Simplicity 2396 - Sweet Pea Tote Review

I finally got this done! I had cut the pieces out back in November, and never got around to finishing the rest. It is kind of good, though, because it gave me time to think about how I really wanted it to look.

The pattern was pretty straightforward and without any weird hitches (like some store-bought patterns), and I think this is a good "Intermediate" sewer project. It has a very trendy handmade look and is a good size for an everyday carryall. I tweaked the design a little bit because I have been wanting to add these silver d-rings to handles on a bag for some time, and I thought these would be great for this size bag.

The things I did not like were that it called for fusible fleece for an interlining. Fusible Fleece makes a great padding for bags, but it is really hard to work with when you are pleating the fabric with the fleece behind it. It is super thick and gets jammed under the presser foot. I think next time I would use heavyweight interfacing on the outside and mediumweight on the inside and ditch the fleece.

Also, I had trouble getting the top of the bag to come out just right. It crinkled up around the curve at the top and I am not sure if I should have trimmed the seam allowance more or if that is just inevitable. It may have been the fleece again, causing it to be puffy.

I wrestled with the last stages of this bag because I chose to insert the d-ring style handles. The loops that hold the d-ring to the bag were doubled over and really thick to sew through along with the rest of the top of the bag. I broke my thread over and over, even with a heavyweight needle.

Another thing I changed is I added a magnetic snap to the inside of the bag at the top so that my stuff would stay secure. I thought the button and loop closure was super cute, so I didn't do away with it, but added this second security feature for when my bag falls over and things threaten to fall out.

One last addition was the fun tag I embroidered on (below).

I was impressed with the modern look of this pattern and think that Simplicity was smart for picking up Sweet Pea Totes. I found mine at JoAnn's fabrics on sale for less than $2, down from $16! You have to watch for the sales. I would love to make another one sometime but without doing the d-ring handles (which can be time consuming). I think one in black or grey could also be a great addition to anyone's handbag collection.

Simplicity #2396 - View A