The Heidi bag

i was lucky enough to be chosen to be a pattern tester for Julie's new bag pattern (the Heidi bag).  it was a fun little bag and only took me an afternoon to whip up... the instructions were clear and i think that a confident beginner would be able to make it

i LOVE the cute little pleats on the exterior of the bag (they are a little bit hard to see in the photo - sorry)...

 

i did make a couple of little alterations to the bag, i like to personalise any bag that i make...
- i used a contrast band on the lining because i didn't want to risk my pale lining fabric showing next to the exterior contrast band
- i added a loop/clip to the inside of the bag so that i have somewhere to attach my keys (i HATE loosing my keys in the bottom of my bag!!)
- i used a twin line of straight stitching to secure my bag handle because my satin stitch looked horrible

the pattern includes instructions for some interior pockets...

my key loop/clip...

and the bag handle - the photo is a bit wobbly, because i was holding the bag with one hand and taking the photo with the other!!

Edited to add - the fabric i used on the exterior of my bag is called "Japonais Mum" by Ron Jebran for Print Concepts Inc. #4000