Purse Palooza – Pattern Review – Melbourne Weekender

This post is part of Purse Palooza 2015. For full details and contest rules, check here.
Today’s post is from Tracy of I’ve Got A Notion.

Hi Lovelies!  Welcome to my maker space aka sewing room!  I’m Tracy from I’ve got a Notion (my school sewing based blog) and Maud’s Daughter (my website and Etsy store).

How exciting is it to be asked by Sara to contribute to Purse Palooza?  VERY!  I’ve been testing for Sara for a few years now, but my bag obsession began way back in year 9 as a 14 year old ( and in the mid 70’s), when one of the first commercial patterns I bought was for a wrap around skirt, vest and bag.  I think it was a McCalls ‘sew easy’ one.  I loved making all those things!  I used the bag A LOT!  And so began my love of sewing and my superpower of working with textiles.

Enough about me and, lets get on with the ‘purse’!

I’m celebrating the wonderful work of Australian designer and maker Nikki Mallalieu aka You Sew Girl.  Nikki makes wonderful bags, brilliant instructions, fabulous tutorials and classes and is a brilliant teacher in person.  I was fortunate to have participated on one of her ‘bag in a day’ workshops a couple of years ago.  I learnt so much!

Im going to make the MELBOURNE WEEKENDER from her book THE BETTER BAG MAKER. 

It’s a brilliant book with step by step photos and illustrations to guide you through the basic bag and then onto adaptations, each increasing in skill and ability. Nikki has identified the Melbourne Weekender for those with a ‘confident’ skill level.

The ‘Melbourne Weekender” is what I’d call a large bag.  It certainly can fit in overnight necessities.  With options for the configuration of pockets inside you’d be surprised at how well it packs!

Finished Bag: 12 1/2″ x 10″ x 5 1/2″   or about 32cm x 30cm x 14cm.

With an adjustable shoulder strap and carry handle this bag is easy to pick up and wear on the shoulder or messenger style.

Some thoughts as I begin:

1. This is a pattern that also about the making journey and the processes, not just a finished product!  Be accurate, follow exactly as you read…do not try to short change both the design or your effort!  Nikki shares brilliant techniques you may not have come across with other designers.  Relish the differing methods!
2. READ, READ, READ! To accommodate the range of patterns in this book Nikki has very cleverly designed the bags in the whole book on a basic pattern and then has you make specific alterations as you draft/trace to suit your chosen bag!  Some may find this a pain but I love to draft anyway, and find this always helps me become familiar with the bag and steps to come!
3. You will find yourself flicking back throughout the book to previous techniques and descriptions – that also makes the book very usable and reflects the versatility of the pattern processes!  If you are a beginner I’d recommend starting with the first project in the book so you become familiar and then you can progress through the steps and techniques as you become more confident!  I mean to say – you aren’t just ever only going to make one bag are you?
4. Each designer has favourite interfacings.  You may find you have to get some different ones to what you have used in the past.  I had to make some substitutions I knew may create some issues for me down the track, but I was prepared for that.  (Even though I live in a city the availability of specialty interfacing and notions can sometimes be more than a challenge – and I wanted to get this made without the online and shipping wait! )
5. the materials list seems extensive – a range of interfacings, stabilisers and hardware.  When you consider though that you are essentially making a suitcase, it’s not surprising!  Don’t scrimp on it! Without the inner structure this would just be a floppy tote bag!
6. PRESS AS YOU GO!  TRIM AND GRADE AS YOU GO!  Do not try to avoid this!  Your final product will be a let down if you don’t!  It really does make such a difference!  Follow Nikki’s grading and trimming steps to the letter or you will not have fun pushing all the bulk through the machine!  Did I say PRESS AS YOU GO?!

Fabric choice:

I used a fun Japanese ‘Kokka’ cotton canvas (an upholstery weight) and a new pair of large jeans from the thrift shop! Durability and contrast.  (The two legs provided enough denim for the base, side panels, handles for very little cost!)

The Pattern:

• Nikki’s instructions are always very clear and thoroughly presented – sketches, photos….brilliant!  You know too that they have been thoroughly tested by a range of sewers. You are not just learning how to make this bag – you are learning excellent techniques to apply elsewhere.

• The pattern needs to be traced off and adjusted from the tear out  pattern sheets in the book. They are clearly marked and I found it very easy to make the adjustments required for this option.  if you are used to working with full size paper sheets from a pattern envelope you may not like this.

• I suppose one thing that continued to ‘niggle’ at me was that, once again, measurements were only provided in Imperial.  Make sure you have rulers for this – conversion to metric isn’t worth the grief.

Bag Features:

• Wide comfy adjustable strap – made with the ‘bagging’ method not ‘four folds’.  What’s this you ask?  Read the book and learn from a great maker!

• Two twist locks on the large front flap – and a different way to secure and stabilize them!

• An excellent structured handle with O Rings on the flap – a completely new way of preparing this compared to other methods I’ve used!  LOVE IT!  ….but don’t be in a hurry!  Lots of bits and steps but SO worth it! Given I was using a heavy denim I was surprised at how the bulk was reduced and sewing it was a breeze!

• Rigidity without bulk!  This bag is so well structured yet it remained easy to maneuver through a standard domestic sewing machine!  With weight in the bag and carrying it by the handles the bag does NOT sag!  Excellent!

• A great solid base with purse feet.

• A zippered closure under the flap for added security

• Pocket options inside.  I did three types – a zippered divider pocket (full width of bag), a slip in pocket and a zippered pocket inserted between the facing and lining.  All well described and shown.  easy to follow and prepare.

Changes I made:

• The changes I made were purely driven by fabric and haberdashery availability.  I was using heavy fabrics as recommended.  I didnt have the interfacing S320 or Craft-Fuse so used a combination of 71F or Soft and Stable depending on the section.  SF 101 provided the basic backbone for the fabrics – yes, even though they were thick I like the stability and finish they provide to the fabric.
• I did not have template plastic so used offcuts of 71F to stabilse the locks
• S520 was recommended for the bag base.  Once again I didn’t have access to this readily so did the combo of 71F for the outside and SnS for the lining base.

I’m happy with these alterations.  The only time I regretted this was in the turning of the bag!  Gosh those sections were tough to turn!

Always a challenge – and where you wish you really did leave the required amount open in the lining base, not do fancy top stitching here and leave only a small side open instead!

What did I learn?

Let me just say I’ve been sewing for a very long time – and have extensive experience sewing and designing with garments and bags….but I still learnt fabulous NEW processes to add to my repertoire as I make bags from this book!  I absolutely loved how the handles evolved!

The combination of new and known methods made for a completely satisfying make!  …and some brilliant mistakes too!  Let’s just say here that when you Mum pops in to tell you all about aphids on her roses STOP sewing and pay real attention….I didn’t and the sewing gods delivered bad karma as I realised all too late that I’d twisted the zipper closure and need to unpick it all……

Always to be referred to as the ‘Aphid Incident’ in this household!

The outcome:

A fabulous bag!

A happy and very satisfied maker!

A brilliant pattern that will provide the confident sewer with hours of learning and a great product!

VERDICT?

Buy the book!  Dive in!  Learn!  Enjoy!

Thanks for taking the time to read and look!

This is certainly a terrific challenge.  I hope you have a try.

Remember that you learn best when making mistakes so be easy on yourself, have a laugh and give it a go!

Let me know how your sewing adventure develops!

Cheers