Babylon Leather - Tote Bucket Bag

Over the holiday weekend, Rhonda and I decided to make our Babylon Tote Bucket Bags.  We thought it would be a great project to do together.  We had estimated that it would take about three to four hours to complete.  However, it ended up taking several more hours to complete.  

Before I get into the details of our sewing experience, let me give you some details about Babylon Leather bag kits.

Babylon Leather has an extensive line of leather bag making kits on their website.  Additionally, they offer tools, leather, hardware, and patterns.  A well-rounded website that has so many items to help you complete your own unique leather projects.  Check it out.  You are guaranteed to find something to your liking. ;-)

It was several Instagram craft influencers who "encouraged" me to try making my leather bag.  On the Babylon website, there are so many choices; it was hard to choose just one bag making kit.  I ended up settling for the Tote Bucket bag. 

The kit contained everything that I needed to complete my bag:

• all leather pieces needed for the desired bag (some were partially finished).
• two scarves and a bag charm
• waxed thread
• a set of hand-sewing leather needles
• bag hardware
• scissors
• screwdriver
• clip
• finger protector sleeves

and 

• QR code link to tutorial for assembling the bag.

The entire bag is assembled by hand.  So, it takes some time and patience to complete it.  I learned a few things about hand sewing leather.  How to "knot" the thread and how to sew with two needles at the same time.  Once you get the hang of sewing, it is a very calming and relaxing process. 

 

The most difficult part of making the Tote Bucket bag was attaching the handles to the bag.  It took about two hours to attach each handle.  Again, once you get past the initial stitches, the rest is easy.  It just takes time.  

 

The things that I liked about the product and this project are:

• everything is in the kit, which makes it super easy to concentrate on making the bag
• the design of the bag and the color options
• quality and quantity of the leather, supplies and tools
• packaging of the kit
• access to the tutorial to assemble the bag
• the simple, refined, unique looking bag
• the bright orange leather with a great texture
•  

and 

• the beautiful bag that I made with my very own hands. ;-)

There weren’t any real dislikes about the project.  

 

This ends my review of my first Babylon leather bag.  I hope this information is helpful.  If you've made a Babylon bag, please share your experience.  I'd love to read/view your experience.

 

Happy Sewing!

C

 

 

 

Kwik Sew Sling Bag - KS4276

 

So lately, I've been sewing little bags and such.  And I saw this sling bag pattern by Kwik Sew.  So I thought I would give it a try.  It looked like a quick project.  Ugh! Ugh!

NOT!

This baby took almost as long to make as my new red maxi-dress!  It's all the zippers and other notions that took up a lot of time. 

I still think it's a good bag project to try.  So here is my little review.

Pattern Description:  Sling bags in 2 sizes;

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  Yes, it did.  But for some reason, I thought the bag would be smaller.

The front

The back

Were the instructions easy to follow? Very good and easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Now, that it is all made up. I really like the size.  You can put quite a few things in it.  It's a good bag to have hands free and still feel safe carrying it.  Also, I think it's a great travel bag for the airport and train.  There are two zippers pockets on the outside that you can slip a card, keys, and a few dollars in for easy access.

My dislike, I guess would be it took me so long to finish it.  And that's on me, right? Lol

Fabric Used:  I used a home-dec fabric from Joann's and a broadcloth for the lining from my stash.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: No changes.  This was my first time making this type of bag.  So I followed the instructions to the letter.  Oh, one little change. the slide buckle.  I couldn't find a one inch buckle.  So I used a 1.50" one.

Top of the bag

Top with parachute buckle closed

Bag opened

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I may make it again.  It would be a nice gift for someone.   Yes, I would recommend it to others sewists.

Conclusion: I like how the bag turned out.  I didn't expect it to take as much time as it did to make it.  All in all, it was a good sewing project and a change from garment sewing.

Happy Sewing!

C

A Little Bag For A Very Special Lady - Kwik Sew KS4381

During my lifetime, I have met so many wonderful people. And it has been such a blessing to know them and to hear about their life's journey.  About a decade ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Samantha Helgerson. She was a student at the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education.  At one time in her life, she was able to walk with assistance.  But because of her unique health challenges, she is now unable to walk.  I won't go into further detail on how she got to this point.  What I will talk about is her courage and perseverance.  

Sam is a winner!  She is one of the most positive individuals I've ever met.  When you meet her, she always has a smile on her face and she has nothing but positive things to say.  She doesn't allow anything to get in her way of achieving her goals or having a great time.  She lives on her own with her cat named Maya.  Sure she needs daily assistance, but that is only to help her get from point A to point B.

Sam enjoys all types of music.  She has a catalog of CDs that rivals any DJ's.  One of her favorite artists is Tyrese Gibson.  A few years ago, she went to see him in concert and had the pleasure of meeting him afterwards.

Sam is a college graduate, who is continuing her education online due to the pandemic.  When asked why she continues to further her education, her response is always, "Why not?  I want to complete my dream."

Her glowing personality and attitude makes me smile every time I think of her.  So, when she tells my DD that she would love to have some greens and cornbread, I make it for her.  And when my DD told me that Sam decided to continue her education after recently graduating, I decided to make her a bag to carry her things in.

I used Kwik Sew K4381 to make it.  This pattern was used to help me with the design aspect of the bag.  It was not large enough and the design of the straps were not long enough to go over the handles of her wheel chair.  So I had to make them longer and added adjustable slide buckles so the straps could be adjusted once over the handles of her chair.

In keeping with following some pattern review protocols:

The pattern description.  It was vague. Bag.  I'll add, wheel chair bag with extended flap with velcro closure.  Adjustable straps for chair handles.  Large roomy bag with zipper pocket on the inside.

The size of the bag was too small to carry a notebook and a text book.  I expanded the size: width, depth, and length.  The bag looks like the bag pictured, only much larger.

This was a very simple bag to make.  Nothing in the original instructions was confusing or difficult to follow.  I was able to finish it in a few hours.

I purchased the canvas fabric from JoAnn's Home Dec Department.  Sam's favorite color is light blue.  I used a quilter's cotton for the lining.  I thought it was a fun print.

I liked how the bag turned out.  It was easy to make.  My only dislike is that it's original size was too small.  I searched and searched for a bag pattern that would work without the enlargements that I made and couldn't find anything.

It was a pleasure to make Sam happy.  I don't know if I'd make the bag again.  I guess if Sam asked for another, I would make it with no hesitation.

I do recommend it to others who need a bag of this design.  It could be adapted to fit a standard wheel chair or a motorized one,

Happy Sewing!

C

Parting Shots:  Photo 1 -  Sam at her college graduation.  Photo 2 - Sam meeting Tyrese Gibson at his concert.