Keeping to my plan to do a Craftsy class review each month, and work on my UFOs, I started working on the Raspberry Ripple handbags I have waiting for me. These are the bags I was given, all cut out and interfaced. All I have to do is sew them.

Raspberry Ripple Handbag

If you haven’t seen the Raspberry Ripple bag, here it is.

I think it’s adorable. You can find the pattern here.

Fabrics

The one I’m working on first is an animal print and a lovely coordinating fabric.

The coordinating fabric is lined on the back, which you can see – it’s the darker brown.

The above one is my trial run. I also have this one all cut out and interfaced just waiting as well. I love this black floral print.

I thought I’d save my favorite material for once I’m a little more familiar with the pattern. I was told that shiny material is leather, but it’s really thin and lined. I don’t think it’s leather, but it’s pretty.

I was also given this material, but after checking, there aren’t enough pieces for the bag, and not enough to cut more out, so I’ll have to think of something else to do with it. I’m thinking wallets or small clutch bags as all the material is interfaced.

A First Melly & Me

This is a new pattern for me, and also a first time sewing anything by Melly & Me. There’s a lot of text in the instructions, and step after step with no illustration or photo. I’m a visual learner, so I don’t know that this will be a favorite pattern for that reason, but it is all coming together fairly easily and well so far.

Illustrations don’t always mean a project will turn out either. There were lots of photos in another pattern I tried last year and it ended up in the trash! There was also a lot of ripping out with that one.

So far, on this Raspberry Ripple, I’ve only had to rip one seam out and that was all my fault. I was trying a no-pins method of sewing. More on that in another post.

Other than the no-pins bump, my sewing did have another bump in the road. I caught a cold, and spent more time than I wanted on the couch with Netflix. So, I did start my bag, take a long break, and then go back to it.

Unique Challenges

Do you know, or can you guess the most challenging part of sewing something someone else has cut out? Figuring out what pieces are what. Nothing is labeled.

I thought I had all the pieces, but I searched through everything I had again when I was ready to sew the band on. There wasn’t a band. There was some fabric to cut out a band, so whew! I was able to cut it out and get it interfaced.

My friend had lengthened the pattern for the band for some reason. I had to adjust it back to the original pattern size. I’m not sure why she did that because the lengthened band pattern piece did not fit the bag, but it’s all good again.

Notes

It’s kind of fun to follow along on a pattern someone else owned first. I love to read the notes from other sewers to see what they felt needed to be added, or clarified, or even just their reminders.

There are lots of notes on this from my friend. It makes for interesting sewing and sometimes more complicated too.

And this is where I feel like giving up. All that text and not a photo to help me out. Add to that I don’t know if I really want right sides together or wrong sides, or right sides!

Well, I’m stopping for the time being. It will remain a UFO for a few more weeks. There isn’t any lining material, or pocket material and I don’t have anything that coordinates with it. I also need a zipper.

So, I’ll take a swatch of this fabric and the black floral with me to the fabric store and buy enough lining for both bags.

Finished Bag?

No, it’s not quite finished, but here’s my outside part of my Raspberry Ripple handbag:

It’s lovely! Now to get to the fabric store.

Happy creating!