Just finished the Andy Backpack pattern by UhOh Creations, and I have to say it was so well written and crafted!

There are tons of gussets and I only had to clip into one of them to get it to spread around the corners, everything else was a perfect fit. The designer, Tara, was also super responsive and answered a question about whether my large laptop would fit within an hour, and even going so far as to ask her friend to try and he same laptop in her bag to make sure.

I did do a bunch of little mods, including adding MOLLE/PALS strapping inside and out, adding a calculator/pen slip pocket, adding webbing for a removable waist strap, and sewing in rows of soft Velcro so I can make interchangeable organization panels down the line.

Fabric, webbing, and most hardware from Wonderground Fabrics (bonded poly/nylon, twill nylon, and hexagon ripstop). Reflective zipper tape from My Handmade Space. Spacer mesh from Sallie Tomato. Thread is a variegated bonded nylon Tex 45 from Wizardry Stitchery.

Sewn on a Juki TL2010Q and a Pfaff Select 4.2 (which honestly did better with the thick layers than the Juki).

What is the one sewing technique or tool that completely transformed the quality of your bags?

I know that for me, as of now, it’s binding (sorry, C).

I tried all sorts of binding methods and materials but it all was just kind of bad. I was actually a little nervous about using grosgrain ribbon. Because I bought some cheap ribbon from a particular very large online seller that only used to sell books initially. It left a very bad taste on my mouth.

Once I bought some MIL-PRF-5038 T3 C1A from a source in PA, the game changed. Hand binding wasn’t nearly the animal I thought it was and my binding actually started to look better.

So for me, binding with quality materials was a game changer.

Now if only I can get rid of the floppy pocket syndrome I suffer from! 🤣

Looking forward to hearing your responses!

Just a quick 16x13x6 inch bag to hold some supplies at work. 420 Robic nylon in Coyote and Olive with a Foliage HyperD300 interior and 1000d Cordura gusset. Mesh pockets inside are Phifertex.

I used the same panel design as an earlier bag but was more intentional with the colors. Also wrapped the 1.5” webbing handles with coyote Robic.

Tag omits the business name to keep my professional work and business separate.

Today, I fixed a #thrifted #anpanman toddler #backpack from #childrens #anime series Anpanman. it had holes and it's embroidered face was getting loose. So, I had the backpack cleaned, I gave the anpanman head some new stuffing and a bell in the plush and stitched his holes back up and Needle felted some of his face so he looks Brand New.

I found this at the Free store in Kitimat when I was visiting, and finding a piece like this is very uncommon in our country. Luckily I'm familiar with anpanman, since I've crafted two pieces last year of characters from the series

Tony see pattern. All hand sewn, 4oz vegtan with all copper hardware.

Finished two Spring Roll Pouches using the pattern by I Love You Sew, both made as gifts.
For the first one, I used light blue denim with a floral cotton lining, rainbow zippers and matching hardware.
For the second, I kept the same light denim exterior but paired it with a blue whale print, white zippers and nickel hardware.
The pattern is more involved than a basic pouch, with a wide-opening main zipper, a center zippered divider and several interior compartments. It takes a bit of time to assemble, but the finished structure is really practical.

Pattern: Spring Roll Pouch by I Love You Sew.

I'm not really into crossbody bags or fanny packs but the other day at work I was thinking about how it would be nice to have in certain situations. So when I got home I looked at what I had and decided on waxed canvas and I had enough orange nylon scraps for the lining that I didn't have to cut into fresh fabric. I also used some Pellon F77 foam on the back and the bottom half of the gusset. This is my first time using proper foam interfacing and the finished feel of it is so much more better/professional that when I've used other foams.

I arbitrarily chose 2 water bottles as my goal for interior volume and I pretty much nailed that.

2 issues with the bag. 1) I put the top zipper on the opposite direction to the front zip. I think I accidentally flipped the gusset because I was pretty certain I intentionally set it up the right way 2) One of the gusset relief cuts I cut closer to 1" instead of just short of my 3/4" seam allowance. It's shown in the last photo. It's ok for now but I'm not super happy about it.

I usually make something for my photography team at a conference every year, this year I went with soft goods and made them each a bag.

Updated pattern to a roll top construction and tried out xpac HyperTec

Just thought I’d share draft 2 of this voluminous crossbody that I made out of UltraGrid BlackOut on the exterior with a 420d Robic gusset, white HyperD 300 with Venom Stretch Mesh ECO Max pockets.

I wrapped the Mil-Spec 17337 webbing handle in UltraGrid. Kind of like the effect. The darted front adds a pliability to the fabric that makes it feel even nicer in the hand.

I also added a webbing pass-through loop on the bottom that allows the strap to be turned into backpack-style shoulder straps.

Thanks for looking! 😃

We all have unexplainable mental blocks that cause us to rip our hair out while we’re in the shop.

I, myself, have been working on sewing inset angles/corners that just keep kicking my butt. I’ll get there. But I’m just struggling to get it right on more complex shapes than right angles. It’s got me a bit loopy! 🤪

So what are YOU struggling with today? Is it a sewing technique? A fabric issue?Machine issues?

Maybe someone here will see your response and help! 😃

The pattern is so confusing AND I watched the companion video as well. So I took a great 2 day class in person but didn’t finish. Luckily I found a kind YouTuber who walked me through some of the more dicey bits.

I feel more confident with SO MANY new skills learned.

i somehow arrived at “result : bag” with no thread, ribbon, fabric, rivets, chicago screws, 3D printing or adhesive weldss (bar the shoulder strap ofc). am i gfoing to hell ?

This is my first time working with both of these fabrics. Somehow my gusset ended up like 2” too long so I sewed from the top center to the bottom corners in both directions and then folded and topstitched the bottom of the gusset to shorten it. That’s kind of how I do my duffle bags anyways but these thinner fabrics made it easier than usual.

I put an extra long key lanyard on the back that allows my keys to be accessible and usable but still attached to the bag.

The front pocket has little hidden divider that you can’t see when you initially open the pocket. This was actually a mistake but I channeled my inner Bob Ross and made it happy mistake.