Amy Butler Bag

So I've had a lovely book sitting on my shelf for weeks, a book of Amy Butler bags with patterns and instructions and everything. The thing is it scared me, I love sewing, knitting and craft in general but, AB bags are soooo gorgeous I daren't even open it. Trouble is I also love bags, indeed I have a bit of an obsession with bags, don't care any kind. I have a draw overflowing with shopping bags, and a whole side of a double Ikea wardrobe full of them. So of course, I want an Amy Butler.

So I opened the book, beautiful the layout, the colours, the art-work and all the pattern pieces you don't even have to scale them up. Great, I spent hours looking longingly at the bags and flicking through the instructions before I decided on one, I found just the right fabric, agonised over what colour liner to put in it.

Decisions all made I opened the envelope in the back of the book and sorted the  pattern pieces and off I went. From start to finish I'd say it took about 5 hours, I've only made a couple of bags before so considering the finish you get it's not bad.

At the moment I enjoy carpet bags or tapestry bags so that's what I did and I'm very please with the results. But, I have a couple of comments about the instructions, make sure you read them all the way through before starting and that you understand exactly what to do. I found myself unpicking several times because I misunderstood the instructions. Also, make sure you check the pieces you need I found that one piece of the bag was just measurements in the book no pattern piece.










Despite the couple of reservations I am please with my cosmo bag, the finish is lovely and the inside has a couple of pockets in it.

Eco friendly Shopping-Bag

Like a lot of people I don't accepting plastic bags in shops and try and avoid them at all costs, I have dozens of those fold away bags but find them too small especially when I go to local the Saturday morning, so I made this bag. It can be stored flat so it doesn't take up too much space and can be made with spare material or less than a meter of fabric.

First, we need to make a pattern, get an old new paper, take out the middle page leave it folded and draw a line about a third of the way in and and a third of the way down the page and then the cut out for the handle, you can adjust the size to suit yourself, you also need an oval for the bottom, make sure the circumference of the bottom is the same as the bottom edge of the sides of the bag (all the way round).

Once that's done time to cut out the pieces, cut;

• 2x sides in main fabric
• 2x sides in lining
• 2x sides in interfacing (fairly stiff if you have it)
• 1x bottom in main fabric
• 1x bottom in lining
• 1x bottom in cardboard

Now lets put it together:

• Iron on the interfacing to the main fabric
• Sew the 2 sides of the outside of the bag together and do the same with the handle.
• pin and sew in the bottom - I used the lining fabric for the bottom of the outside - your choice.
• Do the same with the lining.

Now you have 2 'bags'.

• Cover the cardboard bottom of the bag with cling film. (to stop it getting wet and ruining).
• Turn the outside of the bag the right way round and put the cardboard in the bottom.
• Put the lining inside the bag, so now you can't see the seams.
• Turn in and pin the top of the bag and sew around the edge about half a centimeter from the top edge.

Now you have a strong cotton bag ready to use, to make it a little more durable I sprayed mine with water resistant spray. ENJOY.