March Bag Review ~ Maisie by Swoon Patterns ~

I like to try new bag patterns once a month.  Sometimes they are from new to me designers, other times they are from designers I enjoy.  This month I am sharing a new pattern from Swoon called Maisie.  To see previous months reviews read February , January, and November.

My finished Maisie measures in at 12.5″ wide, 8″ tall, 6″ deep.  The measurements and finished bag may look on the smaller side but it’s really not!  I think it’s the 6″ wide gusset area with long zippered opening that really lets you cram it full of your stuff.  And I’m a huge fan of a bag I can pack full of *stuff*!

Maisie has handles designed to wear on the arm or hand hold, but has rings on each zippered end to attach a strap if you need.  I opted out of the straps and added a few inches to the handle to wear on my shoulder.   The interior of the bag has a nice zippered pocket and a few slip-in pockets for your phone or receipts.  There is a bonus pocket written into the patten too….a cute little pocket at the bottom corner of the gusset!

I love the retro bowler bag look of Maisie. Now that the pattern has been released I’ve seen a ton of Maisie’s using all sorts of fabrics with beautiful results.  So don’t be afraid to mix it up with different fabrics!

The pattern pieces for Maisie are written for fabric and vinyl.  It’s important to read the pattern before any cutting so you know what pieces you need if you are working with vinyl or leather.  For my bag, I chose a cotton interior by Sara Lawson – Fantasia by Art Gallery Fabrics and the exterior main body is Going Coastal by Michael Miller – Bottle Caps in Multi.  Both were interfaced with SF101, but I added some thicker painters cloth behind the bottle caps and quilted it so it would have a stiffer feel.

The grey fabric I used for the gusset and straps are Waxed Canvas. Sigh….I love waxed canvas.  Besides a nice veg-tanned leather, it’s one of my fabric fabrics to sew with. This waxed canvas is already a bit thick so I only added a bit of fleece behind it so I could quilt it a little too.  Waxed canvas is easy to work with and as it ages looks even better!

This pattern is rated a 4/4, so having sewing skills is a must.  Being comfortable with zipper intalls, lots of curved sewing and handsewing would be helpful.  Thicker needles with a strong polyester thread will need to be used so you can get through some of the layers as you finish the bag.

I adore how my Maisie turned out and cannot wait to use her this summer!