Bags upon Bags - Part 1 - Oxbow Tote

 Hello all :)

Not so much of the garment sewing for you this week however over the last few months I have been making loads of different bags! I'm going to split this post into 2 weeks as it got a bit long!

Pattern

It started off with the Noodlehead Oxbow Tote which I spotted on Instagram and just absolutely adored. This comes in 'Overnight Bag' size and 'Regular' size.

Go big or go home, I started off with the Overnight Bag (left). I then decided my sister might also like one so went with the Regular (right) just to see the difference. 

Both are pretty big and you can get so much stuff in there! The side pocket is functional, there are 2 internal pockets and the handles are both 'tote' style and detachable cross-body/shoulder strap so you can mix and match where needed.

The pattern is unbelievable easy to follow. It LOOKS complex but it really isn't when broken down into it's separate parts. The Noodlehead instructions are lengthy, clear and coherent - perfect. 

Fabric

My Mother In Law really loves this Aztec print upholstery fabric. I had previously made her a Closet Core Pouf and had some left so a birthday bag was in order. 

The contrast fabric is some faux leather (vegan leather? PU?) which was in the stash waiting for it's day to come.  

The lining is dead-stock Ted Baker satin from Fabworks - perfect for using up scraps from coat making. Little tip off for you - the Ted Baker stuff is listed as 'special occasion satin' as they can't but the brand name 😉

Hardware

I got my metal supplies from TrimmingShop - they have a fantastic range of all kinds of hardware so it was easy to find everything together. 

Cute metal bee clasps were added for interest (from Etsy years ago which had languished in the stash) but aren't functional, they just look nice. 

Interfacing

I deviated from the instructions here as it says you need 3 types of interfacing/bag foam. For some reason the world seems to have forgotten about Decovil which is my preferred choice of bag-firming substance. You just iron it on/glue it on to the back of fabric and it gives the fabric a thick leathery feel. One and done. 

It comes in 2 different thicknesses. I used the heavy version for these bags although the lighter version would work just as well. 

I have found it available on Minerva here  - ooo by the way, you can get 10% off anything you order on Minerva with my new code MSS243EC (you can use it as many times as you like, I get a few pennies each time you do but nothing I can plan a retirement on!).

Webbing

The cotton canvas webbing is from eBay, however I'm not going to recommend the seller as I was done out of 3m hence why one of the bags has plain black strapping.

When you buy the cotton webbing just make sure it is thick (2-3mm), some of it is that softer apron strap kind, more like twill tape, and definitely not sturdy enough for bag handles.

The Repeats

Not one to miss out I decided I needed a bag for myself. It has been the perfect size for carting about to appointments - book, magazine, documents for waiting rooms, it all fits in. 

Things then became a bit crazy when I made a FOURTH version of this bag as a gift. This fabric is some great waterproof canvas from Custom Fabrics UK (formerly known as Flamingo Fabrics) in William Morris Strawberry Thief print. 

Slightly more sophisticated than the last ones and it went down a treat!

 Congratulations if you made it down here to the deep depths of this post - just us and the sea creatures at this point. 

Thanks for joining me again it is appreciated. Hopefully you'll stay tuned for Part 2 - it involves a frog (unsurprisingly!)

 Thanks for stopping by - feel free to comment and come and say hello on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Bloglovin too xxx