Making the Tower Crossbody Bag

Hi there and a little unexpected post that has slipped in between the upheaval in things here. We had expected our house move to go through any day and I was almost packing boxes and then the chain broke at the other end and everything is suddenly on hold again. It is unsettling and disappointing and infuriating and for a few days I was so fed up, I couldn’t settle to anything. But there is nothing like a little bag making and embroidery to calm things down and in sorting out my stash in the sewing room I had come across the last bit of a beautiful piece of raspberry coloured wool fabric that I had brought back from Stockholm. I had used the majority of it to make a couple of embroidered cushions and this bit was just waiting for it’s project. After finishing up my lovely Scout Shawl, I felt the fabric would match it well and thought a little bag might work. I looked for a pattern that would suit and started as usual with my favourite bag making lady, Sara Lawson and found the perfect pattern and what’s more both it and the accompanying video are free on her site. I’ll link to it at the bottom of this post.

Also in sorting out all my stuff for the intended move, I came across a pretty embroidered belt that must be at least 25 years old. There is no chance at all that it would fit around my waistline these days and it looked perfect with this fabric, so I wanted to incorporate it somehow onto the bag. I gathered my supplies. I wasn’t sure about the bobble trim and in fact didn’t end up using it as the bag is rather small for such a grandiose gesture.

I had some pretty Japanese blossom fabric for the lining and picked all the thread colours to match this as well as the embroidered belt. One of the really great things about bag making these days are all the lovely straps that you can buy separately and interchange between your bag collection. I confess I am a bit of a bag lady and now have 3 interchangeable straps and would say it is definitely worth investing in these. In starting on this project, I knew that one of my straps would be just perfect with the wool colour of the fabric and it is a rather smart ‘Marc Jacobs’ strap that came with my black saddle bag. How perfect though to be able to mix and match these things and it saves time with the bag making process too. So the only thing I had to adjust from the pattern is that I needed two strap tabs instead of just one used in the pattern.

I watched Sara Lawson’s video all the way through first. There were quite a few new things in it to learn, which is always a challenge and an excellent thing to boot. The inset zips for the internal pockets was the first thing and the zip closure across the whole bag was something new too. I set to work.

Making the internal pockets with inset zips was easier than I expected and they look need and stylish as well as functional. I’m not sure if the lining fabric is suppose to show through like that, but I rather liked it so was happy enough.

In general the construction was very straightforward. It is so important to have all the right materials, especially both the woven interfacing and the foam interfacing are crucial in providing structure for the bag.

Placing the belt close to the top of the back was simple enough, making sure that the embroidered motifs were centered and the two pieces were aligned. The pattern actually has an option for a contrast top layer so although I didn’t use the pattern instructions for this as it is larger than my belt, the idea was much the same.

Then it was time for some embroidery. I combed through my treasured japanese embroidery books to find something suitable and settled on a tile motif in one of Yumiko Higuchi’s books. It seemed the right size and shape for the bag and not too much work. For the first time I used Vlieseline solufleece to transfer the working diagram. Once the motif is traced, you can simply tack this in place on the top of your fabric, stitch the embroidered outlines and then wash it away and complete your design details.

I used aurifil lana wool thread for the embroidery and honestly I don’t know why I haven’t done more stitching with this because it is absolutely lovely to work with and it lays smoothly and softly on the fabric.

Once this was complete, I was ready to start assembling the bag. The darts in the bottom of the bag give it a really nice shape and it is a well proportioned design. I have to confess to altering things up alittle as I didn’t want the long zipper tail to show, so I used a shorter zip with zipper tabs and then had to change up the process of assembly, using a binding to finish off the raw edges. However, I have made a few bags now, so was confident enough to do this, but wouldn’t recommend it unless you are sure of what you are doing. The original will work perfectly, it was just a preference on my part.

Having good hardware is what makes homemade bags look pro and I am a big fan of Emmaline fittings which I get from ‘Sew Hot’ in Fleetwood. Given that I was planning to use a strap from another bag, it was worth to have matching bag hardware to go with it. The little metal bag tags and zipper pulls add lovely touches to your bag.

The interior of the bag looks very professional with the inside zipped pocket. It is perfect for carrying your phone, your card holder, your lipstick and of course a notebook.

As always Sara Lawson talks you step by step though making this bag and it is just perfect for the piece of fabric and embellishments I had.

My new bag slots into my wardrobe effortlessly and I am coming to really embrace this capsule, interchangeable wardrobe idea.

It even works brilliantly with my patchwork bamboo tote bag…

One thing is for sure, this project has helped to lift my spirits and I really have come to believe that for me, working with fabric and thread is the perfect tonic for any difficult times. Being creative is a real joy and this is one of the best things I have ever made.

See you soon, Ruby x

Useful links:

The free bag pattern and video is from Sara Lawson at Sew Sweetness here. The bag hardware is from Sew Hot here and the Vlieseline Solufleece is from Beyond Measure here. You can buy aurifil lana wool threads from New Threads Quilt shop here.