The Bias Tape Bag

I have had this bag idea in my head for awhile, but never dug into it until recently.  The idea I had was to take a nice small tote and add a colorful fabric accent to it in a different way. I sketched it all out and came up with The Bias Handle Bag. I am so happy with how it turned out. But if you have made handbags before, you know that MOST of the time your final product will be a bag you’ve made or tweaked a few times. So I have jotted down areas I’m not pleased with or that I want to change and will make another go at it.  This “first try” was a soft linen exterior with a cotton pattern on the inside. What made this bag so easy to make was that I used bias tape that matched the lining fabric to use as accents on the straps.

If you find yourself using bias or piping on a regular basis, you might want to give this nifty gadget a try: Simplicity Deluxe Bias and Piping Machine. I purchased it at our local craft store. The machine is very easy to use and I was able to make quite a lot of bias tape to match my tote in no time. I have not tried the piping part yet (honestly, I am scared of piping!) but when I do I’ll let you know.

I think I will try this bag again in a larger size and maybe with a duck cloth exterior for more stability. This first one I used a soft thinner batting for interfacing with no bag bottom. That method worked well for the smaller tote, but maybe I’ll put in a grid bottom for the larger one and use a thinner interfacing.  For those of you that make a lot of non-stiff/structured handbags, what interfacing do you find you buy and use the most? Cindy