I was very excited when Rae from Made by Rae contacted me to pattern test her latest bag pattern. It is called the Showoff Bag because it is nice and big and does a lovely job of showing off your favorite fabric.
I really love how these bags turned out. They sew up really quickly. I didn’t find that they were any more difficult to sew than a basic tote but the final look is so much “snazzier”!
Another one of my favorite features is that it opens up nice and wide. I have sewn up a couple of other large bags but I have found that they don’t open up big enough to actually see everything.
The pattern gives instructions for adding an interior fabric. I made mine 8”x6”.
I also added a zippered pocket to the other side. Instructions for this pocket are not in the pattern but could probably be easily found on the internet. I used the zippered pocket instructions from the Runaround Bag.
This little beauty with the Amy Butler fabric is for me. I know greedy right? I just can’t part with this lovely fabric. The pattern calls for using a décor or canvas type fabric for the main outer fabric and a heavier fabric for the top. I think quilting cotton works fine as long as you interface it with a mid-weight fusible interfacing. I used a heavy weight interfacing and it was a bit too stiff.
This bag will be for my mom for Christmas. Shhh…, don’t tell. She doesn’t even own a computer so no fear of her reading this. For this bag I used a décor weight fabric for the main part of the bag and a quilters cotton lined with light weight interfacing for the interior. I found that this version sewed up very easily.
I even added a label and some snazzy stitching because you know moms appreciate that kind of thing. 
Don’t forget to check out Made by Rae for the pattern coming soon!
Happy Sewing!
