I just love it when things match!
This week I’m so excited that I finally get to show you all my finished Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler! I have to admit that I finished these two bags a while ago. But I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t really had a chance. But, the upside is now I can tell how tell you how much I love my Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler! I use both of them on a regular basis. Not only are they practical, they are just so stylish!
The Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler is another great bag pattern by Swoon. This pattern was first designed for the Bag of the Month club. If you’re a bag maker, you might be interested in joining. The club is actually run by Swoon and Sewing Patterns by Mrs H. The idea is that you subscribe to purchase ‘mystery’ patterns by well known bag designers. So when you join you don’t know what patterns will be released. It’s a very fun concept! Otherwise you can purchase the patterns separately, after a delayed release from the designers. Like I did with the Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler.
This pattern is not for the faint hearted. The designer has rated it as a 3/4 in difficulty and this would be about right. I don’t know if I made it more difficult for myself by making one of each size at the same time? This pattern is definitely time consuming. It requires a lot of prepping – cutting out and interfacing. And it took me a while to collect all the different hardware. It’s a fairly daunting list of supplies, at first glance. But the Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler are worth it!
The pattern itself is like all Swoon patterns. The instructions are detailed and easy to read. There’s also drawn pictures to help illustrate the steps. I really love Swoon patterns which is probably why I’ve made so many of their patterns before. Like the Sydney Crossbody or the Denver Backpack. And for the Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler, Swoon also help you out with a tutorial! This is a more in-depth step by step guide with photos. So even though the Brooklyn bags aimed at advanced sewers, I think these extra resources would definitely help adventurous beginners.
What do I love about my Brooklyn bags? Pretty much everything! Firstly I love how the design and structure of the bags mean that they always keep their shape. Even when they are empty! It makes filling them and finding things in them so easy. And the optional shoulder strap makes carrying the bags a lot easier. Particularly when they are full. Not only are they extremely functional but oh so stylish! I’ve used marine vinyl for the accents and a cloud 9 fabric for the main exterior. It’s called Tribal – Faraway Places by Elizabeth Olwen. Such a great combination!
Final thoughts? If I was to come up with one slight criticism of the Brooklyn Handbag and Traveler pattern? It would probably be that the traveller isn’t very big so it’s more of an overnight bag than a weekend bag. I’ve used it regularly as a day bag for hospital visits and it’s the perfect size for that. Plus you can easily fix this by enlarging the pattern. So there’s no criticisms at all really. If you love making bags like me then I would definitely recommend this pattern. The Brooklyn bags should certainly be on every bagineer’s sewing list. They are definitely on mine again!
