One of my childhood friends is going to be a mommy of a little girl!! I am so happy for her :) I wanted to make her a baby item that would be reflective of her impeccable taste and also incorporate a delicate and feminine baby theme. Fabric shopping for nursery prints has been tough lately! Don't get me wrong, there's lots of great stuff out there, but it seems like it's a lot of the same stuff - overly commercialized and predictable. So, I was ecstatic when I came across the most darling fabric by Moda: Lily and Will by Bunny Hill.
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| Lily and Willy by Bunny Hill for Moda Fabrics |
The designs come in blue, green and pink. The fabric is an updated twist on a very classic design. Simply precious.
Added bonus: the damask patterns have tiny bunnies hiding in it!
When I saw this fabric I immediately knew I wanted to make a diaper bag out of it to show off all its precious aspects. I used Simplicity pattern 2924 because it provides tons of pockets (an essential feature for any mom) and an easy flap closure. I also thought this style would be advantageous for showcasing the specific aspects of the different fabrics in the collection.
First, I pressed all the fabric. One cannot underestimate the importance of pressing your fabric before you begin cutting the fabric and throughout the construction process. By doing this you will create a neat and professional looking item.
I organized all the fabric to get a better idea of which designs I wanted to use for each aspect of the bag, i.e., straps, flap, exterior, interior, etc.
Then, I cut each pattern piece with the necessary fabrics and interfacing. Placing the transparent pattern over each fabric prior to cutting allowed me to ensure even pattern placement. I did not want the pattern to be off-centered. I was especially meticulous when cutting the flap piece as I wanted the large bunny pattern to be perfectly centered on the front of the bag.
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| Exterior front and back pocket fabric |
With the front flap fabric, I first measured the height and width of the flap piece itself.
Then, I measured the height and width of the design I was attempting to center on the front of the flap. I subtracted the design's measurements from the overall dimensions of the flap and divided that number by two (because there are two sides).
I placed the transparent pattern over the fabric at a distance of the number found above for the length and width of the flap. This resulted in a perfectly centered pattern on the front flap.
Once all the pieces were cut, I organized them for easy access to begin sewing them together. This also helped to assure that I had cut the proper amounts and had sufficient fabric to complete the diaper bag.
I followed the instructions for constructing the bag according to the Simplicity pattern 2924 and this is the result:
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| Simplicity Pattern 2924 Diaper Bag using Lily and Will by Bunny Hill fabrics |
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| Diaper Bag Exterior |
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| Side pocket with elastic at the rim - securely holds items in place! |
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| Exterior of bag with back pocket |
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| Interior with pockets. These pockets also have elastic at the rim to securely hold items in place. |
This bag is uber feminine and so so so darling! I really liked using this pattern as well because it's easy to change the style of the bag and still keep the wonderful features like alllll those pockets! I can't wait to make more of these beauties :)
