Pattern Review: Sidekick Sling Bag by Betz White (part 2)

Part 2

*A bit late due to my dates being mixed up on the post-ahead schedule, apologies.*
You can catch up on Part 1 here.

As you may recall I had just finished sewing the exterior portion of the bag together.

There may be an easier way to "square off" your corners but the way Betz describes how to do it is easy enough.  If you're nervous about cutting into your bag I always encourage practicing on a a bit of scrap fabric to see if you've go it down.

(The seams should line up, but don't kick yourself if they don't match perfectly it takes practice!)

This method is also used on the interior portion of the bag so all bag parts have a nice flat bottom.

It also gives a professional finished look to the bag doing it this way ^_^

You're almost in the homestretch at this point.

(stuffing it all together)

It may seem counter-intuitive to do it this way but keep with it.

If you can, it's helpful to remove the tray around your presser foot so you can slip the bag over it. It makes it easier to turn the fabric around in a circular motion as you sew.  If your machine does not have a removable tray just be careful as you're sewing so you don't accidentally sew the tops of your bag together.

Betz advises clipping your curves, it's great advice so use it!

This will help your curves lay flat and take out the bulk that can make them look lumpy.

Now the super cool, fun part, turning the bag

Work gently at turning the bag right side out.

Keep smooshing it out till you get it all worked out.

There! Everything is magically right side out again.

Whoever discovered this technique is a genius.

Now it's on to aligning your grommets and once you have your grommets snapped in (which may take some elbow grease to get them to snap together) you can take your strap material and measure how long you want your strap to be.

I found it's easiest to thread the strap thru one grommet, pin it, then thread it thru the second grommet and put it on my shoulder pulling the excess till it was the right hanging height.

Betz also makes sure to put in a warning to not twist your strap before you sew the ends closed.

I've really enjoyed using this pattern.

Betz has done an exceptional job at being very thorough with her directions. You can tell she's gone back over them to add in bits and pieces of advice that she's learned by testing out the pattern herself.  She rates her Sidekick Sling Bag at a beginner sewing level so I encourage all of you who are intimidated by bags to give this one a try.

You can find all of Betz's patterns either in her Etsy shop or her Craftsy site.  I suggest purchasing from Craftsy because all patterns once purchased are instantly downloaded to your Craftsy account.  There's no waiting and you can print off the PDF file immediately!   Plus your money goes directly to the Artist as Craftsy has no overhead fees, it's win-win ^_^

You can also catch up with Betz here on her blog: http://blog.betzwhite.com/

Remember to respect the Artist! All of Betz White's Patterns are for non-commercial use only and are not to be made and sold.

I'll have pictures of all the finished bags I've made for Craft for Hope's Project #16 on the blog this weekend.

Sew well, Be well!