Totally Mod

I should warn you that there is a bit of picture overkill coming up, so read on at your peril!

I originally posted back in July about joining in Cam's Bag Adventure by making bags for the girls' school teachers - starting them early so I wouldn't have to rush - blah, blah, blah!!

Anyway, fast forward to one week before school ends and I have one bag fully made and another nearing completion.
This bag was a bit of a step up in 'trying something new' for me - with a zippered gusset at the top and a curved outer shape.

So here's the finished product.

In case you missed the brief - this is Nikki's Mod bag.

I chose this because, well, I liked the look of it and hoped the recipients would too!

Heavy silver flat rings for the front tab and strap

I learned a lot making this.

I want to learn more about interfacing as I think that it is the key to getting the shape and feel of the bag right.

The interfacing I used for the flap was a little too heavy - so Nikki advised me to do a second row of topstitching - which helped immensely.

I wish I had styled this correctly because I carefully cut it so the ring sits centrally over the pattern!!

It's a roomy bag, perfect for lugging around all the things teachers might need as well as having room for their lunch if they like.

I made this one using fabric from the David Butler/Parson Gray range called Curious Nature and lined it with a very vibrant Lecien red dot.

I wanted a zip top so everything stays in  when you are on the move, I added the zipper pull to make it easier to use - they are easy to add and just give it a bit of a finished touch.

Clip off the existing pull and add one of these - easy!

Lara always puts in a key tag and I always wish I had one in my bag - so this one does.

So easy to add in - a piece of ribbon with a clip on it.

It also has three internal pockets on one side for sunglasses, tissues, phone or whatever else fits...

You can never have too many pockets I say!

And a zip pocket on the other side because it's handy!

My handy model showing the handy pocket!

I'm really very pleased with how this bag turned out, Nikki has a way of adding extras into a pattern that mean you end up with a product that looks professionally finished.

She helps you ensure your items look Handmade rather than Homemade if you know what I mean.

This fabric almost makes me dizzy at time!

Who knows, perhaps the lure of a bag could tempt some other lovely teacher to make the move to Melbourne...
This kid will need a Prep teacher the year after next if you're interested Annie...

Just had to include this so you could admire my Mod model's lovely foot positioning!!

Now working on the red microsuede version...
Stay tuned!