Crimson and Clover Train Cases

My quest for structured bags continues! This week I made Sara Larson’s Crimson and Clover Train Cases. This cute pattern comes in 3 sizes. I made a medium and a small bag, omitting the interior pockets.

I’ve tried making structured bags before. The one on the left was made from a pattern I made up a couple years ago using Pellon Peltex Single-Sided Fusible stabilizer (71F). This stuff really makes for crisp sides, but it is a bear to turn and I’ve pretty much given up using it for anything with challenging edges to sew.

The Train Cases pattern calls for By Annie’s Soft and Stable. The last time I used this product, I quilted it which was time consuming. This pattern calls for using the stabilizer as a sew-in. I really like this new stabilizer and I think it works well for adding more body to bags. And it’s much easier to work with than Peltex.

Sara Larson’s instructions are excellent! They are succinct and well illustrated. I skipped the interior pockets, used some of the foam stabilizer in the handle, and added a little “tail” to the small bag. It’s nice to have something to grab when you’re pulling on the zipper. A little hand basting also helped when sewing the tops and bottoms to the main bag body. I can definitely see making this bag again with an oil cloth interior and perhaps some machine embroidery on the exterior. I highly recommend this pattern if you’re looking for a soft Train Case to make and I look forward to using foam stabilizers more frequently in my bag projects!

7 comments

Do you think this would work well with double sided quilted material? I have some gorgeous material that I would love to use! Also, the top looks like it’s 2 pieces, the flat top and a piece that is below the cording. Doesn’t show that in the pattern I have, it’s just piece that you cut for the main panel.

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lynnenew says:

December 3, 2015 at 6:48 am

Boy I am so sorry I don’t see these comments! The pattern calls for exterior fabric and interior fabric and like many bag patterns, the interior is formed into its own “bucket” before being stitched to the outer “bucket”. If you wanted to use your double-sided quilted material, you’d probably have to find a way to finish the raw edges on the inside of the bucket (binding tape?) You’d consider how to finish the zipper on the inside, too.

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Oooh, I was just thinking this morning I need a new lunch bag. I may have to take a look at these.

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I don’t even need or want one of these but yours are so cute it’s tempting, LOL. Good thing I don’t have a lot of sewing time so I must focus on my vintage-style wardrobe. You killed these projects, Missy.

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