I've had my eye on the Ginger handbag pattern by Sallie Tomato for some time. I finally pulled the trigger and selected it for our Bags Totes Organizers sewing subscription box last month. I was almost giddy about putting this one together. Thank you to Maria Foley for sharing her photos of our completed Ginger bag. It's our featured photo here.
Ginger is defined as a medium cross-bady bag. It's the perfect size to use every day for your wallet, essentials, and phone for sure so I consider it an everyday handbag with an ample handle. The foam stabilizer provides great structure so you can use a wide variety of fabrics without loss of body. It does get a little cumbersome to sew a few of the seams and then turn with the foam stabilizer and compact size, but it's worth it and doable.
I selected some heavier cotton fabrics in bold prints with a summery tangerine pinstripe as the coordinating pattern. The prints were large enough to allow for some fussy cutting to get a range of interesting looks. I did the sample in the 'Cool' color tones and loved the look! I used the pinstripe for the bottom, or main, fabric and the brown and tan print for the accent at the top. I cut the pinstripes horizontally and made the stripes from the same fabric.
Now to the pattern itself. The instructions and pattern pieces are all provided on standard 8-12" x 11" paperprinted in color and numbered. I appreciate the comprehensive foundational information presented up front. A bit of background about the design, overall orientation for seaming and references used, along with specific cutting information. There are even labels provided for your cut pieces. Very handy. The page before the pattern itself has the labels and advice to photocopy the pages with the pattern pieces - always a good idea. Time to get started!
Throughout the pattern there are tips in italics, such as, using a bit of interfacing where the snap is installed to prevent rubbing. You'll use these tips again! The construction is straight forward and the instructions have plenty of illustration to keep you on track.
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