I recall my mother-in-law telling me when my oldest son was just baby how liberated I would feel when I could just walk out of the house with my purse and nothing else! No nappy bag, fuller than a magician’s hat – overflowing with nappies, wipes, snacks, toys and anything else I could think of to get through the day..
I’m not quite there yet, but we have said goodbye to nappies and now with two boys they entertain each other, so the paraphenalia is slowly diminishing! I can get around with just a small backpack, filled with the essentials.
So when the opportunity to test the All Well Bucket Bag pattern arose, I jumped at it!
The pattern!
Amy Bowman and Amelia Greenhall created the All Well Bucket Bag as the first sewing Pattern for the All Well Workshop. It has two sizes, three suggested strap materials, and three different configurations! So it’s a pattern you can well and truly make your own.
The options include the Tote, the Mini, and the one I made, the Convertible Backpack.
The details!
It’s a classic bucket bag, unlined with two exterior pockets and one interior pocket.
How pretty are the guts of this bag? The bottom is double layered for strength and the unlined nature shows off these bound seams. They make me happy each time I catch a glimpse of them!
The straps are a breeze to convert from backpack to shoulder bag.
This was my first time using grommets. If you haven’t done it yet, that hammering sure is cathartic!! And ending up with a beautiful professional feeling finish is so satisfying.
However, if the thought of grommets have you running for the hills you can replace them with a simple button hole.
The pockets (both inside and out) are lovely and generous. Perfect for my phone, keys or a stash of hot wheel cars to whip out as needed!
I made the regular size bag and not only does it fit the must haves when I’m with the kids, if I have my laptop separately, it also fits my work kit perfectly too!
The Fabric
I used the Warao Family print by Mannine. It’s a beautiful heavy canvas that worked perfectly for this project.
It features eight extraordinary characters from the Mannine Warao village and Dogulee Space Journey stories. Including Warao Papa, Warao Mama, their son Mr Warao A, his love interest Ms Kat, Boes, Dogulee, Peon and a stegosaurus on a tricycle! The characters are placed over a bright white background over a pale blue swirl.
This print comes in a 110cm panel print. You can see I have an extra seam below. Whenever I sew I try to use as little farbic as possible. This often involves a lot of pattern tetris and sometimes some creative seams.
The pocket is made from the Tricycle India print, with one of my favourite Mannine characters – Stella the Stegosaurus on a tricycle!
With the main fabric I wanted to preserve as many of the characters as possible for future projects, so I took my time on the pattern placement. I’m thinking the other guys may turn up on cushions in the near future! If you have other ideas please share them with me in the comments below!!
The result..
This bag has already accompanied me on many an adventure around Tokyo. It’s light, fits everything I need and, just as importantly, adds fun to any outfit I might throw on!
If you want to dip your toe into bag making or you just want a new fab bag, you can get the All Well Bucket Bag pattern here.
I have a great range of Mannine fabrics in store, including the Hillo Blue canvas below that would make awesome All Well Bucket Bag!
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