Yarrow Wristlet

Well, it seems I have an inconsistent track record with sew-alongs so far this year. Either I finish them too quickly, or I wait until they're over and speed-sew to catch up. So anyway, over the weekend, I sewed right through the Yarrow Sew-Along and now have a new wristlet to show for it.

The latest of Anna Graham/Noodlehead's patterns, the Yarrow has a zipper going around a curve, and I had never done that! Come to find out, it wasn't the trickiest part of the pouch construction!

Let's back up just a bit.... I did need to purchase the zippers - a 12" x 1.25" handbag zipper + a 4" zipper - neither of which I had in my stash. Those, and the ½”-wide d-ring AND ½”-wide swivel snap. Otherwise, I had everything I needed. For fabric, I chose Essex Balboa from Erin Dollar for the exterior, and for the interior, a favorite Carolyn Friedlander print from her Carkai collection.

So the most difficult portion of this pouch for me? That front exterior pocket. So weird. I tried it twice with blue waxed cotton - I had high hopes, but I just didn't like it once I'd sewn it on - twice. So I switched to the leather, and the first time, I just wasn't happy with my top-stitching. Fourth time was a charm, though it got marred by the finish - I'm thinking that must have happened as I was turning it right-sized out. Disappointed, but I bet it will distress some more with use.

As for that curved zipper? Went in flawlessly, which was very satisfying. And those rivets also went in quite easily, considering hardware always makes me a little nervous.

When finished, the wristlet measures 8 ¾” wide, 1” deep, 5” tall, and with that interior zip, card pockets, and room to hold a cell phone, I'm wondering if I can't just use this as my spring/summer bag.

Anyway, it has alot of nice details, always a feature of Anna's bags, and it was definitely an enjoyable sew. Better late than never, right?