Fair and Square Bag
This is an absolutely darling square bag designed by Rosie Taylor. I first saw it about a year ago on Etsy and was drawn to it because I had bought the exact fabric she used in the pattern photos. I was also on the lookout for something that could fulfil my obsessive need for a small purse. Unfortunately my quest will continue. I think this a perfect for a project bag. This will hold your English Paper Piecing, cross-stitching, or even a sock project. But it won’t work as my perfect purse, despite the fact that I put a detachable shoulder strap on it. What first drew me to this design is the way it looks pieced together from quilt scraps. I think it’s a very unique skill to be able to put more than three fabrics together in a way that looks kitschy instead of muddled, especially when there are multiple elements involved. I saw many photos of these bags on Instagram and they all looked super cute.
Apparently, this is a skill that I do not possess. Even when using fabrics that were designed to be used together (sigh). Maybe this is a skill I will develop in time. This time around, I just used too many different fabrics for all the different elements which makes it look decidedly un-cohesive (which is not the look I was going for). At one point I heard Tim Gunn’s voice in my head (edit!) and took apart the front pocket as much as I dared to replace some of the jarring fabric with something that would tie in better with the exterior. That took about an hour of seam ripping and re-sewing. Maybe in time this bag will grow on me and I’ll get over the fact that there’s a lot going on. Maybe it’s the perfect bag for someone who likes that look. I also decided to do 1/2 inch quilting instead of 1 inch quilting so that took about two hours. I think it turned out nice and I’ve now developed a work-around for the fact that my Juki walking foot doesn’t have the handy attached seam guide like my Bernina did. I used a hair marker to make a dent in the fabric to sew along. This is hard to see but less messy than doing it with chalk and then trying to get the chalk off the fabric later. I also decided to add a shoulder strap. This was quite easy because the pattern already has tabs at the end of the main zipper. I added hardware so that I could clip in the strap. Unfortunately I didn’t think about the balance and since the zipper ends are exactly at the halfway mark of the bag, it tends to flop sideways. I filled the bag with stuff and that weighed it down enough so that it didn’t flip though.
Regardless, it was my first time working with clear vinyl (check that off the list) and using a bias binding to finish the bag on the interior. I don’t know when I will learn that binding isn’t my forte, especially on tight curves. All that being said, the pattern itself was quite easy to follow and had step by step photos. It does have a lot of pieces to cut and keep track of. I took out my little tabs for the first time in a long time so I could tell what pieces were which. And the front pocket took me a few read-throughs to figure out but it came together just as described in the pattern. I’m thinking of going back and doing another one with the fabric she used (since I already have it) but part of me just wants to move on to the tons of other patterns I have to make. At least I’ve been able to stop myself from buying more patterns. I’m hoping to start a YouTube channel of my own soon and would love to incorporate these “first time” projects into a vlog instead of just having it here on the blog. I think it would be helpful to other sewists trying new patterns and just to give a boost to newbies who might be hesitant to start.
The Details:
Pattern: Fair & Square Bag by Rosie Taylor Crafts
Interfacing: SF101, Fusible Fleece, and Warm & Natural quilt batting
Finished bag size: 10”w x 10”h x 3”d
Fabrics:
All the fabrics are by Lori Holt
Exterior: Granny Chick Teal Curtains
Lining and binding: Bee Basics Teal Gingham
Accents: Granny Chic Pink Needlepoint and Farm Girl Honey Chicken Wire
