I found the pattern for this bag at the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association Show years ago. Maybe decades ago. Ever since I sewed my first version, it's been the only purse for me.
I'm the kind of person who develops a relationship with a purse. I come to know its little quirks, where all its little pocket are, and in which one my keys belong.
This bag has a big pocket on one end, which is the perfect spot to stash my keys. I put them in there as soon as I'm done using them. I am, therefore, not one of those people who wanders around the house saying, "Honey, have you seen my car key?"
The other end has a smaller pocket that works just right for my iPhone. It's easily accessible, and it lives there all by itself, so it doesn't get scratched. I used to have an occasional phone-sliding-out problem, but now I have a phone cover that's just a little bit grippy, so it stays put perfectly.
The shape is what you'd probably call a bucket bag. When it's folded for carrying on my shoulder, it's pretty compact, but I'm here to tell you I can fit all of my usual crappola, plus a bottle of chardonnay in there with no trouble.
Here's a view of my usual crappola. I often wonder how guys can get along with just pockets. I must really need all this stuff, because I go through my bag to get rid of heavy things on a weekly basis, but I end up putting all of it back.
Here's a shot of it on my shoulder, so you can see the relative size.
And here it is opened out. Surprisingly roomy, right? Plus, you can sling the straps over your shoulders to wear the bag like a backpack. That's quite a treat for a tired back.
I used a bark cloth in blue and black that I got at Hart's Fabric. Looks like the print is called Paradise and the color is Blue. This is a sturdier fabric than I used for my last version of this bag, and I used a firmer interfacing to boot. Note to self for next time: I interfaced the body of the bag, and the outside pockets, but I didn't interface the straps this time. The straps are folded 4 layers thick and the bark cloth was heavy enough that I didn't want to wrestle that extra bulk through my machine. Time will tell if my straps buckle prematurely.
I can see from my old blog entries that these bags typically last me a couple of years before they kick the bucket (nyuk nyuk; get it, bucket bag?). That's two years of daily use, as I'm not the kind of person who moves stuff from one bag to another.
The pattern is straightforward to put together, but, like most bags, there are a lot of different pieces. Lots of pockets, a bunch of lining pieces, and interfacing for most of it. I'm always relieved to be done with a bag project. It sure pays back on time spent though!
Sadly, I haven't been able to find any current contact information for this pattern. The original website is here. My original review of this pattern is on PatternReview.com here.
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