The Beginner Bag - FREE pattern release!

I'm super excited to finally be able to offer the perfect bag pattern for all you beginner bagmakers out there! The Beginner Bag is the perfect bag to start your bag making journey! It's made with the absolute novice bag maker in mind and has in depth explanations of everything from fusing interfacing to zipper installation. It's available for FREE for all members of my Facebook Group, feel free to join for the pattern!

The pattern has been tested and tweaked with a team of complete novice to advanced beginner bagmakers, this alongside my normal pattern testing team to ensure it's super easy to understand and follow. This pattern comes with both inch and centimeter measurements and is availiable in both English and Swedish.

It has a zipper top closure, is fully lined and has open slip pockets. And it looks equally great in cotton fabric as in vinyls, as you can see below for the silvery cotton one. 

But this bag isn't just for the beginner! The simple but stylish design makes it perfect for production sewing or just letting one's creativity run wild. 

It's also perfect for sewing with panels, as you easily adjust the size of the bag to the size of the panel. It can be made any size you wish, instructions for how to easily adjust the size is in the pattern. It makes a super cute makeup bag if made smaller, or the perfect beach tote if made in a bigger size.  Here my pattern tester Helena Halvar Tall, made a beautiful set with a standard size and a small makeup bag version. She's added a little fabric panel edged by lace edged by quilting. So pretty!

The interior is simple slip pockets, but as you gain confidence you can naturally add zipper pockets or other cool additions as you please. 

You can easily kick it up a notch by adding my rolled bag handles like my pattern tester Jennifer Hilburn Spears have done here for a very elegant look. Adding little details like a tassel like she's done, really brings it to a different level! Link to the Rolled Handle YouTube tutorial is in the pattern.

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My fantastic pattern testers were awesome as ever and tested the pattern for me, alongside the awesome group of beginner bag makers - and just look at all the gorgeous Beginner Bags that were sewn! A sincere thank you goes out to each and everyone one of you for helping me make each new pattern -  into my best pattern yet! 

I'm so very grateful for all your help and hard work!

Liselotte - Made two gorgeous versions, one in vinyl that she quilted in such a cool pattern, with beautiful rolled bag handles, and one lovely mocha version that she also quilted. 

Helena Halvar Tall - Whom can be found here on instagram made these two gorgeous panelled versions. One in original size, and a smaller one that fits in the larger one.  

Annette - Made this absolutely lovely 3D vinyl version accented by a lovely black tassle!

Barbara Dörig - Whom can be found here on instagram made a super cool, dry oilskin version.

Hemasis - Who's website is available here made an awesome, quilted zebra vinyl version! 

Jennie Backlund - Whom can be found here on instagram made an adorable cat version.

Hanna Levin - Made a gorgeous, ultra cute pink pony one! 

Julia Willman - Made not one but two beautiful vinyl versions! One soft pink and a lovely, fresh white.

Laura Downs - whom can be found here on Instagram made a lovely, glitter vinyl version. 

Lori Peoples - made a beautiful fall coloured version quilted along the fabrics patterns.

Cissi - made this lovely blue vinyl and rainbow quilted version.

J Spears Design - Whom can be found here on instagram made this lovely quilted version with rolled handles.

Caroline Karlsson - Made these two beautiful versions, one straight line quilted standard size and one edited with an extra wide bottom to be used for lunchboxes for her mother, such a lovely idea!

Eva Halvarsson - of Borlänge Sycentrum made this gorgeous, quilted cotton and linen version!

Marybeth Haberman- of MB's Sew Crafty made this awesome quilted cotton version!

Ann Munthe Svensson - Made this beautiful, quilted grey vinyl version.

Sofia Nilsson - of TRÅkärlek whom can be found here on Instagram and here on Facebook, made this lovely turquoise, straight line quilted vinyl version with rolled handles. 

Sew Your Own Half Check Dog Collar Tutorial

I made a YouTube tutorial showing how to sew your own, beautiful and practical half check dog collar! This type of collar has many names, half slip collar, martingale collar and more but it's a super convenient kind of collar slip on and off, with no risk of the dog backing out of it, nor does it choke your dog.

Convenience: Slip it on and off without any need for a snap or buckle. This is great for shy or scared dogs that might find the snap of a buckle loud and scary, for dogs with long coats which might tangle in the buckle, or for dogs that just don't have the patience to stand still while the collar is adjusted and secured. 

Safety: As we make this collar exactly to size, there's no risk of our dog being able to back out of the collar or escape it, while the collar doesn't choke or strangle the dog.

Comfort and coat: If you have a long haired dog, a tightly fitted regular collar might cause unsightly "waves" in the coat from the collar, but as this collar is large and loose when the dog is't pulling (which makes it very comfortable for the dog to wear too!) and therefore reduces this effect from the collar. 

I recommend clicking this link and going to YouTube and watching the video there instead of embedded. 

The reason for this tutorial is that have a new little family member as of a little over month now! Lilla My is a 1,5 year old Sheltie girl whom has found her forever home with us!  We love her soooo much!⁣ 

She of course urgently needed her own  Tula Pink collar! Lilla My really loved her new collars, and when I tried to have a photo shoot with the finished collar, she promptly laid down to sleep on my background!  I could hardly protest this (despite the black hairs now all over my white photo background) as it's her collars right? =D 

The collars in the video are made with Tula Pink fabrics, my girl needs to be dressed in style right!? The wider collar is from Tula's Zuma line, the beautiful "Glow fish" print. And the thinner one is the "Disco Kitty" print from her Tabby Road line.

Isn't she fashionable on her walk? =) 

It's really easy to make and such a fun sew, properly addictive! Such a great scrap buster too! 

And I'm going to end this post with two more photos of my lovely cutie, just because I can ;)

I'd love to see if you make your own collar using this tutorial, please share you photos in the Facebook Group, or tag me on social media <3 

Bergen Bag - Pattern Release!

The Bergen Bag is the perfect everyday handbag. This firmly structured bag is big enough for a book or iPad on top of the necessities, and it has been designed with travel in mind. Many open slip pockets so everything has its place, and a large safe zipper lining pocket, with room for both boarding passes and passports.

It's available in English and Swedish and has both inch and centimeter measurements, and it's available HERE.

This bag comes with many different design options, it can be made with bag frame (open ended or closed) or zipper closure, with handle connectors or without or with high or low bottom decor.

Left: Zipper top closure, handle connectors and low bottom.

Middle: Open ended frame closure, handle connectors, high bottom.

Right: Closed end frame closure, no handle connectors, low bottom.

Finished size: ~10” (25cm) high, ~13” (33cm) wide and 4” (10cm) deep at the base.

The version with the closed ended frame has a slightly smaller top piece to accommodate. This version without handle connectors is slightly faster to make, and requires no rectangle ring hardware. 

This is made with Cotton and Steel quilting cotton, the line is "Santa Fe" by Sarah Watts and the print is "Stone in Turquoise", matched with a vinyl. It's lined with an unknown brown from my stash ;) 

The bottom is extremely sturdy, no bulging bottoms here!

This open ended frame version with the handle connectors and high bottom decor I made with Tula Pink's "All Star" line with the "Tail Feathers" print in poppy, also matched with a vinyl. The lining is from Tula's "De La Luna" line, the print is "I see you" in mystic. The beautiful hardware is all from Emmaline Bags.

The Bergen Bag is named after the beautiful city Bergen in Norway, which I visited a few times in my childhood. 

All the pockets!! I love being able to line up all my things in it's own pocket, so many open pockets are a must for me. 

The zipper pocket is discreetly hidden in the seam and barely even visible when closed. These zipper pockets are my own invention and are sewn without cutting a hole, so no uneven pocket openings with wonky corners!

The zipper closure version is made in Robert Kaufman "Atlantia" print cotton in charcoal colorway, matched with marine blue faux leather and another unknown brown from my stash. The zipper version is very elegant too and quickly became a favourite among my testers!

How to get that perfect, tight fitting lining is thoroughly described in the pattern, so expect your linings to be perfectly fitted! 

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My fantastic pattern testers were awesome as ever and tested the pattern for me, and just look at all the gorgeous Bergen Bags that were sewn! A sincere thank you goes out to each and everyone one of you for helping me make each new pattern -  into my best pattern yet! 

I'm so very grateful for all your help and hard work!

Anette Lundin - Made this drop dead gorgeous, closed frame version in a blue furniture fabric matched with a black vinyl. Her bag has the high bottom decor and handle connectors and is just sooo classy and classic looking! 

Sofia Nilsson - of TRÅkärlek whom can be found here on Instagram and here on Facebook, made two absolutely breathtakingly stunning bags! With zipper closure, no handle connectors and low bottoms. I love them both, but just LOOK at the pattern matching in the first one here with the roses on the inside of the bag, isn't it amazing?! 

Doris Lövgren - whom can be found here on Instagram made this oh so beautiful floral version paired with a stunning light brown leather! So very pretty! Her's is a zipper closure, high bottomed version with handle connectors.  

Tamra Morley - of Tamras Textiles made this absolutely amazing all cork version! So very classy and cool! And look at that beautiful embroidered logo! This is the open frame version, with handle connectors and a low bottom decor. 

 

Christine Davis - of Bags by Bags of Style whom can be found here on Facebook and here on Instagram made this absolutely adorable version! I love how she used those polka dot, ready made handles, and that cute piping was just the icing on the cake! This is a zipper closure low bottom version.

Becky McCoy - of Simply Memorable Bags made this so beautiful and very happy version! Loving the cute print and that bright pink lining is just amazing! Can't help but smile when you open that bag! This is a zipper closure, low bottom version with handle connectors.

Anne-Le Wängelin - whom can be found here on Instagram made these two, absolutely stunning versions! Love that she added a key strap to them. The beautiful Tula Pink one with it's bright and happy colors are right up my alley, but so is the lovely black one! Both are made with closed ended frames, handle connectors and low bottom decor. 

Margareth Tai - Bags by Mags can be found here on Instagram, made this absolutely adorable polka dot version! Classic and cute! It's a zip closure, low bottom decor without handle connectors version. 

Kristin - whom can be found here on Instagram made this just stunning version! Love the classy outside matched with that happy polka dot lining! This is a closed ended frame, low bottom version with handle connectors. 

Eva Arthursson - made this simply gorgeous poppy version! I just love this! Poppies are one of my favourite flowers so this is just perfect in my book! This is a closed ended frame, low bottom version with handle connectors. 

Lori Peoples - whom can be found here on Instagram made this insanely stunning and cool version! Look at those details, the decor on the handle connectors, the beautiful handles, the piping and tassels, all oh so beautiful! This is a low bottom decor, zipper closure version with handle connectors.