I wish we all could have been at Hancock's together to have a big ole party in the pattern section!
I've looked through the pattern this weekend and wanted to share a few things I thought might be helpful. I didn't actually "write" the pattern. Simplicity has a staff of talented pattern writers who do that. I designed and constructed the items you see on the pattern jacket and sent them off to New York along with a detailed list of materials used, my written instructions on the steps I took in construction and pattern pieces needed to reconstruct the items. I knew the patterns would be written in Simplicity language, not Autum language, after all, they've been speaking pattern talk longer than I've been alive. From reading over the instruction pages, everything seems fairly clear and easy enough to follow. It's my feeling that at times the big pattern companies make things seem more complicated than they really are, sometimes with their wording of things. Most of the instructions are written essentially the way I did them. There were a few differences though. For instance, the method of installing the zipper in the cosmetic bag was not at all the way I install a zipper, but like that old saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat, right?
One thing that I felt like may be a little vague and lead to some questions, especially for beginners was the materials used. Talk of interfacing confuses me with all the different weights, fusible vs. non, variations from one brand to another. It can be baffling. In my opinion, the interfacing is probably the most important aspect of bag construction. It totaly dictates how your bag will look and function in the end. To give these particular bags softness and structure at the same time, I use a combination of heavy weight fusible and polyester fleece.
The pattern also calls for a stiff non fusible for the gusset portion of the bag. This is to give it a lot of structure, so it can stand on it's on. At the time I designed the bags, I used Timtex.
I've found several discussions online about interfacing, like this one at Sew Mama Sew. You just have to find what works best for you. Don't be afraid to experiment until you get the look and feel that pleases you, there is no one right way.
Thanks again for all the kind words and encouragement about the pattern. It was certainly thrilling to see something that came to life in my little sewing room in the pages of a major pattern book.
Many of you commented that you couldn't believe they didn't let me know the pattern was going to print. Actually, I did speak with someone last fall and was told it would be in the summer book. I just didn't realize the summer book was out.
