The fabric she used was a I <3 London-themed fabric and I was overcome with desire for it. I love all things British and with the Olympic Games coming up it seemed fitting.
I quickly looked it up at my favourite online quilt store, Fat Quarter Shop. I know it might sound weird to have that as my go-to place to find fabric - why not a local store.
Well, first of all they do not always carry the prints I need and if they do they rarely carry the full collection.
Plus even when adding shipping cost and the sometimes inevitable customs to the fabric from Texas I still end up paying less than if I could source it locally.
Anyway ...
I got the London fabric last week (after a long battle with my local grocery store which also doubles as my parcel pick-up place, but that's a whole other blog post) and plonked it in the wash immediately. I wanted to make a lunch bag too from it and I needed it to be pre-shrunk.
When it was hung up to dry Sofia caught a glimpse of it and asked for a bag from it. I felt a bit greedy but quickly realised I had 2 yards of it and there was enough to share.
We settled on a small Messenger Bag from Oliver + S's book, Little Things to Sew. I had made the larger size for Isabel and knew it was not a very difficult design.
The mistake I made with Isabel's bag was that I didn't interface it enough and I didn't want to make the same mistake with this one.
I looked at what interfacing I had available to me at home and realised quickly that nothing would do. So instead I decided to quilt the lining to make it sturdier.
I had a remnant of a red Kona Cotton and some lightweight cotton batting. So I drew 60 degree lines all over and started quilting.
I was going to cut out the pattern pieces first and then quilt but I stopped myself at the last minute. I don't think it would have worked out as well.
I used a Union Jack fabric as a lining for the outside pockets and their flaps as well as for the inside pocket.
The strap comes from Isabel's Secret Agent Coat and the darker blue binding is from the first Secret Agent coat I made her.
The light blue binding with the tiny dot is also leftovers from Isabel's coat. Yay for stash busting!
I even recycled the hardware strap shorteners from a bag I cut up a while back.
I'm so happy with it I posted to Facebook about it: "Sofia, honey, we gotta talk about this bag. I don't think it turned out so well and Mummy's going to make a sacrifice and wear it so you don't have to."
Yeah, she didn't buy that.
I might have to make one for me as well ...
