Bird Bag

Here's my attempt at making Amy Butler's weekender bag. I really love this fabric -- I used fabric from Joel Dewberry's Aviary collection for both the exterior and the piping/handles/lining.

The bag was pretty excruciating to make. I had read the warnings on other blogs and pattern reviews, but I still wasn't prepared for just how frustrating this bag was. The thing that makes it so tough is the combination of many layers, including the timtex (heavy-weight stabilizer), with having to get that piping on evenly, especially around the corners. I was pleased that my sewing machine handled the bulk just fine -- I didn't have any problems or even break any needles. However, I really struggled on those corners and there are plenty of noticeable flaws if you get close enough.

I added a couple of small pockets on the inside. I also reinforced the straps using the instructions from the Sophia bag -- stitching the strap to the bag along both edges and the x-shaped reinforcements; the instructions in this pattern sounded like they wouldn't make the straps secure enough. I took the bag on a trip where it carried very heavy things, and it held up great. I really enjoyed using it. If it looks a little misshapen in a few spots in the pictures, I think that's from the amount of abuse it took on the trip. A little steaming would probably pop it back into shape.

I went to the trouble of matching the pattern on the pocket to the main panel (can you tell)? I don't think it was at all necessary with this fabric, though, since the pattern isn't regular enough to make big difference. Good practice, though, I guess.