February Minikins

My February monthly goal was to make two bags, and I finished them both!  Both of the bags on my list are from the Minikins series by Sew Sweetness, bags that are intended to be sewn in a single sitting.  I'm happy to say that this is the case.

The first bag that I made was the Jetset Cinched Bag.  I was able to simplify the pattern by not making the mesh pocket that goes around the inside.  This bag is for my five-year-old son's marbles so it wasn't necessary.  It's also about four times larger than it needs to be - visualizing the size of a finished bag is not one of my strengths.

If I were to make it again, I wouldn't use the foam interfacing all the way to the top - I'd stop about an inch down and just use a lighter interfacing or make the contrast band bigger.  The thick foam makes it so that the bag doesn't cinch tight - not ideal for marbles!  Luckily this stays next to his marble run toy so he can still use it.  He's thrilled with it, especially since he got to pick all the fabrics himself.

The second bag I made was the large Cotton Candy pouch.  This is my second time making it and I did make two small changes with the foam.  First, I sewed the two pineapple panels together and then put the interfacing on them to avoid a bulky seam on the bottom.  Next, I stopped the foam a quarter inch away from the zipper edges so that the zipper doesn't stick slightly where the fabric changes, a problem I had with my first bag.

I love how the foam gives bags so much structure, but it's a learning curve for me to use it in a way I'm happy with.  I'm very pleased to have these off of my to-sew list and the recipients are happy to have their new bags!  I'm linking this finish up with Elm Street Quilts.