I needed a new bag. My previous purse was falling apart. The Essex linen did not withstand being carried around on a daily basis. So back in spring a settled on a pattern and ordered some fabrics. I really love the design of the Uptown Saddlebag by StudioKat Designs.

I like its shape and how it folds. For the fabrics, I chose some canvas that I found at MissMatabi (a Japanese Etsy shop). I was so surprised by how fast the shipping was and didn’t cost much. I’ll definitely order more from her. I also bought a Echino bias tape by Etsuko Furuya and a print from Ellen Baker, both for Kokka. I’ve been a long time follower of Ellen Baker’s blog and I love her simple designs. Both are linen blend canvas and have a beautiful texture. So, I ended up using both in my bag with the canvas.

The purse was my summer sewing project. As I said in previous posts, I was pretty busy with the kids this summer. So, I was doing bits and pieces here and there. And I finally finished it at the beginning of fall. I would say that this pattern is a intermediate to advance level. I’m not a big fan of pattern cutting and this one involved a LOT of darts to align pieces. Even though I’m pleased with the result I’m not sure I would use it again for my next purse. I much prefer using my ruler and rotary cutter for cutting!

The pattern suggests to use some Soft & Stable for the interfacing. This was the first time I was using it. I was afraid that with the canvas it would be hard to sew. But no, it went quite smoothly. And I’m really happy with the result. It does make a big difference on how the bag holds itself. Beside that, I did make a mistake when assembling the back panel. I think my seam allowances for the zipper were too large. I ended up with a panel a bit too short (about ~ 1/2″).

I didn’t want to redo it. So, I decided to shorten the front panel and lining. That is why the magnet is so close to the zipper on the front.

I’ve been using my purse for about a month now. I would say that I’m satisfied with the result. I particularly love the heavy canvas. I also enjoy the different pockets that were part of the pattern.