Welcome to Day 1 of the Hey Mercedes Sewalong! Feel free to check outthis post for details about a deal on getting the Windy City Bags book for the pattern.  For my Canadian readers, you may want to try Indigo or Connecting Threads, which both offer free Canadian shipping with minimum purchase

If you're new to sewalongs, you might be wondering what exactly a sewalong is. Basically, it's like sewing with friends, all doing the same project, except you're sewing at home and checking in online. What makes it fun is when everyone shares their progress and of course, the finished projects. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the awesome prizes! Look for details on how to enter for prizes at the bottom of this post.
Here's what the sewalong will look like over the next few days:

• Day 1 (that's today): Preparing the pattern, cutting the fabric and interfacing, and fusing the interfacing
• Day 2: Sewing handles and handle connectors, and creating pockets
• Day 3: Final assembly of bag
  

Since this pattern is included in the pullout section of the Windy City Bags book, you won't want to cut out the original paper pattern. You have several options:

• Take the pattern to your local office store and have the pattern copied
• Use your own home copier to copy the sections of the pattern you'll need
• Trace the pattern onto tissue paper or tracing paper (this may be the simplest/cheapest option)
• Trace the pattern onto quilter's templates (this is the option I chose)

I taped a couple template sheets together to get my piece long enough, and they'll fold where I taped for easy storage. I used a permanent marker to copy the placement marks and the cutting instrcutions right on my templates. The other advantage to the clear templates, is that it helps to visualize pattern placement for fussy cutting.

For the supplies, I've used quilting cotton, shapeflex 101, and Pellon Flex Foam for the foam interfacing.  If you want to learn more about selecting interfacing, I suggest taking Sara Lawson's Craftsy class, you can learn more about it in my review of the class.  If you have a really special fabric you want to display, you'll really only need enough for the front pocket piece, and then the rest of the exterior could coordinate with it.

I often write myself a list of what to cut from each material, but the book already has it laid out in that format, so I just followed along straight from the book. Once you're done, go through the list one last time to make sure you've got everything. For cutting, I like to start with my interfacing. For this bag, the lining is all interfaced with shapeflex, so I cut my interfacing first, then fused it to my lining fabric, and then cut out my lining fabric - this helps save a bit of time by not having to trace the pattern onto my lining fabric. Make sure to cut on the fold. Some other people save cutting time by simply interfacing the entire yardage of the lining fabric, and then tracing and cutting both together; this option does save time, but it isn't a very frugal method. You can also use the interfaced lining fabric as your pattern piece for when you cut the foam - this way you don't have to fold the foam in half and it allows for more accurate cuts. For my exterior fabric, I used my clear templates, and this helped me visualize the design of my exterior fabric so I could have it just where I wanted.

When I cut the handle extenders, I used the method suggested in the book, and folded the interfacing so I could cut and trace a mirror image set at once. I just pinned the folded interfacing, then traced and cut. I cut the interfacing, and fused it to my accent fabric, just like I did with my lining fabric, to skip the step of tracing the handle extender pieces onto the accent fabric.

If you like, you can secure the foam interfacing to the exterior fabric at this point. I find the Flex Foam, similar to the Soft and Stable, has a nap to it, so the fabric stays in place quite well. To secure the foam to the fabric, simply sew a basting stitch with 1/8" seam allowance along all the edges. If you used fusible fleece, then you'll want to fuse at this point instead of the basting stitch.

I highly recommend following the book's suggestion and cutting the pocket trim on the bias, instead of a straight grain cut. It's a small piece, so won't "waste" a lot of fabric cutting on the bias. We'll be using this piece on a curve, so the bias cut will allow us to place the trim along the curve nicely.

Once everything is cut and fused/basted, place it in a pretty pile and gather your matching hardware, thread, and zippers, and come back here for Day 2 of the sewalong to get started with pockets and handles.

My awesome sponsor, Sitka Fabrics, is offering up a $10 gift certificate and a $25 gift certificate. Aurifil has also sent me some thread sets for prizes. There will be one "top prize" of one thread set and a $25 Sitka Fabrics gift certificate, and 3 random prize winners to receive the remaining 3 prizes: one winner of the $10 Sitka Fabrics credit, and two winners who will each receive an Aurifil thread set.

To be eligible to win a prize, use #HeyMercedesSAL on Instagram to post a picture of your completed bag. You can also use this hashtag to share your progress - it's so fun to see what everyone is up to. Just make sure your account isn't private, otherwise I won't be able to see your pictures. If you prefer, you can send me a picture of your completed bag; just upload it through my contact page. You have until March 31, 2016 to complete your Hey Mercedes bag for the contest. Contest open internationally.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you're probably aware that I recently took the Mix & Match Clutch Bag Techniques Craftsy class taught by Janelle MacKay.  Today I'm sharing my review with you. I also have a discount to pass along (details at the bottom of this post).

 This class includes patterns to make all the "mix and match" clutches, plus instructions on how to make them. Along with video instruction, there is a full text version on how to complete the bags. The class is way more than just a video tutorial though. I consider myself an intermediate-advanced bag maker, and I picked up so many tips for making bags, especially finishing tips. Here are the lessons covered in the class:

I really enjoyed the fabric lessons Janelle gave; she talked about some fabric that is typically considered more difficult to work with, and she provided tips on how to use them in these bags. The first time I watched the class, I pretty much had my mouth gaping open in awe the whole time. The entire class wowed me. I really could not wait to get started making the clutches and trying out the new techniques I had learned.

I really love the concept of these mix and match patterns. The class includes pattern pieces and instructions to make a virtually unlimited number of combinations for your clutch. You can choose from 3 different flap fronts: asymmetrical, pointed and rounded. You can also choose the body front: trapezoid, rectangular and pieced. In addition to those options, Janelle teaches how to make your own shape if you choose. The hardware options add even further to the uniqueness of your bag.  There are also several strap options for you to choose from, including wrist strap, shoulder strap, and metal chain. The construction of the clutches are identical, no matter which shape you choose. The lining of the clutch eliminates the need for a wallet with the bag. There are 3 card slots, a "lipstick" slot, a zippered pocket and a slip pocket.

I really have been enjoying Craftsy lately! This is the first time I've made a project along with a video, and it really felt like I was sewing along with the instructor. I liked being able to pause and back up, refer to my class materials, and even read questions from other participants. Craftsy really offers a lot of flexibility to access your classes. You can watch from the computer, or from a tablet or smart phone. There's even a Craftsy app, which is my preferred way to access my classes. The app makes it easy to switch quickly between video and class materials. If you like, you can download individual lessons, so you can watch them offline as well. Craftsy is risk free too; if you don't like the class, you can take advantage of their money back guarantee.

Janelle MacKay designs patterns and hardware at Emmaline Bags. Her sense of humour is so endearing and really adds to the enjoyment of the class. As I mentioned before, these Craftsy classes really make it seem like you're spending the day sewing with the instructor, so it's important that the instructor is someone you'd want to spend the day sewing with! I found she had a relaxed demeanor that made it easy to learn from. The techniques she showed have already improved my bag making and I'm so grateful for the knowledge she shares with us in the class.

I think this class is suitable for advanced beginners and up. Even very experienced bag makers would benefit from this class, if not just for the patterns it includes. I learned extra finishing touches, how to properly install a turn lock, how to add metal trims, how to get perfectly folded card slots, and so much more. I imagine I'll be referring back to this class many times when I want refreshers for certain skills or techniques. When I made my second clutch, I enjoyed being able to skip to the parts I needed to refresh my memory on those steps.

Enjoy 50% off with this discount link, good through March 4, 2016. Update: that discount is over, but check the link anyway, there are often sales and it may be on sale again!

Full disclosure: I bought this class for my own use and I'm now sharing my review with you. Because I'm a Craftsy affiliate, I was able to obtain a discount to share with my readers. This post contains affiliate links and I earn commission from sales made through these links. All opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks for your support!

If you've taken the class, I'd love to know what you thought. Or is it on your wishlist? Take advantage of the sale price and get making those clutches!

Sandra is one of my unblogged bags from last year. This saddle bag is part of the Swoon Sewing Patterns Vintage Collection. I gave it a classic style with Jackie McFee's Opposites Attract line (Sitka Fabrics) and large gold rings (Paccana). The pop of colour from the lining is Camelot's Mixology Woven in Topaz (Sitka Fabrics)

In addition to the interior zippered pocket, the bag has a front slip pocket with pretty dart tucks, secured by the flap. The flap is closed by a unique bottom tab with magnetic snap. I chose black vinyl for the gusset and tab and I think it completes the timeless look. This was one of the faster Swoon bags I've made and I would say it's suitable for a confident beginner.

Harriet is expandable! Each side opens wider with zippers. It's also part of the Swoon Vintage Collection. This bag was definitely more involved than Sandra, but certainly worth the effort. I used a couple prints from Bonnie Christine's line Winged (Dragonfly Fabric) and some matching vinyl. I also chose O rings (Emmaline Bags) instead of the suggested rectangle rings, mostly because I had them in the right finish; I think either shape works just fine.

The main top opening is secured by a flap tab with magnetic snap. There is also an interior zippered pocket, and room to add another pocket if you like. The vinyl overlays and straps gave me a bit of trouble until I remembered to use my walking foot - why do I always forget?! Overall, I love the style of this practical tote.  I think this pattern is suitable for an intermediate bag maker.

The Swoon Sewing Patterns Vintage Collection offers really great value, even for Canadians with our not-so-great exchange at the moment. The per pattern price is really affordable, and I love having a variety of patterns to choose from in my pattern library. The collection concluded with Maisie Bowler Handbag, an adorable pattern that I'm itching to sew up. I'm not sure how long the collection will be available for purchase, but once you purchase the collection, all 12 patterns will be in your account for good. One thing I really like about Swoon Sewing Patterns, is that you can always access and download your purchased patterns, for an unlimited amount of times. You can also take note if any revisions have been made on a pattern before you tackle a new project.

Have you made a bag from the Vintage Collection? Which one is your favourite?

Once again, I'm thrilled to join Pattern Revolution's One Thimble Blog Tour! This time, I'm sharing my experience with the Swoodson Says pattern, Adventure Flags.

One Thimble is a digital sewing magazine, or ezine, and the issues contain PDF patterns, tutorials, sewing articles, tips, and lots of great content. You can see my previous posts about One Thimble here, here, and here. Issue 10 is looking to be the best one yet. I'm blown away by all the amazing contributors and patterns it has. I'm also excited to announce that I am a contributor in this issue as well! I'll include more details about that in a bit. You can enter to win a copy of One Thimble Issue 10 at the bottom of this post.

As soon as I saw this pattern, I knew immediately that my kids would love it. I was right, and they were more involved with this project than most others. They helped pick fabrics, felt colours, and, most importantly, placement of the flags in the buntings. We all thought they would make perfect decor for birthday parties!

The appliques are all cut out of felt and I used freezer paper as the pattern suggests. This was my first time using freezer paper and I found it so easy and helpful to cut those intricate shapes out. I couldn't imagine tracing them all individually onto the felt and then cutting out.

I really enjoyed the mix of fabrics and textures used for this project. I used felt and quilting cotton as the pattern suggests, but I also used a natural canvas muslin for the back of each flag, which really gave them a good weight and body. I think the natural canvas would have worked for the front as well.

This was a very different project for me, and I'm enjoying continuing with my theme of trying new things this year. I cheated a bit with the compass applique and just used fabric paint instead for the letters. I think it looks just as nice.

The pattern was very easy to follow and I think this would be a suitable project for even the greenest of beginners.

As for my contribution, I created a tutorial for this reverse applique pillow. I call it Hello With Love. I envisioned it to be a treasured gift for grandparents, but I'll have to make at least another one, because I love this one too much to part with. I show how to turn kids' hand-prints into lasting mementos. I hope you enjoy the tutorial as much I did creating it.

If you follow Sara Lawson's blog Sew Sweetness, you're probably aware that she recently taught a Craftsy class. It's all about interfacing and tips for better bag making. I feel pretty confident with interfacing choices, but I'm a big fan of Sara's so I took this class to see what it had to offer. Craftsy has given me a discount to share with you all as well! Find the discount toward the bottom of the post.

I think the class did a really good job at showing something I thought could only be taught with a physical hands-on experience. Sara compiled many samples of interfaced fabrics, using different fabric and interfacing combinations. She showed several different examples in completed bags, which really helps demonstrate the body and support interfacing lends to bags.

I think it's a really great class for those starting out in bag making. I wish this class was around when I first started making bags. The proper interfacing selection makes such a big difference to the look and feel of a completed bag. Just getting started at bag making can be so confusing and overwhelming; I really think this class helps take a lot of the confusion out of the subject. Even though I'm not a beginner, I picked up a few tips myself. I'd like to try some of the alternative stabilizers mentioned in the class.

It's not only about interfacing though! Sara also covers how to:

• make straps
• install zippers
• install magnetic snaps
  
• make bias binding and piping
• make a false bottom

Some other topics were: choosing thread, needle size, and stitch length. I'm excited to try her trick for bias binding finish on seams. I always struggle with those, but Sara made it look easy with her tips. I also learned about some interesting tools I'd like to try out. The class also comes with a handy interfacing comparison chart, found in the class materials.

I've only started using Craftsy less than a year ago. I really like it so far. I find the app works really well for me, but watching from my computer is also convenient. I like to watch classes on my tablet while preparing food or folding laundry. There are many free classes to choose from as well. With Craftsy, there really isn't a risk either, because of their 100% money back guarantee. Another really great feature of Craftsy is that class participants can ask (written) questions during the class, and the instructor answers. It's great, because you see the questions others are asking. I learned nearly as much reading the questions and answers as I did from the class!

I found Sara so charming and really easy to listen to. Her instructions were clear and comprehensive. Those outfits! She doesn't say in the class, but I'm almost positive she made all her outifts, and I loved seeing them. I found that Sara went above and beyond answering class questions. I didn't notice any unanswered questions. Some questions I didn't find relevant to the class, but Sara graciously answered them anyway. I also really liked that she showed us some of her "not so perfect" bags to help us learn from her mistakes.

I wholeheartedly recommend this class for anyone starting out in bag making. Whether you've made one bag, or you've made a few basic bags but are wanting to take your bags to the next level, then this is the class for you! I can't fully recommend this class to experienced bag makers, because I think much of the material covered in the class, you will already have a firm grasp on. If you're a fan of Sara's though, like me, and enjoy taking Craftsy classes, then I still think you'd enjoy the class, and probably pick up a tip or two. It was fun seeing bags made from patterns I've used and even tested.  

Here are some other reviews of the class:

Until February 11, you can save 50% on the Building Better Bags Craftsy class here.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Sara Lawson's newest book Windy City Bags, so that I could host a Sew Along with all of you! Sara even let me decide which bag to sew with you. I loved so many bags from this book, so it was really hard to decide. I had to get some help from my Mom and sister to narrow it down. We decided that Hey Mercedes would be a great one for it.

You can read a bit more about the bag here on Sara's blog, Sew Sweetness. I really love the shape and size of this bag, and I think there's a lot of room to be creative with this pattern. I also think it works well with some larger scale prints, which can be hard to work into some bags.

Before I get into the details of the Hey Mercedes sew along (including prizes and a discount), I wanted to share another bag I made from the book: Trompe Le Monde. This is a really unique bag, with a zippered divider pocket, a tongue lock closure tab, and some pretty overlays. I used Heather Givans' Succulent line from Fabric Spark. The main exterior is a border print, and I had been waiting for just the right bag to display it. For the divider pocket and piping, I used a Mixology print from Sitka Fabrics; it works great as an accent.

It's a great size too! This large tote has lots of room for books or magazines, a tablet and typical purse contents. Keep your valuables secure in the zippered divider, and the larger items in either of the large sections. The interior slip pocket is great for quick access items, like a phone and keys.

This was my first time installing atongue lock and it was so easy! Check out the free tutorial on Emmaline Bags to learn how to install it.

What's a sew along? You can check out some of my other sew alongs to get a better idea, but the gist is that I will break down creating the bag in steps over a few days. I'll try to explain the process with extra pictures, and I also offer tips and different ways to do things in the pattern. Many people enjoy sew alongs because it's extra motivation to get going on a pattern you've been wanting to make. It's also lots of fun to see progress of others joining in. Once it's over, I'm always amazed and all the different bags made from the same pattern...so inspiring!

Because I know many of you still need the book, I'm giving you lots of time to get prepared for this event. If you haven't purchased a copy yet, you can pick up a signed copy of Windy City Bags from the Sew Sweetness website. Book purchases from the Sew Sweetness website receive a free paper pattern (just leave a note at check-out which one you'd like), and as a special for the sew along, Sara is including the 4 metal rectangle rings you need for Hey Mercedes for free as well (just leave her a note at check-out that you're participating in the sew along so she knows to include the hardware with your order).

You'll have a whole month to gather your supplies and plan the bag. We're starting the Sew Along on March 1st.

What you'll need for Hey Mercedes:

• 1 1/8 yard fabric for straps and accent
• 1 yard fabric for exterior
• 1 yard fabric for lining
• 5/8 yard 58" Soft and Stable or comparable foam interfacing, or equivalent amount of fleece
• 2 7/8 yards 20" fusible medium weight woven interfacing (such as Pellon ShapeFlex 101)
• 4 metal rectangle rings (1 1/2" wide)
• 1 magnetic snaps
• 2 x 12" zippers

Sitka Fabrics, one of the sew along sponsors, is offering a 10% discount from now until February 21 with code Mercedes10 at checkout. I'll be making mine with the gorgeous Avantgarde collection from Sitka Fabrics and the colors are stunning!

Of course there are prizes! Really awesome prizes that I'm very excited about. Sitka Fabrics is giving away gift certificates and Aurifil has offered some thread boxes for prizes!! How awesome is that?! We will have one judged winner, and the rest will be random winners. I will include details on how to enter to win on March 1st.

So gather your supplies, and check back in on March 1st. I'll be posting some progress shots on Instagram, so be sure to follow me there as well. I'll use #HeyMercedesSAL, and I hope you do too, so everyone can follow along.