I recently had the pleasure of making a diaper bag for my friend who is having her third child. It was very exciting because she’s got excellent taste and it was fun to make her something and collaborate a bit. She chose the Campfire Messenger Bag, but we decided to enlarge it by a few inches. Now, I’m not going to say it’s an easy thing to do. But the math takes a bit of time and gets a little bit tricky with the gusset depending on how much bigger you’re going for. I would definitely recommend using some scrap fabric and giving the main body of the bag a run through before cutting your final fabrics. It was fun to work through making it bigger, and added a bit of intrigue for me.

She chose a denim waxed canvas and a green waxed canvas for the main body and we picked out a lining using Cordura 500. I have had some in my stash forever, but ended up ordering this lighter weight version for the lining. I really liked working with it! It’s so nice and stable and water resistant which makes the lining wipeable – which is pretty essential when it comes to a diaper bag. I’m definitely planning on trying more bags with Cordura though, it’s fun to experiment with trying something new to me. I didn’t add any interfacing so that’s always a bonus.

I added a leather crossbody strap, which is a fun touch. I think I’ll make an adjustable for her using a buckle as well. It’ll be nice considering her husband will be using the bag, too!

Pattern: Campfire Messenger Bag (enlarged, 2″ wider, 2″ taller, 1″ deeper)
Fabrics: Waxed Canvas from AL Frances Textiles on Etsy, Cordura 500 (Silver) from Seattle Fabrics
Leather: custom cut from my shop
Hardware: all from Buckleguy.com

So I had a little fun with stripes and this pattern, the Phoenix Blouse by Adrianna of Hey June Patterns. I’ve had this super lightweight cotton voile micro stripe in my stash forever. Partly because I love it so much, it’s soft and drapey, and beautiful. The other reason, the silly part, was that I was afraid to use it and not end up liking what I made with it. It’s been on my shelf for maybe five years? Which is way too long for a fabric to wait.

As part of being on the Indiesew blogger team, a challenge I did mostly for myself, was that I sew a garment for me once a quarter. If I make more, great, but at least it was something I could hold myself accountable for. And I love sewing for me, but it does get put on the back burner for more work related sewing more often that I’d like. So I’m really thankful for being able to participate in the sewing community in this way, and I am so pumped about this Phoenix Blouse!

When I first saw Adrianna release the Phoenix pattern I wasn’t super set on it. Maybe because it was still so freezing cold here? I’m guessing that was the case. Because now that it’s been so hot and humid this summer, light weight fabrics and tank tops are all I can think about. I cut the front yoke pieces on a 30 degree angle and joined them with a seam. I had a ready to wear tank that used some of the same play with stripes and I really loved it. I also cut the back yoke with the stripe running horizontally – although I managed to not snap a pic of that. As with all Hey June patterns I’ve tried I love Adrianna’s attention to the details and finishes. All the seams are thoughtfully finished and it’s what I really look for in a pattern. I know it’ll last because the seams are all tidy.

Lastly, them tassels though. I love them. I think they add so much fun to this top, and they weren’t hard to make either. I even managed to pull one of the strings loose, but was able to pull the knot through the fabric ala quilter’s knot style and they came together swimmingly. Natalie even helped by making the tassels! Oh, and I did move the slit at the neckline up a little higher for modesty. I knew it would still slip over my tiny head, so it works for me!

I will totally be making this tank again!

Pattern: Phoenix Blouse by Hey June Patterns
Fabric: mystery micro stripe from my stash (I think it would be similar to this stripe?) or Indiesew has this beautiful linen stripe, too!