Patchwork Mariko Sono Bag            

This is my latest Japanese bag project from a pattern by Patchwork Mariko http://marikojapan.ocnk.net/product/450.  I have made this particular pattern before, initially for myself from a complete kit that I picked up at a craft fair in Perth city and then for my daughters using my own choice of fabric.  I'm making this particular bag for my lovely sister Liz, who I left behind in the UK when I migrated to Australia, I miss her so very much.  It's not that we lived in each other's pockets and we didn't always see each other often but she was never too far away and generally in the same time zone.  As I said before, I have made a few of these bags already, I love Japanese fabrics so I get great pleasure from choosing the pieces to use.  Liz is a gal who loves bright colours, she's a nature lover too.  So I sort of broke my unwritten rule when choosing fabrics to have at least one similar colour in each individual fabric.  All bar one does have a hint of gold however.  Ideally I would have liked to find a peacock fabric for the 'hero' piece in the centre, but I love these cranes too.  I chose 6 Japanese or Japanese inspired fabrics from my stash.  Pic one shows three pieces ready to be cut out on a lovely fan print fabric from Spotlight.

Pic 2 and all the pieces have been cut for one side of the bag, they are just laid out on the bag template.

Pic 3 shows a piece of iron on Vilene wadding ready to place the cut fabric.

Pic 4 transferring the fabric pieces from the template to the Vilene

 Pic 5 and all the pieces are in place

Pic 6 shows how care is needed to ensure that each fabric piece is positioned correctly so that the curves are smooth.  I had to trim a couple of pieces where my seam allowance was a little too wide.  Ready now to be carefully pressed.

 Pic 7 placing the binding to cover the fabric joins.  If you haven't used this stuff before it's an excellent product.  It has a paper backing which you peel off as you iron it in place.

Pic 8 it's so important to take care placing and ironing the binding to the bag.  The top edge of the binding should exactly match the edge of the fabric beneath it.  The danger is if you don't capture enough, constant use of the bag could cause the fabric to fray.

 

Pic 9 I cut a piece of interfacing to size prior to machining the binding.

Pic 9 I used a 40mm twin needle to sew the binding down, if you remember, it works best if you sew in the same direction you pressed the binding.   This twin needle is a perfect size but doesn't leave any room for error.

 Pic 10 Not quite stitching in the ditch, it's a challenge to keep it neat.

Pic 11 This is a view of the bag on the reverse when all the stitching has been completed.

Pic 11 here's my lining.  A lovely piece from Spotlight's remnant box (how I love that box, I'm not always lucky but have found some lovely pieces nevertheless).

Pic 12 I have added a small pocket on one side of the lining, ideal for a phone or in my case, my spare glasses!

Pic 13 & 14 Attach each piece of lining to the top edge of each bag side, do make sure that the pocket opening faces up!  Measure placement for each half of the magnetic closure.  I always strengthen the fabric with a piece of scrap under the back of the fastener.

Pic 15 Pin both sides of the bag together making sure that the back and front bag/lining seams are accurately pinned. Sew around all sides of the bag and the lining, leaving a sufficient gap in a side lining seam to turn the bag right side out.

Pic 16 Sew across the corners of both the bag and the lining and pull the bag through the gap in the lining, sew across the gap to complete.

Pic 17/18 Top stitch around the opening edge of the bag. 

Well that's about it.  Finished at last.  I made my own handles as opposed to a purchased pair as I've not been able to find the right item other than on line.  They are quite expensive to buy too.  I made these using a Spotlight remnant of black linen with some stiffening I found in Textile Traders.  I was really pleased with the result.  It was 37 degrees here in Perth as I completed sewing my bag, thats nearly 99 Fahrenheit in old money!  I think it was hotter in my sewing room.  I hope you like my bag and more to the point, I hope my dear Lizzie loves it too.   Each version I have made has been much admired, daughter Georgie was approached by a lady at the airport in Dubai who wanted to know all about it, her work colleagues wanted one too.  So thank you Patchwork Mariko for a lovely product, I'm just sorry I will miss this year's Perth Exhibition Centre Craft Fair, I should be back in the UK visiting my daughter and the rest of my UK family we left behind.

First Post & Current Projects

My first post and I feel it should be enthralling and grip the reader but fear I will fail miserably on both fronts.  Never mind, I have to begin somewhere and this is it.  I can only get better can't I?  Today is hot, again, and I'm thinking of my poor daughter Georgie, back in snowy UK where she is feeling the cold; her home heating is just not up to the job.  Which is worse, too hot or too cold?  I can't decide, an excess of either is decidedly uncomfortable, I think I lean towards the cold! 

I'm working on a couple of Japanese bags.  After making one for myself from a kit supplied by Patchwork Mariko I was inundated with requests from the girls for one of their own so have made a couple more since.  They are quite enjoyable to make but I don't think I will do too many more, you can have too much of a good thing!  If I can figure out how to do it I will post piccies of work in progress up to the completed item.