My Entry for the PR Handbag Contest: Blue Calla Boronia Bowler Bag

I clearly remember one time when I was looking through picture albums with my mom.  There were so many pictures of me when I was little--for the standards of that time.  She said that my great-grandfather remarked, "She is one well-documented child".  And this, my sewing friends, is one well-documented bag!

I created a Flickr album for this bag--it's in reverse chronological order, so if you only want to see the finished photos, they are at the front of the album, with construction pix toward the end.  All photos are captioned.  Depending on screen size, you may need to scroll down to see the captions.  You can use the left and right arrows on your keyboard to quickly move through the photos.  Or you can use slideshow mode by clicking on the "toggle slideshow" link in the upper right corner, but you can't see the captions, unless you use this link which launches the old-style Flickr slideshow and click on "Show Info" in the upper right corner.


I've been working on my Pattern Review handbag contest entry since Sept 24, finished the bag on the Oct 9, and am planning on posting my review by noon tomorrow (Friday Oct 14), I posted my official entry tonight (10/13) which is due this Saturday night at 11:59pm EDT.


The pattern is one I found on Instagram, the Boronia Bowler Bag by Blue Calla.  It's a downloadable PDF pattern and I recommend printing out multiple copies so you can tape it full size together and not have to cut on the fold nor trace any pieces.  Although I have sewn bags before, this was my first time installing rivets and purse feet, as well as my first time using Pellon Flex Foam, and I will be using all three again!  It is super easy to install rivets and purse feet (I used this tutorial recommended on Emmalinebags.com) which gives the bag a professional looking finish.  The Flex Foam gives really nice shape and support to the bag without being stiff or heavy.

I used black pig leather for the bottom and straps, and used a super stable double knit black and gray crosshatch fabric for the exterior, both from Kashi (Metro Textiles in NYC).  The interior is a quilted metallic brocade from Mood.com.    The interior zipper pocket subway fabric is from The City Quilter.

Zippers, rectangle rings, and purse feet are all from Botani in NYC, and the rivets and "handmade" tag are from Emmalinebags.com.

Interfacing is in abundance!  The leather and all fabric was interfaced using Fashion Sewing Supply interfacing, and there is also a piece of Pellon Peltex sewn into the bottom of the bag, as well as the Flex Foam attached to the exterior.  The Pellon Peltex and Flex Foam were from Joann's.


Of course I obsessed over perfecting my gray contrast topstitching!!!


Above you can see the Pellon Flex Foam, and my in-progress top-stitching.

Topstitched handles

Loving these "girl with a ponytail" zippers!


Sexy 30" zipper.


Pocket for my phone

Back of the bag

Below are some shots of sewing the bag with the interfacing and lining installed, and then "birthing" the bag through the interior zipper pocket!

Below is the "craftermath" or the aftermath of all my samples that I practiced on during construction of this bag.  Practice really does help!  And I had to abandon my initial lining choice because it was way too thick, heavy, and off-grain to boot, so I ripped that out and started the lining over with the brocade.  Also jeans topstitching thread was way too thick for this project, and I used regular Coats and Clark thread instead.  And along the way I accidentally dented my anvil for rivet setting and had to run out to Michael's on Sunday night at 5:30pm before their 7pm closing and hope they had one in stock (they did!)


All the details about this bag will be in my PR review which I will link to once I finish writing it and post it  have now been posted in my PR review!   The gallery of handbags currently entered on the PR site is here.   If you are a PR member, (joined PR prior to July 15 of this year), you can vote from Oct 18-24.  Both paying and free PR members can vote!

More pix are in  an album for this bag on Flickr--including detailed "in progress" construction photos.

Be well!