Blanche Barrel Bag
Swoon strikes again! I’m still in search of the perfect Southern California retro bag that anyone would love to hang from their elbow while shopping on Rodeo Drive. Since the Brooklyn Bag wasn’t quite the style and shape I was going for, I decided to try another retro Swoon pattern - the Blanche Barrel Bag. This is another super cute bag that I’ve had ready to make for a while now, but have been putting it off because it has piping and the dreaded drop-in lining! Even with these factors, I still think this might be the right bag. It’s very similar in shape to the Brooklyn but doesn’t have the hardware and side design that was pulling the bag and making it look slouchy. This has a cleaner design and shape. I especially like that there are side pockets perfect for storing your phone.
Now that I’ve been using the pre-made piping, I’m finding that step a lot easier, although most patterns are written for larger piping so I have to be careful where I place the edge of my piping. I’m still looking for a piping foot the works on my machine. In the meantime I’m using my zipper foot and that’s been working well. The only other issue with the piping is that the premade piping has stitching on it that doesn’t look great so I really have to sew it tight in order to hide that stitching. I’m still having problems sewing it close enough without sewing the piping iteself into the seam.
The one thing I found most annoying for this bag is that I chose a very soft faux leather. It’s a little too flexible and likes to move and bend while you are sewing it - meaning that it won’t lie flat when sewing the accent pieces down. It is also soft on the top which means that I had to be very careful when sewing down the handle connectors. Normally I can turn the piece and sew all around with my teflon foot, but because of the faux leather, I couldn’t turn it without the foot digging into the top layer and making a mark. That meant that I had to sew up from the bottom point on each side, increasing the amount of backstitching. The good news is that this bag was always intended for myself so I’ll be fine with however it looks in the end.
And then there was the drop-in lining. I fared better this time but it was still difficult. Because you do the lining separately and only sew it in at the end by the zipper, it’s hard to get into those tight spaces and so it’s frustrating. I was able to backstitch my way into the corner but still not able to sew it shut. Previously I tried sewing by hand for that area but with all the layers it’s hard to get the needle in and it looked like a kid stitched it when I was done. In the tutorial I watched she didn’t worry about closing the seam completely but I can see a pen or something sneaking through that space and causing a problem. Or the zipper pull could get caught and cause a rip. So I don’t think I’m going to do any more of the patterns with drop-in linings, no matter how stinkin’ cute they are!
I have ordered a rivet press and when that arrives I’ll be able to attach the handles and complete the bag. Looking at it now, I like the overall shape of the bag and the side pockets are handy and fit my phone but the sides dent in a little because of the shape of the side panels and then there’s that drop-in lining. So this pattern won’t be included in my product line. I’m still on the hunt for that perfect Rodeo Drive bag. Sigh.
The Details:
Pattern: The Blanche Barrel Bag by Swoon Patterns
Zippers: #5 chocolate with bronze metallic coil by My Handmade Space
Interfacing: SF101 and Flex Foam
Finished bag size: 13”w x 8.5”h x 6.5”d
Fabrics
Exterior: Diamond Plaid and Dot in Geranium by Denyse Schmidt of Free Spirit Fabrics
Interior: Scallop Single Border in Tangerine by Carolyn Friedlander of Robert Kaufman Fabrics
Video Tutorial by PileOFabric
