Sew Together Bag

The Sew Together Bag by Sew Demented has been floating around the Internet for a while. I managed to resist, since I'd seen numerous complaints about how poorly the pattern was written, but I was tempted by the nifty three zippered pockets inside. A few weeks ago I was on a waiting list for a Sew Together Bag class but I didn't get in, so I figured that was it was a sign that it wasn't meant to be. However, my friend Kim G. got into the class and made the bag. She arranged for a private class for the Brown Baggers (and she really liked the class, because she took it with us for a second time!).

Peg McGowan at All About Quilts was our instructor. She had at least a dozen sample bags to show us. The class was four hours long and we were instructed to come with our pattern pieces cut out and ready to sew. Pat, of course, finished first. Kim G. finished three bags, but she took the class two weeks ago and came with several bags in various stages of completion. My bag was almost done when I left and I finished it at home this evening.

We did it! Top row from left to right: Peg McGowan (our instructor), Pat, Kim G.,
Marion, and Nancy D. Bottom row from left to right: me, Cordula, and Joannie.

Here's my finished bag.

This is the interior of my bag. There are three zippered pockets.

Here are the girls' finished bags from our class today. Everyone's fabric was so bright and pretty!

The verdict? The bag wasn't hard to make, although I would recommend it for a beginner. Putting the zippers in was easy. There are a lot of "fiddly" parts and you need a good sewing machine that can go through a lot of layers of fabric. I brought my Janome Gem Platinum to class which is a light weight machine that I travel with and Jimmy Janome (as I call the little guy) was not thrilled about sewing such heavy duty stuff. In fact, he shut himself down at one point. When I got home I finished the bag on Bernie Bernina (my 20 year old Bernina 1260) who sewed through the layers of fabric like butter. The pattern lacks diagrams and I would never have been able to make the bag without taking the class. I even asked the instructor how she had figured out the pattern, and she said that she had taken a class!

If there isn't a class in your area, I highly recommend that you visit The Quilt Barn Sew-A-Long. She dissects the bag pattern into five easy blog posts and shares lots of photos.

It is a nice little bag and the three zippered pockets are great. I may use mine to hold jewelry when I travel. I showed the finished bag to my husband Mike and he said it was "awesome."

Have you made a Sew Together Bag? If so, did you take a class or were you able to understand the pattern?

Linking up on Friday to Richard and Tanya Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Linking up on Tuesday to Freemotion by the River and ChrisW Designs Brag Bag Tuesday. Linking up on Saturday to Pink Doxies: Pet Project Show. Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy