Bag for My Cousin

My cousin Bev saw this bag

and she asked if I could make her something similar.  I was so honored that she trusted me to sew a bag for her.  She had a couple requests.  She wanted the bag a bit bigger so she could fit magazines and 8x10 folders for work in it. Also, she wanted a pocket on the outside, zipper top closure and pockets on the inside oh and some kind of green fabric.  So I searched and found a pattern that was very similar to my previous bag but was the right dimensions.  I used Simplicity 2685 and made version D.

Inside pockets

Pocket on outside with invisible zipper

Zipper top closure

I was really pleased with how this bag turned out.  It was quite the challenge since the pattern didn't come with instructions on adding the top zipper and outside zipper pocket.  The large button on the outside really makes the bag, I think.  My cousin really liked it and she said that she received lots of complements on it.  Nice!  I was in the process of making one for myself as my prototype for figuring out the pockets/zippers, but I haven't finished it yet.  Maybe I'll get back to it when I finish sewing for the Wardrobe Contest.

Wardrobe Contest: 1 down 9 to go

It's been a long time since posting any projects because we've been busy since school got out.  I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I decided to join a contest on PatternReview.Com   It's a wardrobe contest.  I'm required to make 10 items. . . 10 items!  Four tops, four bottoms, one topper (i.e. vest, jacket etc.) and one free item.  The contest closes on August 31st and voting will start September 2nd.  Ack!  So, I've been busy working on this and another separate project which I will post about soon.

For my first top for the contest I thought I would do an easy tunic.  Grrrrr this top frustrated me. First, the fabric had a rip in it that I had not seen in the store.  This made it difficult to cut out my pattern.  Luckily it's not too noticeable that the front is two pieces cut in two directions!   Next, I struggled with the instructions when I had to sew the neck band onto the tunic.   I tried for hours to figure out the instructions.  I finally figured it out and finished up the rest of the tunic, BUT it turned out waaaaay too big.  So it sat for weeks.  Last night I decided to take it out again and try to fix it.  I had to take in the side seams by 2 1/2 inches and the shoulder seams by 1 inch.  It fits so nice now.  I even wore it to a baby shower today.
Here is top 1 of 4:

Pleats in the front and back add some cute detail.

The contrast neck band is unique but gave me grief trying to figure out the sewing instructions.

I can dress it up or wear it casual with shorts.  My kind of top :)

Hurray for one item done.  Nine more to go (gulp).

Link to my review