My Paris Traveler’s Bag

We’re leaving at the crack of dawn Friday morning for vacation. We’ve opted to do a road trip this summer starting here in Tucson and driving to the following environs:

• Grand Canyon
• Page, AZ where we’re signed up for a photography outing at Antelope Canyon
• Bryce Canyon, seeing Escalante National Monument and North Rim along the way
• Zion National Park
• Las Vegas
• Hoover Dam
• Lake Havasu, AZ to see the famous London Bridge which was transplanted here years ago

Amongst other tasks involved in getting ready for our trip, I’ve done a bit of sewing. After making the Amy Butler kimonos, I started working on an adventure bag using Fig Tree’s “My Paris Traveler’s Bag” pattern. For those who’ve slaved over Amy Butler’s Weekender Bag (I’ve made 3), this bag was just as complicated, although at least I didn’t have to deal with heavy-duty interfacing like Timtex.

My fabric choices:

• Main body: Patisserie (Fig Tree Quilts) pattern #20106
• Handles: Patisserie (Fig Tree Quilts) pattern #20104
• Lining: Solid for Moda.

My fabrics, including muslin and fusible interfacing, were purchased at The Quilt Basket here in Tucson.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

The first thing you have to do is to quilt your main fabric piece which took me an entire day. I decided to quilt around some of the topographical elements. The gusset piece is pleated on each bottom side in case you’re wondering what’s wrong with the bag bit on the right side.

The finished bag measures 23”x15”x9”. I “borrowed” a neighbor who’s about my height (5'2”) to give you an idea of the size. It’s certainly going to be the only bag I need for our road trip.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

My zipper is two-way so I can get in the bag easily from either end. I added a little charm pull.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

This shows you the lining fabric on the interior of the bag.

© June Scroggin, All Rights Reserved

After slaving away quilting the main fabric, I wasn’t going to let any of my efforts go to waste. So this morning I used leftover main and lining fabrics to make a square-bottomed zippered accessory bag. I just made it out of my head, no pattern or tutorial used.

A couple of notes if you decide to try this project; there were moments I just wanted to chuck the whole bloody thing in the trash and go to bed. Although the pattern says it’s easy, it’s not. Cutting measurement problems in the first issue of the pattern have since been corrected. Check their web site to make sure your pattern copy has the corrections.

Take the project very slow and don’t try to do it in two days like me. Read the instructions very carefully and think long and hard about what you’re doing before cutting and sewing anything together. While I love the end result, I do think the instructions ought to be rewritten and better illustrations provided.