I wasn't up at 6.30am, but I was sewing again before 8, and by 10.30 I was all done bar stitching up the turning hole.
I then had an enforced break in proceedings, to shower, get dressed, go to the post office, feed the hungry and then spend a couple of hours at the park.
But my Sidekick Tote II is finished and turned out bloody lovely I reckon...
Anna's patterns are all so simple to follow, and having made this before, it was even easier than I remembered. Honestly all the cutting and interfacing takes most of the time. I didn't stick to the stitching order as per the pattern, using Aurifil 50wt 2021 for much of the piecing, and then swapping to a 28wt grey for all the top-stitching and remaining piecing.
As per my original, I added an extra loop to the strap to give it a good length for going across body without having to have a join in the main strap. The only other mod was a reduced pocket size; I used the small flap pattern, and elongated the pocket but kept the width of the smaller one as I thought the larger sized was just a bit too overwhelming!
The fresh, bungie interfacing has made it look a little bit wobbly round the edges in these empty-bag photos, but trust me, all my darts match up, (a first!), and when loaded, or squeezed flat, it is perfectly rounded ;)
If you have never made a
complicated bag before, this is possibly a good place to start; there is a non-pleated/bias-bound pocket option, and although there is a zipper, it is the easiest type to install.
Full info:
Main body - Ellen Luckett Baker - Garden print
Bias-binding, exterior top band, inner pocket & short strap outers - Essex yarn dyed linen - black
Interior top band & short strap inners - Essex linen - natural
Main & pocket lining - Alison Glass - Sunprint - yellow
Interfacing - Vilene H640 fusible fleece
Aurifil 50wt 2021, 28wt 2605
So now its back to the list of things I should be doing, with a smile on my face and snazzy bag on my arm!
