everyday shoulder bag

As a person who loves animals but also loves staying trendy, I have seriously conflicting feelings about leather. Leather is cute! Leather is hip! I want to wear leather stuff without actually wearing leather, ya know? That's why when I saw a whole bolt of this deceptively-leathery fabric in the clearance bin at the fabric store I got so pumped - because it's vinyl! Which means not only is it animal-free but it's also way cheaper than actual leather. When I saw it I knew immediately that I wanted to make a shoulder bag. With fall fashion in full swing (IT'S FALL, GUYS. GUYS. I'M SO EXCITED), the color & feel of this bag feel spot-on for my sweater-y wardrobe. Plus it's just the right size for weekend trips to the farmer's market or last-minute happy hours. 

This bag is very easy to make, & will work with essentially any non-stretch fabric. It's basically three pieces of fabric sewn together, plus two handles, then done! A quick note about pinning before sewing (which you should do when making this bag, as the bottom corners are tight): When pinning vinyl, I recommend you don't. I say this because any holes put in vinyl are there to stay. Rather than holding the pieces in place with straight pins, I use masking tape. Not along the seam (the tape will make your sewing needle gum up), but just before & past the seam. It holds all the pieces together, & it doesn't leave any marks behind. 

Also, before you start sewing your vinyl, don't forget to use this this handy-dandy trick to make sure the vinyl feeds through you sewing machine smoothly! This trick comes in handy when top-stitching the handles. 

I didn't mean to buy this fabric (although I'm glad I did, because this bag has already become my catch-all / go-everywhere bag). I was at the fabric store to buy muslin for my test-wedding-dress. It's really tricky, however, to go into the craft store & not stray from the list. I went in for muslin & came out with vinyl, yarn, linen, & a few other materials that'll be showing up in upcoming projects. Oops. Also, my test-dress is done, & I'm so happy I took the time to make it! I'm feeling really confident about the pattern I picked & the overall look & shape of the dress. Eek! Updates on that soon.

xoxo,
-m.e.

P.S. How to make a clutch to match your bag.