Airport Sling Bag x 2

Have you been following along with the On the Go Bags book tour these last few days? There are lots of chances to win a copy of the book for yourself, plus, you'll see some examples of bags and organizers made from the book.

On Monday, I shared with you my Cart or Stroller Caddy project from the book. Be sure to click HERE to see it and read about my inspiration behind the design. Oh, and you can enter my giveaway of the book there, too!

Today, I'm sharing another awesome project from the book--the Airport Sling Bag--designed by Janelle MacKay of Emmaline Bags. A few months ago, I was asked to sew up a sample Airport Sling Bag for Fall Quilt Market using some new Riley Blake fabrics. I couldn't say yes fast enough!

Bag Blog Hop

Do you love to make bags and purses?  Then join this Bag Blog Hop for inspiration and to find others who share your passion!  The Bag Blog Hop was started by ChrisWDesigns and is easy to join.  Find the instructions straight from the source here.

What do you have to do?  It's simple.

1. Add your blog link below by clicking on the "Click here to Enter" link and follow the easy steps to add your blog.

2. Click on the "Get the Code Here" link shown to grab your copy of the code and add it to your blog!  Please include these instructions so new members will know what to do.

3. Grab this button:  (Right Click and Save)

and pop it in your sidebar linking to your Bag Lovin Blog Hop post so that we can leave this blog hop open and people can keep finding it and hopping on.

After all 3 steps ahve been completed, your link will be approved by ChrisWDesigns and added to the blog hop.

That's it!

The Envelope Clutch

Have you signed up the See Kate Sew's Envelope Clutch Sew-a-Long yet?  Better hurry.  After you sign up for the sew-a-long, you can find the free pattern here on Kate's blog.

I was a little hesitant to sign up at first thinking that I wouldn't have enough time to put a clutch together, but this bag super quick and easy to make!  Love it when a project is like that!  Don't you?

To make my Envelope Clutch, I used some fabric I had on hand.  The outer fabric is a heavy cotton denim that was a remnant from a pair of jeans I made my daughter a couple of months ago. I fused decor bond to the back of it to help the bag maintain its shape. The way I cut out the bag, the grain of the denim is on the diagonal and gives the finished clutch a little more visual interest.

The interior is a premium quality quilting cotton remnant I picked up at Joann's a while back.  Sorry I don't have the official name, but I think they still sell it.  (Update:  The fabric is a Keepsake Calico print called A Fuji Afternoon Umbrellas) I fused regular light weight interfacing to the back of the lining for a little extra support.  I find the colors and the umbrella pattern to be warm and fun, and it was a nice departure for me to use the print on the interior of the bag and the solid on the outside.  Here are some other purses and bags that I've made--Teardrop Bag, Steph in the City Bag, Emmaline Bag, Patchwork Purse, Charm School Handbag, and these three Sweet Pea Totes (1, 2, and 3).

For my Envelope Clutch, I did change up a couple of the details.  First, I used a magnetic snap in lieu of a button closure.  I avoid making buttonholes at all costs unless it is absolutely necessary!  However, the first time I put the bottom snap on, I measured incorrectly and had it placed way too high!  When I moved the snap down into the correct position, I was left with two small holes to cover up on the exterior--hence the sewVery label strategically placed!

Second, I'm really not a clutch kind of gal.  When I am out and about, I need both hands free in order to grab things at the store or to hold hands with my kids.  So, I added a gold metallic braided trim to the clutch as a purse strap.

To do this, I installed two large gold grommets on the back roughly 1" down from where the top folds over.  I ran the trim through the holes to the inside, zigzagged the ends individually and then seared them with a lighter before overlapping them and stitching them together again.

I'm very pleased with how the strap looks from the outside, but how the two pieces are connected on the inside looks real rough!  After consulting with some friends, I think I've decided to make a little fabric sleeve out of the lining fabric to wrap around the connection.  I just didn't get around to it before I took these pictures and wrote up this post!

Well, that's it!  Pretty simple even with my two slight modifications.  I've already added my photos to Kate's Envelope Clutch Sew-a-Long Flickr group.  Have you?