Amy Butler Chelsea Bag, I'm grumpy

So I just made my first Amy Butler project, the Chelsea Bag, and have a few comments about it. First of all, here's the finished project:



I used her Charm fabric in 'Zest.' I'm relatively happy with the outcome, and the things I don't like are mostly related to my sewing machine, Stitch, who is screaming for a tune-up, and my impatience for ironing on the fusible interfacing.

First, I have to say that her stuff is beautiful. I've been sewing since the age of 7 and always dreamed of fabrics like hers.

However. I have some comments for you if you decide to use this pattern.

* Don't mark on the right side of your fabric - do it on the wrong side. I have no clue why she has the home sewer do that. Let's face it, you're not going to wash it right after completing the project. If you want to wash the chemicals out of the fabric, do it before you even start the project.

* I'm annoyed that the patterns are printed on opaque paper. Tissue paper is used by pattern manufacturers for a reason, namely that it is flexible and you can see the fabric pattern below it. That really helps when you want to match patterns or be sure that the fabric is correctly aligned.

* I found the instructions a little too chatty. Maybe it's good if this is a first project for you, but it was hard for me to quickly distill what exactly I needed to do next.

Despite my irritation, I will continue to use her patterns and of course buy her fabrics, for the aforementioned Yum Factor.

Next up on Stitch? Her Madison Bag.