Sunday, January 1, 2012

Amy Butler's Reversible Everyday Shopper

Earlier this year as I began to get braver about sewing I decided I wanted to make myself a church bag.  I had come to the conclusion that I needed something BIG.  Not  your everyday big, but B.I.G!  I wanted it to be able to hold toys, snacks, diapers, wipes, a changing mat, piano music (I play the piano for our kids classes at church), and crochet projects (I have some down time while playing the piano).  My friend pointed me in the direction of Amy Butler's Reversible Everyday Shopper pattern.

Amy Butler Bag
When I went fabric shopping for it I couldn't decide between two different fabric combos.  So what did I do?  I bought both.  And what does that mean?  Several yards of unused fabric were added to my stash because I didn't make two bags. :)  Oh well!  I was so new to sewing when I sewed this.  When I saw that it required interfacing I wasn't sure what to even look for in the store.  Thank heavens for helpful ladies in quilt shops!

The pattern was fairly simple, and I became so focused on it I didn't want to stop until it was finished.  Of course I had to stop every now and then since my daughter did need some diaper changes and to be fed.  She also enjoyed rolling around on the fabric as I was trying to cut it.


Here it is in all of it's glory.  Right now it is holding a changing mat, several diapers, wipes, a check book, a box of crayons, a board book, a binder full of piano music, a beanie baby bear, a magazine, a little bag full of toys, a freezer bag for a sippy cup, and much more!  And look, the contents aren't even spilling over the top. :)  I'd say it fits the bill as a BIG bag.

6 comments:

  1. This one is really cute too! You are so talented. I am really enjoying your blog. Thank you SO much for linking up to our party this week.

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  2. That is really cute! Do you think this would be an easy bag for a {major} beginner to sewing? I just now managed to thread my new machine and sew a strait line...lol!
    ~Lisa (found you from Skip to my lou)...
    www.organizedchaos-lisa.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Lisa! I think you can manage it. When I did this bag I had only done some simple fleece quillos, some pillow cases, and some rag quilts. All pretty basic projects. This was the first thing I'd ever really done from a pattern, and it went together pretty easily! It is the easiest one in the book it came out of. You should give it a try! And remember, the internet is AWESOME when it comes to learning new things. I remember this pattern said to do things like "machine baste" and I had no idea what it was. So I'd visit the internet, and wallah! I found answers to my questions. :) Good luck! Let me know if you try it and if you have any questions.

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  3. Awww.. I love this! The fabrics are awesome. Ahhh.. I wish I could sew! One day :)

    And thank you for linking this up to my Friday party too.. your awesome!!

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  4. I love the fact that your bag is reversible... great job!!! A practical and good sized bag you'll use a lot. I would love for you to share this at my ongoing linky that's exclusively for bags and totes...
    http://threadingmyway.blogspot.com/2012/01/threading-your-way-bags-and-totes-link.html

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