I love making this bag, but I’ve found that it can take a long time, so I put a bit of thought into how to make it more efficiently.
My first step was to ditch the handmade handles. Yes, it’s cheaper to make them myself and I could use a wide variety of fabric, but for the price of a cotton webbing handle, it’s worth the savings in time. Plus, cotton webbing seems to be more durable.
Next, I eliminated quilting cotton and am using only canvas. While canvas is more expensive, quilting cotton must be fused with interfacing, which adds time and cost. With the added cost of fusing, the canvas ends up being less expensive.
I learned a new way to make a boxed bottom (who knew there were so many?!) that simply involves folding the bottom in on itself while closing up the sides seams. Literally eliminates five steps!
I wanted to add an interior pocket, but didn’t want to increase the time and expense with an added component. I figured out that if I folded the interior bottom fabric over on itself a few times, I could create the interior pockets and the interior of the bag in one step.
And, a final happy accident of all my reengineering is that the bag is reversible! I think this bag is a terrific success because I eliminated time and cost allowing me to bring the retail price into a reasonable range. It’s durable, functional, attractive, and comfortable. Now I just have to stop myself from keeping them all to myself! If you’d like to buy one for yourself or a friend, check them out on my retail page.
Max & Wolf 