Beautiful Diaper Bag - Finished!

I finally finished this beautiful diaper bag. It took so long because of my day job, I'm just too tired to work on it after I get home and get dinner done, but since I had yesterday and today as vacation days, I was able to just whipped it out.

I used McCalls M4403 as the base pattern but I made several changes. And I would have made more but I wanted to see how their instructions compared to how I would sew it.

First I eliminated the fold out palette, it was too small. I instead kept the flap and added a big pocket underneath. I also rolled the handles and made the shoulder strap adjustable and removable with hardware. I decided to not use Velcro on the pocket flap but instead used a magnetic snap. I also used woven interfacing on the lining which gives it a little more body.

The McCalls pattern was okay, here's what I liked and disliked:

• 
  LIKED - I liked McCalls instructions for constructing the bag and lining sides and bottom. 
• HATED - I hated their instructions for the zipper, I ended up ripping it out and redoing my way. I started writing a post about it, I'll finish it and post it tomorrow. 
• HATED - The instructions for the straps and handles definitely had you do it the hard way, not the way I would do it but I think I already talked about that in another post here.
• LIKED - As for joining the lining and the outer bag, it was okay. That's always the hardest part of making a bag, but it turned out nice.
• 
  HATED - I think I kept myself awake last night trying to figure out how the instructions wanted me to join the lining and exterior, I just couldn't get it straight in my head while I was laying there in bed. But once I got the fabric in my hands again, I figured it out quickly. I really think the instructions could have been a lot more explicit.
• HATED - The pattern had so many views and different things to sew it made for a ton of pattern pieces.  They mixed up the pieces too much, for example, they may have had five pieces I needed on one tissue and one on another tissue with seven pieces that I didn't need. It took me over an hour to separate the pieces I needed from the ones I didn't.
• HATED - The view I was sewing (view D) was similar to another view (view C). The instructions were written for the other view with the pattern pieces for my view in parenthesis. Sometimes my pattern piece number wasn't referenced in parenthesis. It was confusing.

Anyway, here it is and it turned out beautifully. It's for a girl and my daughter wants it if we find out that she's having a girl. She goes for the ultrasound that tells the baby's gender next month. However, if my new grandbaby is a boy, I'm going to sell it on Etsy and make a new one.

If I end up making a new one, what changes would I make? Well...

• My daughter wants a ruffle around the pocket flap on the front. She may change her mind if it's for a boy but we'll see.
• I will add more fleece to the pocket flap. I used fleece on the exterior piece of fabric but medium weight woven on the lining. I think I'll use fleece on both to give it more stiffness as it's kind of curling out as is.
• I'll add pockets on both sides inside, as well as elastic bands on the ends to hold bottles.
• I might leave off the short handles, I think they get in the way.
• I'll use my own technique for making the straps.
• I'll just do things the way I want to do them and forget the instructions that came with the pattern!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Oh, also, here's a pic of painting last Tuesday! It was really fun! I'm the one in the back with my painting in front of my face. My oldest daughter, the one that's pregnant is on the far right. My youngest, the one that's going to Europe to play volleyball next month (going to miss her) is up front. I work with the lady in the blue and the one in the middle is my sister-in-law. Great fun, great peeps.

Until later ~

Reba