More Sakura Crossbody Bags

 

Sakura Crossbody Bag

A few weeks ago I went to my local furnishing shop looking for linen fabric. And as I browsed around the shop, I saw piles of faux leather in one corner. The shop keeper said they are on sale! And before I realized I came back with linen fabrics and few yards of various faux leather. I mean, how can you resist a sale, right? 

I've been making faux leather based keychains for my Etsy shop and I was on the trial phase of making Sakura crossbody bag. So the faux leather really came at the right time and that too at 50% OFF! The faux leathers are of high grade quality. 

Crossbody Bag - fabric faux leather combo

The red bag, I made with Kaffee Fasset's fabric and combined it with the faux leather. The KF Fabric I bought from a shop in Jakarta last year and I love how vibrant it turned out.  The bag size is approximately 7" W x 9" H and it has 3 compartment so it's very handy to keep your stuff organized. 

This bag actually inspired by my trip to the UK in summer . While traveling, I always like to carry a small crossbody bag to keep my phone and a few essentials. And as I get older, I prefer more simple bag that I can keep my phone, cards and few essentials like tissue, or sun glasses. I noticed many women of my age carry similar bag like the Sakura bag. This bag is not bulky and you can keep it close to you during the flight. 

Japan Linen Crossbody Bag

I also made crossbody bag with only fabric. This cute Matryoshka print bag is made of Japan linen. I did not use batting for this one and the fabric itself is thick. I only use all purpose interfacing. I happened to have this multi color zipper that match perfectly with the fabric! What do you think?

Matryoshka Crossbody Bag

Working is faux leather is not difficult. You just need to be more careful while sewing and of course use Teflon or plastic based sewing foot. I started buying faux leather just before the pandemic in the end of 2019 and early 2020 (it feels like along time ago!!).  I did a lot of trial and error and even made bad purchases a couple of times. 

If you want to start making bags with faux leather make sure to buy a good quality one. It maybe a little expensive but in the long run, it will benefit you more. I usually asked for sofa leather when in the furnishing shop. Some leatherette are pretty stiff, make sure you buy the softer one. I have not checked the gsm weight, but it should not be too thick. 

I made this pouch set which my son took it to college and still use it till now (4 years later) and it's still in good condition!  This crossbody phone bag I made for my mom and she loved it. She like to use it when she goes out because it's very handy to carry her phone when she moves about. 

Don't be afraid to try especially if you just starting out making bags and wallets. There will be bad results ( and I have plenty of them) and you will also learn a good lesson. 

ALSO READ: Sakura Crossbody Bag Sewing Pattern

Sakura Crossbody Bag Pattern

If you have any questions, write it down in the comment below, I'd be glad to help:)

Project Details: 

Pattern: Sakura Crossbody Bag

Fabrics: Quilting Cotton, Canvas, Faux Leather

Supplies: 

- All purpose woven interfacing

- Nylon zipper size #5

- Bag hardware

Handmade crossbody bags are available in my Etsy Shop

Happy Sewing!

Elvira

Linking up to these wonderful blogs

Sunbonnet Sue and DIY KIT

I was going through my UFO bins last week and found one Sunbonnet Sue Applique which I did a couple of years ago. I think it must be around 2012 or so when I made my Sunbonnet Journal Cover. I love doing cute applique once in a while. I guess now I'm being too busy that sometimes I forgot to have fun.

Now what to do with this orphan block? Well, why not just frame it!! I bought a set of frames from amazon a few months ago and still have a few small ones that fit perfectly for my Sunbonnet. I simply cut the piece to fit in the frame and voila, I got a new wall decor. 

*****

Yesterday made another drawstring bag using Indian mulmul fabrics. I cut them into 2.5" squares and sew them together. Working with lightweight fabric is challenging, so always use a smaller stitch length and proper needle size.

I did hand quilting in this bag and I love how soft it is when finished. Hand quilting definitely gives a soft cuddly feeling. Love it! I must do more :)

This time, I made box bottom type and added a D ring on the side so that I can attach a long strap and carry it as a sling bag. I am inspired by the wuxia dramas that I’ve been watching for the past few months. The bag turned out so cute!!

See behind the scenes in this video below. 

If you want to learn how to make the bag and not sure about the materials, now you can purchase the DIY KIT in my webshop. In 

I will add more DIY KIT for beginners bag makers or quilters and some will come with Pdf Patterns.

I realized that many people hesitate to start because of the lack of information regarding bag making and quilting in India. Especially for bag making, it took me years to finally found the right materials that go into creating a decent bag. 

This week, I have a couple of hand quilting projects to complete. That's my main goal for this week. I hope I won't be distracting to making other things as I just got my new Quilts Japan last week! 

Thank you for stopping by!

Stay safe & Happy Sewing

Elvira

Linking up tho these wonderful blogs