V8590 - Marcy Tilton's Big Bag

Pattern Review posted a contest to make a handbag. And I fell for it. I have had Marcy Tilton's tote pattern for some time and have been meaning to make it. This contest provided the impetus to get it done. I started with an upholstery fabric from my stash along with some fantastic cording. But in the meantime, I bought a comforter for my bed. This comforter came with 4 pillow shams and I never use shams. It is enough that I straighten the sheets, pull up any cover, and organize the pillows each morning. The odds of me ever using shams is nil.

So now I have this quilted material and contrasting material of something washable -- who know what the real content is. It feels like a soft polyester -- so polyester it is. The pattern is a Marcy Tilton's that I picked up a year or so ago. And the large bag's pattern pieces just fit. So now it is cut out. I cut out a very heavy piece of interfacing that I will use to strengthen and stablize the bottom. I also have some little brass feet that will work well. This will also help hold the interfacing (even glued in) in place. The sewing instructions seem very straight forward. However, the instruction to sew the bottom to the sides of the tote won't work for the weight of the fabric that I have. So my recommendation is not Pivot at the corners, but to sew one side between the dots. Another modification is the lenght of the straps. I increased the length of the straps by 10 inches. I can always shorten them. The deadline is February 17. Let's see if I can make it!