Weekender Bag Sew Along : Week One

Happy Monday, friends!

Who is ready to start sewing up an Amy Butler Weekender bag?!  I'm teaming up with Debbie over at Happy Little Cottage to stitch up another great bag and I so hope you'll join the fun!

A lot of folks fear making the Weekender. While it definitely is no simple zipper pouch, it is a doable bag! And just think how proud of yourself you will be to sling this thing over your shoulder and say "I made it!" when someone asks where you got that amazing bag. :-)

There are a few parts of the assembly that are more difficult than others (mainly the worst is attaching the second side panel to the rest of the bag), but I encourage you to go for it! And have fun making it your own. :-)

This will be my third bag. I made my first one and then hosted a sew along with a few other friends a couple of years ago.  Those posts can all be found under this tag here.

Our schedule for this Sew Along is pretty laid back ...

• Mon. June 6 (today!) - Planning Your Fabrics & Materials
• Mon. June 20 - Cutting, Interfacing & Making the Panels
• Mon. July 6 - Sewing the Outer Bag Together
• Mon. July 11 - Finishing the Bag & Link Up
• Mon. July 25 - Prizes!!!

In my last Weekender Bag Sew Along, here are some thoughts on supplies that I shared (image from then as seen in this post):

General supplies you need: 

• The pattern!  (Obviously!) ...   We have these on order ... and will be arriving soon.
• Zipper (I have used both metal and plastic molded.) You need a 30 inch zipper - I found mine at a big box fabric store in the past, but this time plan to order a double pull from my favorite zipper supplier. 
• Coordinating thread 
• Jeans Needles (trust me, you need a jeans needle)
• Appropriate machine feet - regular piecing, walking foot, zipper foot, piping foot (Note:  I don't have a piping foot, so I use my zipper foot.) 
• Clover Wonder clips (or binding clips) - HIGHLY recommended.  Pins would work, but its not going to be fun. 
• Fabric marking pen
• 5 yards of cording to make your own piping (I am working on getting this in the shop)
• Sewing Machine - this is definitely the job for a machine! ;-)
• Fabric and interfacing (more details on what I used last time here) 

I am planning to piece my pockets again this time.  And I have been back and forth with myself about the design.  I've sketched out a few things in my graph paper notebook, making notes about the larger panels and what blocks might fit in the side panels, etc. 

Funny thing.... when I mentioned to my Mom about this sew along, our conversation went like this ... 

Her: "Haven't you already made two of these?"  

Me: "Yes, but I gifted one."

Her: "Maybe you could make this one for me." 

In my mind: "I was planning to keep this one."

So ... it looks like I may be attempting two.  Crazy talk, right?! Which means I may experiment a little on the second and share my thoughts with you. :)

She picked out Grand Canal by Kate Spain (due out this Fall). 

I picked out Handmade by Bonnie & Camille (due in September). 

My fabric selections should not be a shock! ;-) 

I hope you will sew along with us!  I will share my progress and tips here as well as on Instagram (@sewlux).  Join the fun with #wbsa2016

See you soon!