Second Bag--4th Finish 2017FAL

Front and back with the decorative stitches

I didn't wait for four months before I started the second cell phone bag! Based on my first experience, I made some adjustments using  notes from the last bag I finished. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same size piping on hand that I used on the first bag. I had either a really tiny polyester or a large cotton cording. I used the large cotton cording. In retrospect, I should have waited and purchased a better size because that large piping was a bear to stitch,. Although, I did like how it looked!

In my zipper stash, I had the beige zipper for the back and what I thought was a brown zipper for the top of the bag. Turns out it was a dark green! It worked better than a brown one would have!

Finished back

I had hoped to purchase brown elastic for this bag; but, brown wasn't available. Black was the best of the options. This is a Christmas gift, so I plan to keep my eye out for some brown. I have time! I like the texture that decorative stitches made on the back. I also like how comfortable the elastic is as a strap and it sure was easy to add a couple buttonholes to it!

Finished Front

The person that will receive this bag loves the color brown like I love the color red. She is also a gardener and the batik that I used for the accent fabric reminded me of the color spots that she has in her yard.

She also likes sparkle and the focus fabric has some metallic paint in it. Stitching in that paint section was challenging because the stitches didn't show up as well as I thought they might. The stitches also covered up the bling!

The buttons are from my grandmother's button jar. These were the last two on a card marked ten cents! This grandmother taught me to sew and to cook. She had the patience of a saint. So using her stash always makes me remember our times together which makes me smile! Besides, I never know when buttons from the button jar will find a home!

I'd like to make more of these bags; but, I need to change the design a bit. It is a little hard to get my hand into the bag. I'm still not all that "pleased" with stitching the piping. There has to be a few piping tips to employ; but, I just haven't discovered them yet!

I'm thinking about making the body of the bag an inch bigger which would allow the zippers a little more room to float. I'm also considering stopping the piping at the accent fabric so that there is less bulk to deal with at the top of the bag. I'm also considering cutting the piping at the corner. . .I don't need the bulk there and I doubt that I would miss the amount that is in the seam allowance! However, I have to figure out how to remove it without removing the fabric. Isn't there always something to consider? I'm even wondering about flaring the top of the bag a bit to make it easier to slip my hand into it. For now, though, I have other projects to stitch!

This is my fourth finish from my Finish A Long (FAL) list which you can read here.