PPC23: Effervesence

October 14, 2020 / Kat /

So…

in our last post we showed you our first bonafide sample for the new design for Fall 2020, our THIRD new design of this strange year! And truth is, I liked a LOT of things about that sample but there were also a few things that I knew needed to be fixed or changed in this next sample!

And first off… since I’m a full-on fan of all things in Amelia Caruso’s “Effervescence” collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, I of course had to get in on this rather new addition in the Garden Double Border series! But once I had it in my hands I totally struggled with how to use it! I had to come up with at least one contrasting fabric but nothing seemed to be right!
It was easy enough to manipulate and fussy-cut the pieces to take advantage of the open black areas as a type of contrast but I finally dropped back to my usual standby (black & white stripe) for the crucial banded areas on the front and back of this Bag since I just wasn’t happy with any other option. I actually like how the black & white stripe sets off the bubbly print but I’m sorely disappointed in how the “Flap” looks on this Bag. This feature totally disappears in this photo! You may not even have noticed it right? Now in retrospect, I wish I had bias-taped the Flap edge to highlight that area! Oh well…..
To illustrate my point, here’s the Bag Back! To my way of thinking, this side holds WAY more interest because of the additional contrast supplied by the polka-dotted zipper!

I did fix a couple of “issues that were bothering me in the last sample I showed up. First & foremost, I moved the Strap attachment ares up about 3/4” which may not sound like much to you, but by my way of thinking, its much more pleasing to the eye.

Additionally, I changed the way in which I attached the Strap to the bag because the way I did it last time was SO cumbersome and awkward! Now I’m handling it pretty much as I did with the Sling Along. I don’t know why I didn’t do it this way from the start actually!?!

One thing that did NOT get fixed in this sample was the magnet issue on the Bag Front. I did make a slight adjustment as to where I placed the magnet, but it STILL would up being in the path of my topstitching. By gosh I’ll get this right next time even if it means changing the size of the Zipper Band! 🙂

So this time I thought I’d show you TWO different ways this bag can be worn as a shoulder bag. While I tend to wear it as shown in the picture on the left, My Sister-in-law always wears in as show in the picture on the right. Do you think you’d prefer one way over the other?
Of course when I’m shopping (and I haven’t been shopping for ANYTHING other than groceries since February of this year) I prefer to wear this bag cross-body style, but I know there’s lots of you who swear by wearing your bag back-pack style!
From left to right above: here’s a good look at the interior Zipper Pocket (with a mag-snapped pocket behind it, and a shot of the zippered Tech Pocket with a Slot Pocket & two Pen Slots stitched on the front of it, and finally, an peek inside the un-zipped Tech Pocket which is holding my iPad Air at the moment!

And I included this shot so you could see what the full panel of this Effervescence print looked like. I have found that I really enjoy working with panel prints & this particular panel was especially enjoyable.

Just so you know, I had a 1 1/2 yards and I pretty much used ALL of the black areas on either end in my fussy-cutting. (And just as a quick reminder, I try not to do ANY cutting for a project like this until ALL my pieces are laid out and pinned in place…. just to be sure I have enough fabric!)

And now…. it’s YOUR turn!

I’d love to know what you think of this design and the changes we have made but maybe more importantly, it’s never TOO early to start thinking about a name for this design so if you’ve got any bright ideas, I’m ALL ears!!! And remember, we love reading your comments and answering your questions too, so please feel free to leave either or both in the space provided below.

Check out the best sewing pins with me on Pinterest, join in on discussions or show off your work in our FaceBook Group, or get your daily sewing fix on our Facebook Business Page or get behind the scenes scoops on Instagram, and be the 1st to know about new patterns, discount codes and sample sales by signing up for our monthly newsletter.

Posted in , , ,

Kat

9 Comments

  1. Mary B on October 14, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Excellent shots of the four ways to carry the bag. You’ve made it easy for each of us to find ourselves in the pictures.



    • Kat on October 14, 2020 at 1:31 pm

      Thanks Mary! 🙂



  2. KAY WYRICK (MARSH) on October 14, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    Nice!



  3. Diane Cockman on October 15, 2020 at 4:08 am

    I love the way this has turned out. All the pockets inside and out to carry all that you need. I love your fabric, so colorful.



    • Kat on October 15, 2020 at 7:23 am

      Thanks Diane! Stay tuned for even MORE!



  4. Sue Hobert on October 15, 2020 at 7:41 am

    Love this. The cloth print is especially fun and makes me smile. Will you possibly be stocking this fabric for resale?



    • Kat on October 15, 2020 at 8:02 am

      Great question Sue and yes, this is one fabric choice we have been able to get ahold of. Its currently on order and I expect it in stock in the next few weeks! 🙂



  5. Barbara L on October 16, 2020 at 10:37 am

    Dear Kat! I’ve been wanting this bag for soooo long; can’t wait for the pattern to come out. It looks great, and in some ways, although the flap disappears with this particular fabric, maybe sometimes that’s a good thing (if people can’t see it they can’t try to reach in! – thinking of traveling) Anyway, WOW! Great bag!
    Barbara L. in Colorado Springs



    • Kat on October 16, 2020 at 10:40 am

      Thanks Barbara! You know my friend said the same thing, that she LIKED the fact that the flap didnt show well in this sample and I get it. If I were carrying the bag myself I wouldnt necessarily want to advertise that there was a flapped pocket in place, but as a show bag, I definitely want ALL of the features to be apparent.
      🙂