April 21, 2011

Sneak Peek #3: Meet Rita!


The Rita Reversible is my take on the popular reversible bag design idea. This design is like getting two bags in one! Both sides are fully functional to be used as an exterior and there are lots of design choices.

I know that a lot of us like to try to keep our bags organized, so if you make a variation with pockets on all sides, you will get the benefit of four really nice deep pockets to stash your stuff. Most of the variations offer the pocket style with pieced panels. You can add your own flair by adding the plain or ruffled contrast trim between. Below you can see the variations with those trims added.


Ruffled Trim, Side 1


Ruffled Trim, side 2


Plain Trim Variation

If you are in love with a particular fabric, you can opt for the one piece variation and showcase the motif on each side. On the one shown below, I used a coordinate from the same line and did the pocket variation so there would be at least two nice pockets integrated into the bag. I also left the handle longer on this one so it could be cross-body length.


What is even better is if you are in love with two different sets of fabrics...what to do? Feature one set for each side! Then you can have two totally different looks with one bag. With this idea, I had a lot of leftover black and white fabrics and decided to scrap it up a bit. It is a great way to use up your little bits!



Black and White Bag, side 2

The closure is offered two ways: a loop and button, or buttonhole and button. I chose to use large coverable buttons so I could feature different little design elements from the fabrics as an added accent. A large pretty button would also look great.

I used Shape-Flex stabilizer in the bags. It is a great woven cotton fusible interfacing that has a lot less trouble with a crinkled appearance. This is particularly helpful since this bag is reversible. I also used fusible fleece to add a little more structure for the quilting weight cottons.

This bag is a great way to express your creativity. The pattern should be in stock in a week or so...we will let you know as soon as it is available for purchase!

Happy Sewing!