id=5226774)
Three 14” zippers
Two 9” zippers

One 14” separating zipper (for the top closure)

 

My pattern instructions call for use of By Annie’s Soft and Stable, which is a thin, foam sew-in interfacing (although I do give alternative interfacing suggestions in my pattern instructions, such as Pellon Thermolam/needled fleece for a great slouchy bag). If you do decide to use the Soft and Stable, your bag will be padded, so it is the perfect carrying accessory for your laptop, Kindle, iPad, etc.!

bag1

bag4

I’d also like to give a big virtual hug to Alison Glass, fabric designer for Andover Fabrics, who designed my pattern cover. She got it just right on the first crack, which shows just how talented she is. Alison has a line out right now called ‘Lucky Penny’ (and my bag is made using the Column print from Lucky Penny), and will have ‘Field Day’ coming in June.

My friend Tiffany of This Crafty Fox made this gorgeous version of the bag in Joel Dewberry fabrics. This bag is also featured in the pattern. Tiffany put up with my constant worry-worting about the pattern instructions and was a really good sport about it. 😉

I had quite a lot of pattern testers for this bag. My heart skipped a beat each time a new one appeared in my inbox. It’s kind of something to see someone make something from a pattern that you’ve written. I will probably always feel this way, but it makes me feel like…well, you have so many sewing pattern choices when it comes to bag making. That you’ve chosen to make a bag that I’ve written makes me feel incredibly honored. Thank you to all the testers who spent the time making these bags and providing me with feedback on my instructions.

This lovely version of the bag was made by Christy of a.Amelia Handmade. Christy makes beautiful iPad sleeves and other accessories in her shop. Her bag is a total winner in my book…my favorite color is green and Echino is one of my favorite fabric designers, so enough said!!

Maryellen made this cosmic bag out of spacey Michael Miller fabrics! I love the brown in the corner accents, it really makes those pockets pop!

Allison made this beautiful yellow Dot Dot Dash, and I think her fussy-cutting on the front of the bag through the zippers was seamless…you can’t even tell that that fabric had to be cut and seamed! Great job Allison!!

Lindsey of LRstitched made this awesome bag in gingham and suede. I think it turned out fabulous, and I love the zipper pulls that she added herself! Lindsey ran the Zakka Style sew along last year, and she has another slated for April…Patchwork Please! Follow the Flickr group to be notified when it starts!

This beautiful version made in Joel Dewberry fabric was made by Lisa of Six Munchkin Stitching. Lisa makes memory quilts, gift bags, and more! I especially adore the green woodgrain fabrics on the corners!
Ty Pennington fabric really made this stunning bag from Cindy of Raspberry Sunshine. Cindy was very quick on her toes and used this automotive headliner fabric from Hancock’s in place of the Soft and Stable interfacing (I had to ask my husband what exactly automotive headliner fabric was, lol). She said it gave the bag great body and was easy to sew through!
This bag was made by Sharon, who upcycled an old jumper to make her bag; she loved the fabric of the jumper, but no longer wanted to wear it. What a great idea!!

Diane made this great bag out of Washi Tape fabrics…so awesome! I also love the different-colored zippers…it really brings out the washi effect! You can find Diane on her Flickr…you should check it out, she’s a phenomenal quilter!

Mia of Mia’s Creations made this lovely bag using upholstery fabrics and fleece interfacing instead of the Soft and Stable. I just love this, it looks like something you would find in a boutique shop! Maria also blogged about her bag, so you can read more about what she thinks!

Anna from Charmed Liebling made this bag in some really awesome fabric…the fabric has a really European flair. I think the different-colored fabrics for the accent and zippers really make it stand out! It looks just gorgeous!!

Carolyn made this black and white version with the neon zippers…how awesome that those zippers stand out like that! Carolyn is using her bag to tote her laptop, with her Kindle in a pocket!

Rachel made this beautiful version, and she was very careful to fussy cut her large-scale print across the zippered panels! I also adore her contrasting accents and strap!

Shelley of Pure and Simple Creations made this awesome version in pink and orange, and as you can see by the photo, this bag is very functional! She’s got all her knitting supplies packed inside!

Sally from Life in Sally’s World made this great version of the bag with Anna Maria Horner fabric and some denim for the corner pockets. She just took a trip to Las Vegas and was happy that the bag fit her Macbook Air inside! Sally sent me her edits while traveling…isn’t she a trooper?!

Allegory of {sew} Allegorical made the only patchwork version in the group (the pattern has instructions to make the bag in patchwork if you so choose!). I love the fabrics she chose, they are so bright and happy!

Corrina of Another Thing Off the List (love the blog name too!) made this beautiful floral bag. The fabrics are so soft and pretty, this is a real winner!

Alli from B. Yazoo made this awesome bag in a smokey corduroy with chartreuse accents and a fun lining fabric. She was very thorough with her tester feedback, and I think this bag looks incredibly well-put-together and sturdy!

Mary made this paisley version of the pattern. I love the red fabric used for the accents and the lining, it perfectly coordinates with the paisley! What a great bag!

I had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa at Sewing Summit this past October, and she made this gorgeous country girl version of the bag. So pretty! It’s a gift for her mom, and I just think it’s perfect!

Annette used denim for her bag, with floral for the lining and front accents. I love the dark colors of the bag, and the black zippers really make those panels stand out!

Norma from Norma’s Clay on Etsy made this stunning gray and white bag. Norma makes cool accessories made from beautiful clay in her shop, so check it out if you have a chance! I can’t get over this bag, it is so pretty!

Peta from Australia has made this gorgeous bag. Peta has quite a history with crochet, embroidery, and sewing, so I am very honored that she tested my pattern for me!

Kelie made this great version with brightly-colored butterfly fabrics. I love that the front curved accent fabrics continue through the side panels, it gives the bag a great finished look! Kelie also reviewed this bag on her blog!

Thank you again so much to everyone for all your hard work!!! If you liked what you saw and would like to purchase my sewing pattern, please visit my pattern shop!

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31 thoughts on “Dot Dot Dash Bag

  1. Samantha says:

    Wow! I love this bag. Thanks for showing all of the samples.

  2. KristyLou says:

    I have been waiting to see what your first pattern will be. I didn’t expect anything less! This looks like a lot of fun. And i LOVE that you have so many examples to show and advertise. Great job. Keep up the good work!

  3. Lisa Mather says:

    How funny that Tiffany and I used the same fabric line! All of these bags came out so different! They’re all just gorgeous. Great pattern Sara!

  4. mjb says:

    Those corner zippers are so cute!

  5. jeifner says:

    Oh, this seems like such a nice big bag. Larger ones are my favorite. Question: do you have to draft your own curve shapes for the bottom pockets?

  6. vexa says:

    It’s so cool to see all those different versions. Well done!

  7. Congrats on the new pattern! I love it! Such a fantastic job, Sara!

  8. Katy Cameron says:

    Wow, you had hundreds of testers lol Love the wee corner zipped pockets, great wee touch :o)

  9. Lee says:

    Super cute, I love it!

  10. emedoodle says:

    This is so cute! I love it!

  11. Anna L says:

    This really is a great bag pattern! I can’t even make up my mind which one of the tester bags I like best, they all turned out gorgeous!

  12. Sandra :) says:

    Sara congratulations on your pattern – it’s fantastic! I love the ones your testers made – as soon as I saw the taupey/coffee/caramelly upholstery fabric one I knew who made it – Maria is a bloggy buddy of mine, and does amazing work! I quite like your pattern and will order it tomorrow when I get my gift card “registered” so I can start to shop with it 🙂

  13. Beth says:

    I am in bag love. I have to see if my friend who is a better sewer than I am will help me make this bag. Maybe I will bribe her.
    Great design!

  14. Alli says:

    Congratulations!!! It’s so fun to see how different everyone’s bags came out! 🙂

  15. great new pattern sara! Well done! 🙂 Christine

    ChrisW Designs

  16. kateuk says:

    It is great when other people make stuff from your own patterns, quite scary waiting to see if the instructions work- but so very exciting to see all the versions and how different the same pattern can look. For me, that is the best bit of designing- beats the initial rush of the idea and the fabric stroking stage by a whisker! It is a great design, hope it goes well for you.

  17. Debbie says:

    Very fun pattern and what an awesome job all your testers did! Gives us a real sense about how versatile the bag can be.

  18. CJ Latour says:

    All these bags look absolutely amazing! You all did a wonderful job. 🙂

    Sara, I do have a question for you… Do you think (not just for me ha ha but for others as well) write up a post on how you go about picking out your fabrics for purses. I always have a hard time figuring out what “fabrics” would be good for a purse. I know there isn’t a right or wrong way to picking out fabric, but sometimes using too much print or not enough pop or solids or or… Yeah, lol so I would love it if you could dabble into how you go about picking out fabrics and how you pair it up with other fabrics.

    Thanks!! 🙂

  19. nissaMade says:

    Looks like a great bag.. love those little corner pockets.. and what a great bunch of bag makers to showcase your pattern!

  20. Such a great variety of bags! Thank you for the shout out!

  21. Kelly says:

    Everyone did such a great job. They all look amazing!

  22. Wonderful, and your pattern testers have done you proud xxx

  23. Love this bag, lots of pockets and finally someone who knows that some of us need crossbody straps on our bags. This is the perfect bag for me, and I want to thank my daughter for making it for me.

  24. Sally says:

    I love seeing all of the different versions of the bag! Each one is so different, yet cool, too!

  25. Vicki says:

    Great bag – are there any pockets or dividers inside? thanks.

  26. Tiffany says:

    I think that suede and gingham one is my favorite – just gorgeous! Love seeing everyone’s styles of this bag!

  27. Cindy says:

    Love this bag. Just ordered your pattern. I look forward to making MORE than one.

  28. Rachel S says:

    Hi Sara, I’m looking for a cross-the-body purse with outside zippers/pockets and this bag fits the bill. The one problem is it’s bigger than I like to wear. Does the pattern come with different sizes?

  29. Skooks says:

    I had a similar question to the one Rachel posted above. Has anyone attempted to size this down so that the largest pocket space would hold a kindle? I’m trying desperately to find a pattern I like that would allow me to carry all the regular purse type stuff and my kindle, but I really don’t like to carry such a large bag. Any tips you might have about sizing it down would be amazing.

  30. Jan says:

    I see that the current Dot Dot Dash Bag pattern contains two sizes. I have the older pattern PDF with only the larger size, but I want to make the smaller size. How do I get the new smaller size instructions without having to buy the whole pattern again?

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