Ever since last fall when Bee Sewcial met up at International Quilt Festival, I've been using the Vera Slouch Bag I made with our Bee Sewcial fabric. Though it was absolutely perfect for that trip, I really meant to make something smaller for everyday use, and save the Vera for upcoming events. Last weekend I finally got around to it.
I had had the Luisa Crossbody Bag pattern by Sotak Patterns printed out, with fabric chosen, for literally weeks. But when I finally got down to making it, wouldn't you know, I changed my mind and opted to use the intended lining for the exterior of the bag, and chose a new lining fabric. Like I usually do with bags, I cut out and fused all the fabric on one day, worked on construction the next two days; and in this case, installed hardware on the fourth.
The main exterior is Thatch in Navy, a print from Jen Hewett's Floradora line. The exterior accent is Essex Linen, and the lining is a print from Carolyn Friedlander's Doe.
As usual, Svetlana's zipper installations are pretty straight-forward to execute. This bag has three - the main recessed zipper opening, a zippered pocket inside, and one on the exterior 'hidden' by a flap.
Rather than make a fabric crossbody handle, I ordered a 3/4" leather handle (56" long), and that length allowed me to also cut leather ring tabs. I did have a bit of a snag in attaching the ring tabs, as the design of the Luisa meant that the thickness of the bag was more than I'd experienced making the Vera. So the 3/16" Chicago screws I'd ordered from Anna Graham @noodlehead531 weren't long enough. I quickly ordered some Tandy 1/2" Leather Screws from Amazon and they worked like a charm. They might have been a hair long, but definitely workable. Then I was able to use the original 3/16" screws for the leather strap. Success. Just for the record, I'd also ordered a RedwoodTote Hardware Kit from Anna, and used the swivel clasps; then I repurposed 3/4" d-rings from an older bag.
