New Release: Sweet Sunday Bag (and Yuletide sale!)

Announcing my newest sewing pattern, the Sweet Sunday Bag!  This is my first sewing pattern in about a year, so I'm quite pleased to finally have it ready to publish.  I tried to get it done before my baby was born but he came a few days early and interrupted the testing process.  I'm grateful for patient testers!

The Sweet Sunday Bag was originally designed as a scripture bag for my oldest daughter.  I've made several for my children and nephews since then and added some additional options.  There are three closure options: open tote, flap closure, and zipper closure.  You can also sew some sweet ruffles on any of the three options.  The outside of the purse has two pockets and the inside has a divider that you can customize the placement.  You can use this for much more than just a church bag!

I'm happy to share my testers' versions.  They were given the option of sewing the open tote, flap version, or zipper version, with or without ruffles.  I'm going to start with the open totes.

Open Tote

Photo credits go to Carol Chester, Janet Greenslade, Sandra Diehl, Linda McGregor, and LisaMarie Ducourant.

Some notes from testers:

"Sweet Sunday bag is a well designed and written pattern! So cute for children or adults! I can think of many uses for this bag and look forward to making more!"

"It's true what they say "size doesn't matter", don't let this cutie fool you, it is roomy and functional. . . . This is a wonderful easy to follow, well laid out pattern for everyone from the confident beginner to the more experienced."

"I've been sewing my whole life! Just recently got hooked on making bags! This was my first time testing a pattern, great experience, great pattern!"

"Tori's Sweet Sunday Bag pattern is suitable for books, small projects or a purse, it even holds my iPad mini! . . . The directions are clear and easy to follow. Just take your time and you'll be pleased with your Sweet Sunday Bag!"

Flap version

Some testers experimented with both a flap and zipper, so some of the photos reflect that.

Photo credits to Leah Mask, Rochna Jalan, Michelle Wearsch, Tiina Mikkonen, Virginia Dessart, Carolyn Bizzell, Gayathri Rakesh

What the testers had to say:

"A very easy and still a versatile bag so sew. Nice for beginners to step into the world of bag-making and still satisfying enough to sew for the advanced sewers"

"Such a darling pattern. It brings a bit of nostalgia home for me - I carried a bag similar to this in the early 70's while in high school. It was great for carrying a snack and a couple of books home with me. While it made me step out of my sewing comfort zone, I like the end result of this bag. Though this was designed for use with religious gear, it would look and function equally well any day and anywhere."

"I was pleased to test this Sweet Sunday Bag pattern for Tori. Though I am fairly new to sewing bags, this was a pattern that challenged me just enough. The number of pieces in the pattern are minimal compared to other bags I have made and the sewing is straight forward. It is the perfect size for a lunch bag or a small carry all. I highly recommend this Sweet Sunday Bag to any sewist at any skill level for a fast and fun project."

Zipper version

Photo credit to: Bethany Mitchell, Glenys Binstead, Lori Peoples, Sandie Larsen, and Wendy Pratt.

Some more words from testers:

"I enjoyed making this bag. It has so many options for both inside and out to satisfy even the fussiest fashionista!

"This is a quick, cute pattern that would be perfect for a young child. Can be girly with ruffles or plain with "manly" fabric for a boy."

"This is my first attempts at making a structured bag. The pattern is well written with nice illustrations to guide a novice bag sewer, like myself, through the process to get to the beautiful end results. I have already started planning out my next bag! Thanks Toriska!"

I hope you enjoy sewing up the Sweet Sunday Bag! I'd love to see your finished versions on Instagram (#SweetSundayBag) or in my Toriska Sewing Patterns Facebook group. The pattern is on sale today through Friday, November 10 for $6.

And speaking of sales, I am going to hold a sale concurrently for the Yuletide Stocking! Normally $5, it will be on sale for $1 through Friday. Happy Sewing!