It’s been a few years since I made the Auntie’s Too Poppins bag. It’s not a pattern I recommend, and I changed the construction and pattern quite a bit to make it more durable and something I would want to use. I used Ruby Star fabric and another Moda fabric, and I unfortunately can’t recall the name of either collection. I receive compliments on it whenever I carry it to classes or on trips.
Lo asked me to make her one, and I had every intention of making her one in time for her Girls’ Night last October, but I was too exhausted and felt too sick to sew. In hindsight, I am so thankful I didn’t accept my initial diagnosis that nothing was wrong, or that “women are entering perimenopause at younger ages.” My cancer hadn’t spread enough for detection on labs or a biopsy. Perhaps someday I’ll share more, but for now, I want to a quick second to remind you that you need to be your own medical advocate.
Trust in God’s sovereign plan, but also use discernment. Whether it’s your health, or something else, keep pushing forward and lean not on your own understanding, but His. Romans 5:3-5 tells us “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” When all feels lost, there’s hope.
I had surgery in November and was finally feeling well enough to sew a big project when she was invited to a slumber party for a friend’s birthday. I ordered this Rifle Paper Co. Alice in Wonderland canvas fabric and coordinating red rose print from Monograms for Makers a while back to make this bag for Lo. She had just finished the book, and it quickly rose to being one of her favorites. Of course it is; she has her own adventurous and curious white rabbit!
For her bag, I made it 22″ tall. Mine measures 18″ tall, and it’s slightly too small to hold her sleeping bag, camping pillow, and clothes. She liked the rounded bottom on mine, so I drafted an oval shape, and then proceeded to cut it out without a seam allowance. I managed to ease it in and it all worked out, thankfully. As I stated in my Instagram post, use all the clips! It makes it so much easier. She prefers zipper pockets, so I added one on the exterior and one on the interior. The exterior has one slip pocket and the interior has two slip pockets.
I quilted straight lines one inch apart on all the panels. I used webbing from my stash for the handles and ByAnnies zippers. I used the Annie’s Too larger bag stays for the top since that is what I could find at my local quilt shop. I also hand embroidered her initials and stitched them to the bottom front using a scrap.
She loves it, and as you can see, it barely contains all her essentials! She looks forward to many adventures this summer and beyond with her new bag.
Want to learn to sew bags? My Charm City Tote bag class is currently full, but I have a quilted sling bag class at Downtown Dry Goods later this summer. More details to come, so make sure your following me on Instagram or Facebook to find out when registration begins.
