Sew Sweetness Petrillo Bag
Bags

Petrillo Bag and Locked and Loaded Bag Re-Release

2

Happy Wednesday! I recently sent 5 patterns to the printer, and decided to re-release a couple of pdf patterns while I was at it. For me, sending patterns to the printer requires a fair bit of work. My pdf patterns are formatted in Microsoft Word, which easily allows me to insert the photos and make changes as they come back from testers. I’m fine with Word, as the photos look good and I feel that whatever system I have going makes the pdf patterns easy to follow.

When sending things to the printer, though, Word documents don’t really jive with most any commercial printer. Plus my pdf patterns are 8″ x 10″ documents and my printed booklets are 5.5″ x 8.5″ booklets. I assemble the printed booklets in Adobe InDesign. Most of the text gets copied and pasted in (and moved around so it looks nice in columns), and the photos all need to be slightly altered and put into CMYK/tiff format (photos that you look at on a screen are in RGB and photos that are printed on paper need to be in CMYK).

3

Depending on how many patterns I send to the printer at once (it’s usually 4-6), this process takes me about a week, in which time I won’t let myself work on anything else (because who wants to come back to computer work when they could be sewing something fun). It’s not a fun process but I feel like I get better at it each time (not that I get quicker, but I feel like the booklets are looking better with each printing, just because I’m also getting better at taking my step photos, etc.).

Besides getting the booklets ready, I also get my pattern pages ready. The pattern pages are printed on large format white paper (anywhere from 11″ x 17″ sheets to 22″ x 34″ sheets, which is what the Aeroplane Bag is printed on). I don’t have to do a lot of legwork on those besides taking them from pattern pieces that might need to be taped together, to altering them so it’s all one piece. This is pretty quick.

5

I’ve had questions before from readers why I don’t include templates for all pattern pieces (i.e. for a 6″ x 4″ rectangle). I thought I’d answer that here. It’s not because I’m lazy; I guess it’s just a personal choice. As far as the pdf patterns go, do you really want to print out and tape together 4 pieces of paper for a 42″ x 6″ strap? Maybe you do, I don’t know. If you noticed from the paragraph above, my biggest printed template is for a 22″ x 34″ piece of paper. Most of my bags have longer straps, and if I printed every template, including strap pieces, the printer that I print with wouldn’t be able to help me out with a page that large. A 4-foot piece of paper is bigger than my kids, lol!

Anyway, it all goes back to personal preference. For me personally, I feel like I can make a more accurate cut to cut my strap piece (and other rectangular-sized pattern pieces) using a ruler and rotary cutter off of measurements. It’s also faster cutting it outright, as opposed to cutting/taping paper and then tracing it onto fabric (or using a ruler and rotary cutter to cut from the paper pattern piece – in which case, why not measure it out to begin with?).

I completely understand that there are some cases where you would like to have all pattern pieces present – a garment pattern, for example.

39

Anyway! As I was getting the new patterns ready for the printer (Crimson and Clover Train Cases, Rockstar Bag, Tudor Bag, Locked and Loaded Bag were printed, as well as re-printing the Petrillo Bag since I sold out of the first run of printing on that one!), I noticed that the step photos for Petrillo and Locked and Loaded were meh. There were no errors in the instructions, but I wrote those guys over a year ago, and so my step photos have improved a bit during that time. I decided to remake and re-shoot the step photos for those two patterns, and figured I might as well update the cover photo for Petrillo as well.

The updated pdf versions of Petrillo and Locked and Loaded are now available in my pattern shop. ALSO! By popular request, I have updated the Locked and Loaded pattern (pictured below) to now include a smaller size bag. The original version was a large hobo-style bag, and so I’ve now added a smaller purse-sized bag (pictured below in the purple floral print) to the pattern (the pattern now includes both sides of the bag). Locked and Loaded goes together really quick (I made both bags in the same day).

The new Petrillo Bag up top with the gathered flap is made in Tula Pink ‘Moonshine’ fabric (still available in most quilt shops), and both Locked and Loaded Bags below are made in Tula Pink ‘Nightshade’, which is sadly out of print (although I will trade for or purchase if you happen to have some in your stash, lol!).

52

Hope you’re having a great week and hope you liked the new bags that I sewed up!

Related Posts

12 thoughts on “Petrillo Bag and Locked and Loaded Bag Re-Release

  1. Beautiful bags! Thank you so much for sharing some of your process for getting patterns from design to your computer to the printer, it was very informative.

  2. Having bought several of your bag patterns, I am grateful that you *don’t* include dozens of templates for pieces that are easy to cut with simple measurements. In fact, there have been times that I have stayed away from a particular pattern because I don’t want to print out (what I think to be) unnecessary pattern pieces that could be cut with a rotary cutter. It not only saves time, as you said, it saves the ink and paper, which saves money! That’s my 2 cents, anyway…. 😉

  3. Krista says:

    I agree–very informative; I always like the “behind the scenes” posts because it helps me in my understanding of how patterns go together and how the Sew Sweetness patterns go together specifically. I’m impressed that you’ve worked through all those technical things, Sara–and I think that most definitely helps you know your business better.

    (I also admire your ability to name your bags! Names come hard for me!)

    Krista

  4. Alli says:

    Just wanted to pop in to say that I’m on your side with the decision to not include templates for pieces that are rectangles — I agree that it’s a lot easier for me to just measure and cut with my ruler and rotary cutter.

    My (not incredibly well-researched theory) is that people who started sewing from the quilting side of things prefer just using measurements for rectangle pieces, while people who started by sewing garments prefer having templates for every piece. :} Either way, I’m glad that I don’t have to use up eight pages to print out a bag strap template with your patterns! 😀

  5. Beth says:

    I agree about templates, just want them for the pieces that are not rectangles and can’t be just rotary cut. I don’t know how you get all the tech stuff sorted out. I did the membership directory for guild twice and I wanted to cry about half way through.

  6. Nancy says:

    Love the patterns!!!!!

  7. Dana says:

    Amen to not having to print a template when a rotary cutter instruction will do. But I imagine part of that is quilters vs garment sewers who might not have the rulers I do?

  8. I’m with you, not having templates and using my ruler and rotary cutter is much more accurate and convenient. Great bags, I love your patterns!

  9. thelittlestthistle says:

    Loving the redos! I never put in templates for squares and rectangles either, so much more accurate with a ruler and cutter! The big box ones tend to have straps and things as ‘cut on fold’ jobs so they fit on the pattern sheets.

    You’re making me glad I’ve been doing all my patterns in In Design though, it was a learning curve for the first one, but now I kind of have a template with 3 – 4 different layouts that I can plug and play into so it’s a lot quicker. I also have Photoshop actions to process my photos, resize to fit the pattern and save so they’re quick to work through. I may be lazy 😉

  10. Kerry Nicholls says:

    I already have the Locked and Loaded and Petrillo bags in pdf. Do I have to repurchase for the newer pdf versions.

    1. Kerry Nicholls says:

      Thank you so much Sara Looking forward to making these bags.

  11. katiasafia says:

    BEAUTIFUL BAG

Comments make my day and I love to reply!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.