Purse Palooza 2014 ~The Iris Convertible Shoulder Bag ~ Review!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited to be sharing my review with you today as part of  Purse Palooza 2014.  This is my second year participating and I love checking in on the Sew Sweetnes site each day to read all the reviews and stories.  Thank you Sara for hosting this event again and for asking me to participate!

This year I decided to share a pattern from I Think Sew.  The first purse pattern I purchased after I dusted off my sewing machine was from her and since then, I’ve made many more.  The bag made is called The Iris Convertible Shoulder Bag:

The Iris is a downloadable PDF pattern that you receive immediately after purchase ($10).  *Warning: This pattern has 45 pages.* I printed off my pattern pieces and kept the laptop on the table as I sewed!  The finished bag measures in at 13.5″x9.5″x4″.  It is also important to note this pattern is on the ithinksew website, but the design is by Blue Calla Patterns.  Sewing Level: Intermediate

The materials and notions list are very thorough and give you optional add-ins etc.  I strongly suggest that you read this whole pattern before sewing to familiarize yourself with the order you will construct the bag. (Post it labels for pieces helps!)  Changes I made: I opted out of the leather handles and bottom and stuck to my solid pattern. I also made two separate pockets on the exterior. One a slip in and one with a magnetic closure. This bag also has a long shoulder strap written into the pattern if you want to carry it cross body.

This pattern calls for a sew-in stabilizer of choice (they used canvas) to give the bag structure.  I used Pellon SF101 and fusible fleece and it worked out perfectly.  NOTE: I do not recommend foam stabilizer on this bag. With the number of pattern pieces, size and pleats it will look overly puffy when done. Trust me on this….LOL! I used a lighter weight home decor fabric for the interior/exterior, but a quilting cotton works as well with the right stabilizer.

For the interior, I added pockets and a zipper like the designer did, as well as an interior magnetic snap. If you are comfortable sewing handbags, you could easily customize the interior to suit your taste.  One great thing about this pattern are the amount of photos that help you complete each step.  Also, the handles for this bag are my favorite type…quick and easy! See?

If you are looking for a unique handbag pattern that can be business-sleek or fun and functional, give this one a try.  I really enjoyed sewing this up and think you all would too! It’s very classy . Enjoy!