Welcome back! If you haven’t taken our poll yet, click here to read the info and let us know what you think.

Today’s Designer Spotlight can be found over at The Nosy Pepper, and you can read all about Chris W! There’s a giveaway over there as well, and another one right here; make sure to enter both, and come back tomorrow for another featured designer. I hope you’re enjoying all the interviews so far.

What’s this “Designer Spotlight” all about? Click here to read the intro post and take our poll.

Today’s featured designer is Betz White, and I’m totally blown away with all that she’s done! Not only does she design bag patterns, she has video classes on Creativebug and Craftsy, created an adorable pom-pom maker, has written 3 books and so much more!

How long have you been sewing and what inspired you to start designing your own patterns?
My mom sewed a lot of my clothes growing up and taught me at a young age. I have a degree in fashion design and worked in the kids apparel industry for about 20 years as a designer. After I had kids I left the corporate world to be a mom and freelance design. I started a blog in 2006 and opened an Etsy shop to sell items I made out of felted wool sweaters. This lead to a book deal and an appearance on the Martha Stewart TV Show in 2007. In the 10 years since then I’ve written 2 more books, taught classes, designed fabric and sewing patterns for bags, and more!

What do you love most about your job?
I’m a designer at heart. I love coming up with new ideas and incorporating them in to a pattern for others to make and enjoy. It’s so gratifying to see the projects people make with my patterns in their own fabric combinations and twists. There’s a lot of creativity out there!

What is the hardest part of the design process for you?
The hardest part is satisfying all of the criteria in my head! A new pattern has to tick a lot of boxes: unique but not weird, versatile but not boring, easy to recreate yet have techniques to learn, etc!

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working?
I love hanging out with my 2 teenage sons and husband watching movies or going on a hike. I enjoy shopping at thrift stores, knitting, napping and recently started taking a pottery class.

What is your favorite pizza topping?
Pepperoni is my standby but I love all kinds of crazy combinations!

What is your favorite thing about bag making?
The design process from sketch to prototype.

What is your least favorite part of bag making?
Writing pattern instructions and fusing interfacing.

Is there a pattern of yours that is your favorite? 
At the moment I’m using my Seneca Creek Bag a lot. It’s cute and little and carries just what I need.

What is your favorite pattern by another designer?
I love patterns by Anna of Noodlehead and I’m planning to sew up herMaker’s Tote!

What is your favorite snack?
Chips and guacamole!

What is your favorite piece of bag hardware?
I’m a fan of the twist lock.

What machine do you sew on most often?
I have a Bernina Activa 220

What advice would you give to someone who is new to bag making?
Sometimes I see new bag makers feeling overwhelmed and doubting themselves. I suggest that they look to other makers for inspiration and aspiration but don’t compare your skill level to someone with a lot of experience. Start with a basic bag and work your way up or take a class to help you along. Sewing is supposed to be FUN, it’s not a competitive sport.

Who is your favorite fabric designer?
I design fabric, can I pick me? 🙂 I license my artwork to Riley Blake.

What is the best compliment you’ve received as a designer?
Whenever someone is overjoyed with a bag they made themselves using one of my patterns, that’s the best compliment!

How organized is your sewing space? Are you a mess maker or everything in its place kind of person?
My space is in a constant flux of organized/messy. It’s an ebb and flow!

What is your favorite color?
Bright citron green

What is your favorite thing to listen to while working?
Podcasts like This American Life or Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
 
Is there anything you wish others knew about you or what you do?
In addition to designing bag patterns, I design felt ornament patterns, embroidery and appliqué patterns, etc. I also design, produce and sell knit home accessories which I retail online and wholesale to shops called Betz White Studio Knits.

How do you make sure that your patterns are accessible to bagineers? How do you promote your work?
I sell my patterns in my Etsy shop,  betzwhite.etsy.com and promote them on Instagram, @betz_white. I blog at betzwhite.com. The best way to stay in the loop with all of my many projects is by subscribing to my email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cHhKQv

Enter the giveaway below and make sure to come back tomorrow to learn about our next featured designer and enter the giveaway again.

Welcome back! If you haven’t taken our poll yet, click here to read the info and let us know what you think.

Today’s Designer Spotlight can be found over at The Nosy Pepper, and you can read all about Emkie Designs! There’s a giveaway over there as well, and another one right here; make sure to enter both, and come back tomorrow for another featured designer.

What’s this “Designer Spotlight” all about? Click here to read the intro post and take our poll.

Today’s featured designer is Alicia of Swoon Sewing Patterns. Alicia offers dozens of meticulously written bag patterns, for styles ranging from wallets and clutches, to duffel bags, and everything in between. Several of the patterns are even free! Alicia also takes part in the Bag of the Month Club, which features exclusive designs available only to members.

How long have you been sewing and what inspired you to start designing your own patterns?
I’ve been sewing for around 10-15 years. I’m not sure exactly when I started but my mom gave me a sewing machine for Christmas. I had no idea what to do with it! As far as pattern making goes, I used commercial patterns for years. I made clothing, curtains, bags. I got stuck on making bags for a long time and had the idea to make my own super simple pattern. I was a graphic designer so it wasn’t too difficult. I drew the diagrams by hand, finished it, uploaded it for free on Craftsy.

What do you love most about your job?
Currently, the freedom. I had a baby a few weeks ago and it allows me stay home with him and work (when he lets me). 

What is the hardest part of the design process for you? 
The initial drawing of the pattern pieces is usually the most complicated. I often have to draw and then sew test bags at least three times before it’s just right. 

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working?
Napping. Or making soap. 

What is your favorite pizza topping?
Jalapeños. 

What is your favorite thing about bag making?
Bags are a lot of work, very time consuming. But you can use it every single day. And it always fits. 

What is your least favorite part of bag making?
Cutting pieces. Always.

Is there a pattern of yours that is your favorite? 
It changes too often to commit to one. I’ve been carrying a Pearl Wallet since the pattern was released and still love it just as much as when I made it.

What is your favorite pattern by another designer?
Necessary Clutch Wallet by Emmaline is brilliant. And all Amy Butler patterns!

What is your favorite snack?
Avocados! On anything.

What is your favorite piece of bag hardware?
Love zippers!

What machine do you sew on most often?
Juki 8700.

What advice would you give to someone who is new to bag making?
Take your time and read carefully.

Who is your favorite fabric designer?
Love Joel Dewberry, Melody Miller, Sarah Watts

What is the best compliment you’ve received as a designer?
I can’t think of one at the moment. 

How organized is your sewing space? Are you a mess maker or everything in its place kind of person?
It’s always a mess!

What is your favorite color?
Grey 

What is your favorite thing to listen to while working? 
We have three kids, silence is golden.

How do you make sure that your patterns are accessible to bagineers? How do you promote your work?
The Facebook group is a great resource for help! I try to keep promoting to a minimum outside the group. Word of mouth is best.

Enter to win a prize pack of PDFs from each of the designers featured in this series, check back each day for another entry!

Did you fill out our poll from yesterday’s post yet? If not, click here to read all about it and then give us your thoughts. Today is the first of many wonderful interviews from some of our favourite pattern designers. You can find the spotlight over at The Nosy Pepper, then come back here tomorrow for another designer. Make sure to enter the giveaway below, it’s for a PDF pattern from each of our featured designers. Cyndi also has a giveaway for a prize pack as well, so make sure to enter both to increase your odds. Good luck!

I’ll admit I have my favourite bagmaking pattern designers, but a chat with Cyndi of the Nosy Pepper got me thinking…if we asked all of you, what do you look for in a pattern and who is there that I simply must try? I have tested for several designers and stick with my favourites for the most part, so maybe I’m a bit biased, which is why I want your help to compile a list. I’d love to hear what you think. Is there a hidden gem out there? What makes you keep coming back to certain designers? Once the answers are all in, we’ll share the results with you. While we’re giving everyone a chance to take the poll, Cyndi and I will be featuring designers we’ve interviewed for the series.

There may be a designer with a knockout pattern, but for this list, I’m not looking for one-hit-wonders. When you find a designer you like, it’s good to know you can trust them for several designs.

Do you love the style of a particular bag, but then find yourself scratching your head trying to follow the instructions? If so, we need to find you a new designer! For this category, consider if you like pictures vs. diagrams, lots of wordy instruction, or clear and concise. This one is definitely going to be different for a lot of people, because it reflects your learning style.

For this category, we’re not just looking for price. Does the designer offer sales often? or do a lot of giveaways? Can you buy bundles or packages of patterns? Does the pattern offer more than just instructions to create a bag? 

What if you’re stuck on a step, can you get help? Maybe this designer has a facebook group for you to ask questions in. Perhaps sew alongs are set up, or YouTube videos to refer to. 

Innovation can be either the style of bag, or methods of construction. Isn’t it awesome to learn a new technique while sewing a bag, that you can then use in other patterns?!

Just click below to take our poll.

Thanks so much and make sure to check back soon for exclusive interviews with top designers. Oh! There’s also a giveaway for you to enter, starting here tomorrow!

Disclosure: Some links in this post are my affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks for your support.
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Disclosure: Some links in this post are my affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks for your support.

I made this bag last year and I really don’t know why I didn’t share it earlier, but this pattern has me thinking about summer, so I figured I should tell you about it now to give you some time to prepare your next beach bag. Is it just me, or do bucket bags have you dreaming of sand and surf? The Blue Calla Dahlia Bucket Bag doesn’t have to be a beach bag of course; it could be your everyday bag too. It’s roomy enough to carry more than just the essentials and the trendy accents give it a cool vibe.

I couldn’t resist using the border print of this older Cotton + Steel print to coordinate with the other C&S. I will admit, the grommets were new for me, and I was having a heck of a time cutting the holes to set my grommets. My friend Crystal of Cloth Albatross helped me by suggesting to cut Xs for my holes, and then she even wrote a tutorial on the Blue Calla blog. If you haven’t installed grommets before, or you have but struggled, I strongly urge you to check out the tutorial, because it helps so much.

This pattern is great to try out vinyl or cork for the accents. I used a faux suede from Funky Monkey Fabrics; like cork and vinyl, this material doesn’t fray.

See this rounded cap stud on the accent here? It’s a purse foot! I know you can get studs specifically for adding bling, but the purse feet I had on hand worked perfectly and matched the rest of my hardware. I also use a zipper end from Emmaline for the end of my drawstring. 

This pattern has an adjustable strap, 2 exterior side pockets, an interior zippered pocket, and of course, a drawstring closure. It’s a lot of fun to sew up, and then a bit scary to cut holes into your completed bag, but that makes it a fun challenge.

If you want to try it for yourself, you can get the pattern from Blue Calla, and don’t forget to use the exclusive discount for my readers to save 10%, just put in code OKAPI10 at checkout.

Disclosure: Some links in this post are my affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks for your support.

The Juniper Toiletry Bag is available and 20% off right now. As always, use code OKAPI10 to save an additional 10%.

Incredible contest over at Sew Sweetness and discounts on patterns, plus bonus with supply purchase. Click the photo below for all the details.

This week take 10% off all in stock skulls & geeky cottons with the code geek10! Lots of fun science prints, skulls, Canadian prints, watches, bikes, glasses, pickles, emojis etc! 

Do you have that one fabric that you’re hanging onto for the “perfect project?” Well, for me this is the fabric. I knew I’d had it for a while, but wasn’t sure exactly how long, so I went through my records and discovered I bought it from Fabric Spark in 2014! It’s called Poetry, in Teal and is part of the Garden of Earthly Delights collection designed by Studio KM for Free Spirit. You probably already know that I’m a bird lover, and I tend to gravitate toward fabrics with birds. I think this print is so pretty, with its saturated colours and how it makes the black and white bird pop. The bird is quite large, so I was just waiting for the right project that called for something in this scale. Along came the Fiesta Tote! As usual, I’m often inspired by the pattern name to choose my fabrics. I also knew that the pattern would be released in Spring, so I wanted something bright and cheerful.

Polka Dots! These polka dots are from Jackie McFee’s Opposites Attract collection and they work perfectly with the black and white from the exterior of the bag.

Now about the pattern: the Fiesta Tote was written for a bag making retreat that just wrapped up in the UK. Samantha (aka Mrs. H) wanted attendees to have some special patterns to work on during the retreat, so she actually designed 3 new patterns. This one was designed for beginners, or intermediate “bagineers” looking for a quick sew. There’s also the Toiletry Tote and the Machine Bag. You can buy them all as a bundle, or each one individually.

The Fiesta Tote has a rounded bottom, achieved with darts, and a removable adjustable strap, plus small handles. It also features interior slip pocket and interior zippered pocket. The main compartment is closed with a magnetic snap. The approximate dimensions are about 14″ wide by about 11″ tall.

I used webbing for my handles and strap, which is what is called for in the pattern and really allows for the bag to come together quickly. Some testers made their own, for a more custom look. I used D rings to attach my strap, but you could also use a triangle ring. The rivets are optional, but I love the extra touch to tie in all the coordinating hardware.

The pattern includes instructions to place an exterior zippered pocket, but I omitted mine in order to keep my focal point.

If you’ve been wanting to dive in to bagmaking, this pattern is a great place to start. It offers a taste of hardware, a small variety of interfacing and a beautiful bag at the end! Find the pattern here, or to purchase the bundle, click here.