Daytripper Bag: Pattern Review

After my first bag, I couldn't resist making a second. I loved that I finished the project up within a few days instead of weeks like a quilt. And I really loved that it was a better bag for me than the bag I had been using. My friend told me that bag making was addicting, and sure enough, I couldn't help myself.

Luckily, I stumbled on to a pattern sale at Dog Under My Desk, and while I had been wanting to make her Two Zip Hipster, I ended up buying the Daytripper bag instead. I loved the feminine shape and thought it would work perfectly with the Cotton and Steel fabric I had purchased.

I had to gather supplies, as it required several different types of interfacing, but I was able to purchase all of them at Joann's. I bought the additional strap supplies at Strapworks, and the zippers from Zipit on Etsy.

Once I got everything cut out, the bag went together pretty quickly; I finished it up in a weekend. And I have to say that the pattern was super easy to follow! I will not hesitate to purchase another pattern from Dog Under My Desk in the future.

Erin wrote the pattern as thoroughly as an excellent tutorial with plenty of pictures. She notes on the product page that the pattern is 32 pages long. I thought that included the 17 pages of pattern pieces, but it doesn't. That's 32 pages of instruction and detailed photos that make assembly a breeze. It was so easy to understand that I only unpicked once, and that one time was an error--I had actually sewn it correctly and then second-guessed myself.

Erin also provided excellent tips to make it easier to sew, including trimming the interfacing in the corners and tips for wrangling the bag in the sewing machine toward the end when it is quite bulky.

I made the mini version, and I wish it had been just an inch smaller in both directions. It's a little big for me as a purse, but it's large enough to accommodate a diaper and a package of wipes that  I still need to carry around, and I can easily fit a water bottle in as well. The mini version is more of what I'd consider a day bag, but that's alright. It's just small enough to not be too large.

The only major thing I would have changed was the zipper tab that's added to the end of the zipper. I love it, I think it makes it look so polished and it's a very effective closure for the bag. Erin has you sew the tab on as the last thing, but I didn't really see a reason to do it last and think it would be far easier to sew on earlier before the zippered gusset is attached to the bag. Since you trim the zipper to 3 inches past the end of the fabric, it seems you should be able to do that earlier and next time I make it, I'll definitely try it.

I have gotten a lot of compliments on my new bag in the past week, and several have said it doesn't look handmade, which is really one of the best compliments you can get, right?