Tag: indie patterns

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

Colleen Tote Bag FREE Flap and Purse Feet Add-On Pattern

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

I can’t believe a whole year has passed since I released the Colleen Tote Bag sewing pattern!  It’s such a great classic carry-all style for the beginner bag-maker and I’ve been so happy to see all the different versions all over social media with #ColleenToteBag.  With the simple clean lines, this bag comes together quickly and I’ve seen it become quite a popular gift!  Thank you to everyone who has shared their makes with me <3  You can find the Colleen Tote Bag pattern here.

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

Since you know I love to hack patterns (both with bags and garments) to make uniquely mine,  it should be no surprise that I even hack my own patterns.  You can check out the posh “Shortie” version of the Colleen here with metal ring handles and leather accents.  This time, I added in a purse flap to help keep the contents secure, as well as, adding instructions for purse feet.

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

I was recently asked to teach a Colleen Tote workshop with the American Sewing Guild – Cape Fear Chapter and they wanted some additional hardware added on to gain some new bag-making techniques.  I thought this flap would be such a great addition to the bag.  On top of learning how to install a turn-lock and purse feet, the guild also learned how to add special details like rivets to take their bags up to the next level.  It was my absolute pleasure to oblige and created the add-on instructions and pattern templates (which you can find at the end of this post.)

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

While I was making this sample for the class, I rushed a bit and of course, paid the price for it.  (I wanted to bring this tote along to Jeni’s Strawberry Jam which was just the next day.)  Instead of using the purse feet washer to mark my holes, I accidentally grabbed the washer for magnetic snaps and thus, had my holes for the prongs that were too far apart.  Doh!  Luckily, I have a nice little stash of leather and cut out leather circles to use as exterior washers.  I glued them over the wrong holes and then went back to cut the right ones.  Now,  you would never know I made a mistake!  This process has definitely been used a few times to save my projects….maybe it can help some of your’s too.

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

When I was in Austin, TX last year, I grabbed this Japanese canvas from the (now closed) Cloth Pocket.  It’s just the cutest fabric and I’m glad I saved it for this Colleen Tote project.  The pandas are just too cute! The Colleen is definitely a great bag to show off a print, both for small and large scale designs.  For the interior, I used a lightweight shirting from my stash which gives this bag picnic vibes.  The accents are made of Art Gallery Fabrics Textured Denim (aff link) which is nice and heavy — perfect for bag-making.

Colleen Tote Bag - Add-On Pattern by Love You Sew

||  Click here for >> Colleen Tote Add-On Turn Lock and Feet by Love You Sew  ||

 

Project Summary:

I hope you enjoy the FREE add-ons with your Colleen Tote Bag!

 

Happy Sewing!

Cristy

 

 

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Blackwood Cardigan + Kila Tank with Indiesew

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It’s so easy to drop into the habit of just yoga pants and a hooded sweatshirt this time of year.  After camping and a very wet weekend, that’s all I really want to wear.  But I know I always feel better when I pull myself together and make some sort of effort on an outfit.  That’s why I wanted to make this duster style Blackwood Cardigan to add a bit of (good) drama to my everyday.  It can go on top of any {tank + jeans} or {t-shirt + leggings} combo and look SO put together.

Most of the time, I find a pattern I would like to sew and then pair it with the right fabric.  But when I saw this Modal Waffle Knit at Indiesew, I knew I wanted to hack the Blackwood Cardigan and take advantage of the fabric’s incredible 72″ width of fabric!  What makes this the perfect cardigan fabric is the modal content, which is a semi-synthetic rayon that is SO silky to the touch and yet breathable.  It makes for the perfect layering piece.

If you follow my Instagram, you know I’ve been leaning toward more of this army green color for the season.  I want to always make sure that new pieces in my wardrobe work with what I already own.   This green is a great neutral to pair with denim and lots of the creams and blacks in my closet…so I know I’ll get lots of use out of it!

The Blackwood Cardigan is the first pattern I’ve sewn by Helen’s Closet.  The instructions were very straightforward and easy to follow.  This is quite a popular pattern so it was nice to see all of the different versions on the web before I made my first cut.  But like I said earlier, I wanted to utilize the great width of fabric on this waffle knit and extended the length by a straight 12″ from the bottom of the front, back and neck pieces.  With my serger, this made for a fairly quick sew, which is always so nice!

For the top-stitching around the neckline, the instructions say to use a zig-zag stitch, but I opted to use a straight stitch with wooly nylon in the bobbin.   I use this method around most of my knit necklines and it still allows the stitching to stretch a bit.  Another change is the addition of a toggle right at the bust line.  With the weight of the duster, the sides were pulling away from center and sitting more into my armpits.  I wanted to anchor them with some kind of closure but had to take into account the weight and stretch of the knit.  Luckily, I had the toggle in my stash and could sew them over the serged neckband seams to help distribute the tension.

As with most patterns and my 5’3″ frame, I had to shorten the sleeves by 2″.  I could have probably taken off 3″, but with a cozy cardigan I like to pull the sleeves over my hands on those brisk days.  With the knit cuffs, I also like to always angle in the seams at the fold.  So I took out 1/2″ on both sides of the pattern piece at the fold for a more fitted feel.

A great layer to have under the Blackwood is the Kila Tank.  This is a slim fit tank that uses around a yard of knit, so it’s stash friendly and another quick sew.  The neck and arm bands are attached in a very clever way and great for those who do not have a serger or coverstitch.  Even though I have a serger, I stayed true to the instructions and used my twin needle for the bands.  I love how it looks like ready-to-wear!   But since I DO have a serger, I may go back to the old method just to save some time 😉

The fabric is this soft Rayon Spandex Oatmeal and White Striped Knit from Indiesew which I was saving for a dress, but realized I need more of these staple tops.  There is always more fabric, right?!?  Be on the watch for a long sleeve tee in this same fabric soon….

To finish off my entire #memade outfit, are my Ginger Jeans.  These are my very first pair and also my first Closet Case pattern.  It’s taken me about a month to complete these jeans (because I needed a break after all the modifications,) but I’ll make sure to get into more detail with my fitting adjustments on a future post.

I’m so pleased with my simple outfit that’s churning out the bit of extra drama!  Do you like the duster look?

Project Summary:

 

This post was written as part of the Indiesew Blogger Team.  All opinions are my own.  There are also possible affiliate links for which I receive a small commission only if a purchase is made.