The 3 bag project - my first foray to the dark side :)

[LeilaMay]

By the time the second side was pinned to the gusset it gets quite difficult manipulate - but I suceeded in getting both sides attached without major hitches.
What you get then definitely resembles a bag!

Then you're onto the last - blithe - instruction to apply the bias binding. 
I used every long pin I had for this, and took it back to the 201. I sewed VERY slowly, and would have crossed my fingers if I could have. I do think it has come out okay; now I need to hand work it to turn under the second edge and hand stitch in place. I will add a final photograph when it's all done, but you can see how it's going.

[Ploshkin]

It's looking good, well done.

[Iminei]

Only critique I can offer ... and remember I couldn't make a bag to save my life ...
is that the zipper teeth looks a bit large proportionately to the bag, but I'm loving the combination of fabrics.

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Only critique I can offer ... and remember I couldn't make a bag to save my life ...
is that the zipper teeth looks a bit large proportionately to the bag, but I'm loving the combination of fabrics.

Clearly a design feature    I think it looks great 

[Snowgoose]

Clearly a design feature    I think it looks great 

Me too  the red and gold look fab with the fabric  I'm having bag envy 

[LeilaMay]

As far as the zips go - the book says use metal sips to stand up to the wear and tear, and these were the only only I could find in the right legnth.

happy to hear about any other suppliers folks might know? 7 inch, metal, lots of colours?

Ta 

[Ploshkin]

The red and gold matches the fabric perfectly.  I can't really think of any zips with smaller metal teeth, they seem to go for plastic for the smaller ones. The assumption is probably that if you want the strength of metal you also want the size.

[LeilaMay]

Thank you all
Will be handstitching the bag binding today, and then I have three more to make!
Now I've made one I feel confident enough to cut out all the batting and backing panels in one go at least, and have the strips different widths and so on. I'll post pictures of the finished bags I hope, but that was how to make one - hope that's helful and/or inspiring 

I have made one other pattern from this book before, again it was fiddly and I'm sure I might do better second time, but it was nice and well illustrated so I'd recommend the book.

[LeilaMay]

And here is the first bag finished - front and back views.
It's not perfect (I hope I'll get better as I go along) but I think it looks okay and I hope the person will be pleased with it. A long time hand-sewing though, so taking a break now

[fajita]

So pretty. Very accomplished. 

[supergran]

That's lovely Leilamay.

[Pearl]

A lovely bag, LeilaMay! 

[LeilaMay]

Thank you all, I appreciate the support.

  I do think that maybe, on such a small bag, I used too many fabrics, it's too 'busy' I think the person it's aimed for will like it, but for the next bag I'm going to try reducing the number of fabrics on the main side panels to three and altering the proportions of colour by cutting different width strips. I'll use one more for the bias and lining.
The next bag is in shades of blue grey and some silvering on one fabric, so we'll see how it goes.

If we had an icon for cutting up bits of coloured paper, and colouring pencils, I'd be using that here

[Deafoldbat]

http://www.zipsonline.co.uk/

I've used this firm for mail order. Good choice and quick (ist class post)

[LeilaMay]

Thank you

I think perhaps it was an odd size or something, because the range in 7" metal seems limited everywhere I look.