もともとはこんな着物が、
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| My mother's old kimono in its original state |
旅行用かばんに生まれかわりました。
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| Front view. Handles have a handle grip. |
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| Front has a bellows pocket with magnetic snap closure |
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| Back has a simple pocket with no closure |
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| Top view. I added a small tab for the main zipper after I took this photo |
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| Inside has a zipper pocket on one side and divided pocket on the other |
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| Side is pretty simple |
I watched all the videos first before starting to actually cut/sew the bag.
The fabric is a recycled fabric from my mother's old kimono. I don't know how old the kimono is. She used to sew kimonos when she was young but I don't remember her sewing kimonos while I was growing up so most of her kimonos must be at least around 30 to 40 years old.
I deviated a few things from the original pattern/instruction. The original instruction has 2 of the same exterior pockets. I wanted to have a distinct front and back look so I used a bellowes pocket for the front and simple pocket for the back.
The instruction also calls for fusible fleece for interfacing. I used Soft & Stable, which I think is much suited for this bag that needs structure. So instead of applying a fusible fleece for exterior fabric and regular fusible interface for lining, I just fused the Shape Flex 101 to exterior fabric and then basted the Soft and Stable. I did not want to fuse anything for lining since it is nylon (Ripstop with silicone backing).
The big thing I changed was the construction method for attaching the base. I did not like how the instructor sewed the base panel at all. It's hard to describe, but it was messy (despite the fact that the seam allowance is hidden between the exterior fabric and lining) and did not seem durable. So I just sew them all together and bound the raw edges with a ribbon.
About the course.
The instructor is very pleasant to watch and listen to. But I have to say I was disappointed at the content and quality of the instruction. The course is titled "sew better bags." It gave me an impression of a class that is taught by an expert who can give me in-depth knowledge, hints and techniques that professionals use to make "better" bags than say a craftsy home sewer bags.
Unfortunately, the instruction is nothing more than a glorified video tutorial by a craftsy blogger. It sounds a bit harsh to say this but that's what I felt. If the course was titled "bag making for beginner," that's another story.
I guess I wasn't impressed with the instructor's sewing skill. The fabric was shifting badly and she basically says "this is what happens but since it's a lining, nobody will notice, not a big deal."
The course also spends a lot of time at the beginning showing how to sew a simplest straight stitch, but rushes and skips so much at the end when the construction gets very tricky. Also there are some questionable orders of construction, for example, the handle grip is sewn almost at very end so it's a bit cumbersome to sew it onto the handle because the whole bag is getting dragged around.
Conclusion.
I was disappointed at the course, but I am immensely proud of my bag.
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