Weekender Bag - Part Dos

 After a little rest, the main panels were sewed together as pictured in the previous post. Then it was time to construct the top/side panel with a zipper and two side pockets. I don't have much experience with zippers and thought the directions were sort of strange, but I managed to get the zipper sewed in without too much trouble. Sewing on the end pockets was just a matter of laying them on top of the top/side panel and sewing them on, so that was a cinch. 

Once the top/side panel was constructed, it was time to sew the bag together. This was tricky and frustrating! There were many layers of fabric, interfacing and peltex, so this was not a simple 1/2" seam to sew. You can see I had to use binder clips and clothes pins just to hold all the layers together. This 1/2 seam had to butt up against the cording to ensure a nice clean line around the cording. It took me several hours just to get the first main panel attached. I had to re-sew closer and closer to the cording in some spots to get the seam where I needed it. Luckily I got my adjustable cording/zipper foot in the mail on Saturday. It helped with getting really close to the cording. This was the most frustrating part of the bag construction, by far, and there were many choice words going through my mind while completing this step. After the first panel was sewed on, I unzipped the zipper, sewed on the second panel (which went much more smoothly) and turned it right side out. Viola... I have a bag!

   

But it needs a lining!

The pattern does not have any internal pockets, but I decided to make some anyway. I found a tutorial on how to insert a zippered pocket and made one on the first interior panel. Again, I am not very experienced with zippers, but the tutorial was great and now I have a nice interior pocket to keep things safe and secure!

On the other main interior panel I made a regular old pocket with accent cording at the top and a pearl  snap to keep it closed.

Next I need to construct the top panel, sew all the lining pieces together and then I have to hand sew the lining into the bag. I am not looking forward to that, at all...but I am excited to have this bag completed in time for my trip to Colorado next month!