I’m the Queen of Bs in my home. Nope, that’s not a typo. B stands for Books, Boxes and Bags, all three of which I collect in all sizes and shapes. I’m guilty of purchasing duplicate books and bag patterns, in fact, because I likely have too many of them and can’t keep track of them. That being said, I have decided that 2014 is the year when I will begin to actually use those bag patterns, mainly to learn about bag construction, with a long-term goal of designing my own.

BagClubButtonTo get started, I joined Bag of the Month Club, organized by Sara Lawson, author of Big-City Bags: Sew Handbags with Style, Sass, and Sophistication. The club is open to anyone, releases one brand new bag pattern a month from a different but well-known designer, and runs for six months. Over 200 individuals have joined the club so far, which you can join anytime you like during the six months of the club, and you’ll still get all six patterns. The cost is $40—pretty reasonable for well-written and illustrated bag patterns from designers like Sara of Sew Sweetness, Janelle of Emmaline Bags, Samantha of At home with Mrs H, Betz White, Anna of Noodlehead, and Chris of Chris W. Designs. You can join a Flickr group, too, or visit Facebook, where you can view other people’s finished products.

January’s bag is the Bye Bye Love Bag, designed by Sara Lawson. The bag features two exterior pockets on the front, a zipper pocket on the back, and six pockets on the interior. So far those who have completed the bag say it is very roomy, perfect as an overnight bag.

Photo courtesy of Sara Lawson
Photo courtesy of Sara Lawson

I have some purse hardware I bought locally at Jo-Ann Fabrics, as well as some online sites. Some great online resources for bag hardware and purse-maing supplies include:

I have not yet begun to sew my first bag because I have been occupied with Destination Imagination volunteer activities this month, but I did purchase my fabrics. They are from the Bobbins and Bits line designed by Pat Sloan for Moda Fabrics©.

Bag Fabrics

I don’t know whether I will actually be able to finish one bag a month, but that is certainly the goal. Have you started a new monthly challenge recently?

© 2014 Judy Nolan. All rights reserved.

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5 thoughts on “New challenge: one bag each month”

  1. Love your fabric choices especially the one on the bottom. A bag a month sounds reasonable but I’ve never been able to stick to anything consistently! I am trying to do a Finish It Friday each and every Friday!

  2. Looking forward to seeing your bright and cheery bag! The monthly club sounds like a lot of fun, and a great learning experience. I love Emmaline Bags and hardware.

    I’ve done quilt block of the month projects, and I’m printing off monthly patterns for an alphabet quilt from The Quilt Show (TQS) website, which I probably won’t start until after tax season and/or after Erin’s graduation quilt is (finally) done.

  3. Sarah ~ Magnolia Surprise

    That’s a cute pattern — can’t wait to see the one you make! Good luck with the challenge — what fun!

  4. that is a great challenge for yourself! Good luck with it. My challenge is a year-long event: making a quilt! Maybe I will be through sooner but I didn’t want to push myself and it’s all new. {:-D

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