We are sew excited to bring to you the Making Bags Tour inspired by Jessica Barrera's newest book, Making Bags: A Field Guide! We asked ten talented & inspired creators to review the new book by writing a blog or making a project from the book! Here is a recap of all ten days to get your creativity flowing!
Day 1 - Jessica Barrera!
"Hello, my name is Jessica Barrera and I'm the Founder and Owner of Sallie Tomato. I'm so grateful to have learned how to sew and quilt at the young age of four! I originally opened my shop in 2014 as another source of income to fund my college tuition. I began by selling items that I had sewn myself. It wasn’t until 2016 that I released my first pattern, the Puppy Pillow. Now, my passion is to design quality sewing patterns, so you can create too! My business has rapidly grown over the past few years thanks to the help of my family and devoted makers in our sewing community."
On day one Sallie Tomato's very own Jessica Barrera launched the Making Bags, A Field Guide Virtual Book Tour! In this blog shared an overview of her new book and the inspiration behind it! Click here to read her blog post!
Day 2 - Emily Lamke!
Day two brought us the amazing artist Emily Lamke from The Preppy Studio! Emily made her own version of the Quilted Pouches from the new book! Emily was featured on July 4th so she put her own patriotic spice on the pouches, and we couldn't be more in love with them! The red and navy fabric complement each other so well! She used Sallie Tomato's Navy Pebble Faux Leather paired with the Moda Stateside Plaid Fabric! These pouches are great for loose coins, cards, or a way to organize a larger bag! These pouches make anything easily accessible! Great job, Emily! Be sure to follow her & see her review at @thepreppyneedle!
Day 3 - Sarah Thomas!
"Hello, y’all! I’m Sarah – the creator, owner, designer, and all things frantic behind the scenes of SARIDITTY.
Officially I am a licensed (and retired?) commercial pilot. I graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Aviation Technology, where I then went on as the chief pilot of an engineering firm in the Midwest for a couple years. Once I married a military man, I was whisked away from my Indiana land of corn and soybeans to start the next chapter in my life. We are now three moves into our marriage, which means I had to figure out a career that worked for a lady-on-the-run! Thank goodness for my geeky affection for algebra & geometry (and calculus…yep, #MathNerd) and a keen eye for design & color.
I am so very thankful that my Gramma and mom taught me to enjoy crafts and handwork from a young age. I learned to crochet around age 4; I played with beadwork and wire art from age 5 or 6; cross-stitch was second nature by the time I was in 2nd grade; and my school notebooks were always filled to the brim with doodles. It’s only fitting I discovered the quilting world – where art meets math, and magic happens!"
Next, we had Sarah Thomas from Sariditty! Sarah wrote a lavishing review on Jess's new book! Here's a snippet of what she thought about it:
"I absolutely adore how Jessica’s book breaks down everything for me: bag shapes & types, interfacing and fabric usage, all the varieties in hardware and zippers, and even which particular sewing notions are handy and work best with my previous choices."
Thank you for your kind words, Sarah! We are so excited to have you a part of our Making Bags Tour! Follow her Instagram to see the rest of the review at @sariditty!
Day 4 - Christine Welsh!
"Imagine being able to make all sorts of bags, handbags, wallets and purses that are unique to YOU and exactly the style, colour, size and shape that YOU want them to be? My range of designer bag and wallet sewing patterns will help you to do just that! Above all, nobody will believe you made the bags, purses and wallets yourself!"
Day four was brought to us by Christine Welsh of ChrisW Designs! Christine is a very talented artist and bag maker! She wrote a blog post on her review of Making Bags: A Field Guide! Here's what she had to say!
"Overall, I really like this book. The photography is beautiful and on point and any line drawings are clear. The step-by-step instructions are basic with line drawings as opposed to photographs, but given the projects are not difficult, they should suffice for most people. It’s a great resource for beginners and more seasoned sewists alike. The projects themselves look stylish and are not long hard sews, so I think they would appeal to a wide range of bag makers."
Thank you for being a part of this tour & for the lovely review! Be sure to head over to her blog to read the full Book Review here! You can also connect with Christine on her Instagram: @chriswdesigns!
Day 5 - Julia Passafiume!
"Run by husband and wife team Julia Passafiume and Patrick Underhill, Old Spool Sewing is a colorful shop at the Jersey Shore welcoming sewists of all ages and skill levels. They focus on teaching classes in everything from quilting and garment making as well as stocking high quality fabrics and supplies to fuel all your sewing! You can shop our curated collection online at www.oldspoolnj.com or check out what's been happening lately at the shop on our social media pages by searching for Old Spool Sewing."
On day five we want you to meet, Julia Passafiume from Old Spool Sewing! Julia created the Beginner Tote pattern from Making Bags: A Field Guide! She chose this groovy, floral fabric with leather straps with a matching fringe tassel which pops on this pattern! It is giving us all the 70s vibes! She also created a reel that you can watch over on her Instagram @julia_oldspoolsewing! Thanks for making this pattern come to life, Julia!
Day 6 - Jessica Dayon!
"Hi, I'm Jessica. I love make things. My passion for creating started with a skein of yarn and a crochet hook but has since expanded to include so many different crafts. My favorite right now are crocheting, quilting, embroidery, creating with felt, and cooking. I live with my husband, four kids, and 2 cats. I am a stay at home mom and my days are filled with taking care of my children- 10 years, 8 years, 6 years, and 3 years :) but I fit in as much crafty goodness as possible."
Up next, we had Jessica Dayon! Jessica also sewed her own version of the Beginner Tote! She used Autumn Leaves Cork Fabric with Sallie Tomato zippers and hardware like our Script Handmade Label! This bag would be perfect on a crisp autumn day as you head to the fall festival! We can tell why this pattern was so popular! This bag holds all of your essentials and even though it looks complicated, it is an easy and quick sew! Julia created multiple reels on her journey of sewing this breathtaking bag! You can find them on her Instagram @jessicadayon! Thank you for being a part of the tour, Jessica!
Day 7 - Jesy Anderson!
"I’m Jesy Anderson, Owner/Creator of Needle, Ink, and Thread, and Former Co-Owner of Sew Dayton, a small fabric and sewing studio located in the Oregon District of Downtown Dayton, Ohio. Sew Dayton was open from Sept 14, 2012 – August 16, 2016. The doors ended up closing and using what I learned after four years in business; I opened Needle, Ink and Thread. I am now focusing on teaching and some custom work."
Are you still with us? We hope so because we have three more incredible days left to cover and you don't want to miss them! On day seven, Jesy Anderson of Needle, Ink and Thread, @needleinkandthread, whipped us a striking version of Fold-Over Crossbody Bag! Another beginner friendly pattern! Jesy made this pattern stand out with a bright printed fabric and cute subtle detailing like the Lightning Bolt Zipper Pull! Sew cute! She also wrote a review on her blog which you can find here! Here's a snippet of what she had to say about Jess's new book!
"Making Bags: A Field Guide is the perfect book for all levels, as it has so much valuable information! All types of bags, notions, tools, and tricks!"
Thank you for making this stunning pattern and for all the kind words in your blog!
Day 8 - Pia Servent!
"My name is Pia, and I am the person behind Mrs. Ginger Handmade. I am Spanish and I have sewn since I was little, but it was while I was studying my PhD that I began to seriously sew for a wedding dress house and for the theater. I lived 14 years in Peru and finally arrived in the USA in 2019. Since I was little, I have liked to play with textures, color, fibers, hence I always look for the explosion of color in sight. I go with the faux leather tour: a solid color on the outside but you open the bag and boom! Explode the color of the flowers. I am fascinated by the fact of seeing how from a piece of something (faux leather, cotton, vinyl, etc) something not only beautiful but also practical and useful can come out and make those who see it smile. Mrs. Ginger Handmade worked for two years as a hobby but was officially born as a company in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic. My Instagram page is: @mrs_ginger_handmade"
Day eight brought us Pia Sirvent of Mrs. Ginger Handmade! Pia has never disappointed with past tours so we were ecstatic to bring her back & see what she would do on this tour! Pia sewed a fabulously floral Beginner Tote using so many dainty daisy details like our Daisy Chain Cork Fabric & Flower Zipper Pulls! The airiest & colorful summertime tote perfect for day to day! Thank you for making this wonderful bag and for participating in another tour with Sallie Tomato! Check out more of what she has to say about Making Bags: A Field Guide and watch her reel of the process of sewing this bag over on her Instagram @mrs_ginger_handmade!
Day 9 - Kat Riley!
"I'm Kat, and I am the sole creative mind/maker behind Sew Original!
I have always been a crafter and have particularly enjoyed cross stitching since I was about 10 years old. As an avid needle-crafter, sewing came as a natural progression - but not until years later! I taught myself to sew in 2016, beginning with quilts but soon moving on to small bags and pouches. Eventually, I found my niche making statement handbags and accessories. I am inspired by all things bright and quirky, and firmly believe that life is too short for boring fashion."
Kat Riley of Sew Original took us into day nine of the Making Bags Tour! She sewed this absolutely breathtaking Fold-Over Crossbody! The bright floral fabric makes us ready for vacation! This is gorgeous! The Fold Over Crossbody is a great example of a functional everyday bag, while still looking unique & high end! No wonder it is so popular! Head over to Kat's Instagram, @seworiginalcrafts, to see her experience with the book and this bag making process! Great work, Kat!
Day 10 - Hilarie Wakefield Dayton!
"I've been obsessed with fashion and sewing since I was a young child. As a very small girl of about four years old, I began to learn to sew. My grandmother always had an array of projects she was working on and happy to have me next to her. I spent hours making clothes and elaborate furnishings for my dolls, Barbies and myself! My grandmother owned a plant nursery and would sell dolls and crafts that she and her friends had made in the shop. Occasionally she let me sell my things as well. As I grew, so did my sewing interest and ability. I studied Fashion Design at Kent State University then transferred to a small college closer to home. There I majored in Art History, with a concentration on the History of Costume through portraiture, because they did not have a fashion program. However, they did have a fantastic theater department and extensive internship opportunities. I found use for my sewing skills in the theater department’s costume shop. When I couldn’t find the right pattern, I would make one from existing garments. After college, I had a line of women’s clothing, then accessories that I designed, manufactured, and sold in boutiques. Later, I worked for other designers and made everything from swimwear to custom wedding gowns."
We made it! It's day ten and we are finishing off the tour with Hilarie Wakefield Dayton of Little Stitch Studio! Hilarie sewed this striking handbag from the book! The black base with red detailing is stunning! This bag is the perfect work tote. Spacious enough for a laptop and notebook, but not overly large so you can still feel comfortable running errands with it as well! Thank you sew much for sharing your talents with us! Follow her Instagram @littlestitchstudio!
That ends our 10 day Making Bags Tour! Thank you to all of the talented bloggers and sewists who participated in this tour! Now that you have the insight, consider reading Jessica's new book, Making Bags: A Field Guide and let this book be your ongoing source of information while creating and sewing bags. We hope this blog recap has inspired you to create something! Be sure to tag us @sallietomatopatterns on Instagram so we can see what you make! Happy sewing! :)
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