The Handbag is Fini!

In case you did not see the review on PatternReview, here it is.

Pattern Description: 300 mm Square “Snap” handbag. From the website – “This little framed bag is a bit retro, and EXTREMELY cute.” Nicole Mallalieu Design is a company in Australia. Before discovering this website I had not heard of her before, but I do now see mention of her handbags(always a postitive mention) on other blogs. http://www.nicolemdesign.com.au/

Pattern Sizing: None – well actually the frame is 300 mm (11.75 inches). The finished size is about 40.5 cm (16 inches) wide by about 14 cm (5.5 inches) tall.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Exactly. Even to the EXTREME cuteness!

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes and no. The instructions were VERY detailed. There are so many instructions in fact that the first words are “Don’t Panic”! There are instructions on how to use the instructions!
I read them through first which was both a good idea and a bad idea! While it gave me a basic understanding of the order, it was getting a bit overwhelming reading! I mean 20 pages of instructions is a lot! There were a few “Huh???” moments, but really when I got into the actual construction, it fell together nicely.
The pattern pieces are well marked – perfectly marked in fact, and there are even instructions on how/where to mark the pattern pieces- ie on the right side, on the wrong side etc. This was an excellent part of the instructions as it prevented one from unnecessary marking or losing them.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I fell in love with the pattern the second I saw it. I was cruising round the net, looking for how in the world to use the handbag frames I bought in NYC. I found Nicole, we emailed back and forth a few times and 2 weeks later I had a pattern. And 2 frames. And one whole kit- which I used to make the first one. I decided to buy the kit as I wanted to see what materials were used. I had never made a handbag like this before. I adore the shape, and the ease of putting it together. The markings were in exactly the right place every time.

Dislikes - NOT A ONE!!

Fabric Used: For this one – a bronze-y alligator leather that I picked up in NYC on PR Weekend. Sewing it was a brute at times! I used some bronze lining that I had stashed. The contrast handle was also stash.

Construction Details: Construction was straightforward. All of the seams are straight seams and sewing in the corners, while a bit finickity, was not difficult. Working with leather generally requires a Teflon or roller foot. I used to have a teflon foot, but it ran away from home and never came back. So I got ingenious (and cheap) and ran out to our workshop where I stole the roll of Telfon tape and stretched some onto one of my regular feet. That worked well! It had to be replaced occasionally but still cheaper than a teflon foot. The materials list for this project included 40 cm by 11.5 cm of main fabric. I had about 4.5 square feet of leather (leather is measured by area). This amount was sufficient- barely! One ingenious tip in the instructions was to handsew a narrow cord on the the top seamline where the body would be inserted in the frame. This was to add stability and boy, did it ever help! To construct the leather straps, I cut the leather strips so that when folded in half they would overlap a titch. I first glued them down, left them overnight then topstitched. I hand stitched them on to the rectangular rings (um- can rings be rectangular??) and then glued narrow strips of leather around where they were stitched. I would like to add a metal snap or something there – but I have to first find what I am looking for.<
For a hard base I used some corrugated cardboard (I actually cut up one of my husband’s election signs, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him! I’ll just tell him that I wanted to carry part of him with me!)
I was worried about the part where they have you put the body in the frame. “How the heck was this going to work”, I wondered. It went together surprisingly easy. I put some glue in the channel of the handles, made some markings on the purse and on the frame to make sure things lined up, grabbbed a dull knife and started – well- stuffing! It fit beautifully with no swearing and the cording really made it fit well. It was suggested that I could crimp the edges of the frame, but I found no reason to do so- it is very secure. I wiped up the excessive glue, and had a To-Die-For handbag. Well in my opinion anyways! Looking at the photos, I have to say it looks better even in person- so come visit and see!

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I only changed a few things. The instructions for the portion of the handles on the bag itself had you topstitch 3 or 4 rows before sewing them on to the fabric , then topstitching OVER the previous topstitching to attatch it to the main fabric. I can’t topstitch straight for the life of me, so I opted to first topstitch the inside 2 rows then topstitch the outside two rows right on to the purse. Here- a few pictures are worth a thousand of my words! You can also see the topstitch guide I used.
I added an inside key leash a la Ann Steeves as well. I considered pockets, but decided that this purse is not “right” for pockets.
What is great about this pattern is the possibility for may design changes- handles, hardware, fabrics, even length.
Even the bottom is pretty!

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Definately and Definately! Nicole is Extremely Easy to correspond with, and made my first Australian purchase a breeze! The time involved in obtaining the handbag, from my initial inquiry to seeing the flag up on the mailbox was only about 2 weeks! I have already made it twice, and have been commissioned by one of the FFCX5’s (for the unintiated, that is “Fashion Critics Times 5″ which is what I lovingly -most of the time- call my 5 daughters!) Anyways, FCX5 #2 wants a narrower black one, so I will adapt the pattern to fit a handle I already own.
I haven’t carried it out of the house yet (although I will admit to slinging it over my arm and parading around the house with it!) The handbag I made as a prototype has garnered many compliments though.
Conclusion All in all a wonderful pattern! I accomplished something that I never thought I would do, and I love the result. I will most certainly see what else Nicole Mallalieu Design has to offer! Here is photo with “She. the dress form” to show the scale.I have a few more details about the handbag here on my blog – And you can see all the photos (there are a lot!)on Picasa -http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/connie.bontje/Leatherpurse

Tagged as: leather, Nicole Mallalieu, purse