2021- New Year, New Projects, New Patterns

2021 is here and I am excited for new projects! My kids are still home more often than they are in school, and I don’t thrive with everyone at home all the time, but we have all had to figure out ways to work with all this enforced togetherness. I’m hard at work at my next two patterns, and I’ve also been taking a much needed sewing slow down after the stress of stocking season.

My first project of the year was to make some reusable shopping bags. My state just started a new law banning single use plastic, and we don’t really have a good supply of fabric bags. My friend recently sent me a box of fabric, and I decided this was a good use for it. I wasn’t sure what style I wanted, but I decided to model them off of the old grocery bags we have from years ago. I made four. They are double layer quilting cotton with vinyl bases and straps. I had fun with different strap styles. I’ve only needed to use these once and I think I will want longer handles, but other than that, they will work. If I find I need more, I will make more in the future. I want to use these for awhile so I know what features I’ll want in future bags. I found some tester bags from my New Tote on the Block pattern and they work well too, so I may use that pattern for future bags. Also, my free Braided Boho Bag pattern would be great too, with the normal strap option.

That was a project that was more about necessity than fun, and I didn’t spend time making everything nice and perfect (hence all the wrinkles).

In other news, I have been sewing up test bags for my new pattern, and it’s just about ready for testers!

When I make sample bags, I start with junk fabric and no interfacing first, then work up to nicer fabric and interfacing. Then I make ones that are purely meant for photographing purposes for the pattern cover and advertising the pattern. I love how this one turned out, but I won’t be able to use it for pattern photography since I flubbed the front zipper. Still, I love how it turned out.

The pattern is meant to coordinate with a larger handbag pattern. The handbag pattern is not nearly as close to testing, even though I’ve been working on it for several months off and on. I’m still changing dimensions and fiddling with pockets. But here is a version I made that looks pretty cool because of the dragon panels. A lot will change before publishing, but my daughter got this one and she is thrilled with it.