Sophie's Mini NCW, my #5!

At this point all of my grandchildren have had bags made for them in the past couple months. The one above, which I think is my favorite so far, is for Sophie, a fashion conscious 11 year old young lady. I have learned that girls her age are really into small bags with cross body straps. I provided both the cross body strap as well as the wristlet strap.

The camera is playing tricks making that wristlet strap look extra long. It's not. The mini is quite small, about five and a half inches across.

I've reviewed a mini and the NCW before and you can read that here: NCW

Here's the deets on this one, which really is my favorite of all.



Fabric:

The print fabric is a 100% cotton from the quilting area at Joanns. It is the same fabric used in the Stella Weekender diaper bag I just finished. The print is used for the lining, flap and straps. For the body of the little bag I used a faux leather in black, the same that I used in the Boy Bags.

The hardware is from Emmaline bags.

Interfacings used were  non-fusible  Peltex, SF101 from Pellon and Decor Bond. All were purchased at Joanns using their coupons. I am now buying this by the bolt on those big discount days.

Pattern:

The pattern used is the Necessary Clutch Wallet from Emmaline Bags, better known as the NCW. There is a mini version available and this is  the second mini I have made. My first was scaled wrong, my own printing error but this one was "juuuust right" as Little Red Riding Hood says. It was a tad larger than my first and I was thankful for that. It's really important with these small items to get the scale right. Measuring is done every step of the construction in order to stay on track and when half way completed I figured out the error on Carly's bag. I had to fudge to finish hers but this one was spot on with the proper scaling.  The straps and wristlet were not in the original pattern but there is info in the files on the NCW Facebook page. That includes measurements.

The pattern for the mini is an add on to the original NCW and as such only contains that which makes it different from the larger pattern. The directions are very clear despite them being written by someone other than the original designer. The mini pattern is with her blessing and featured on the Emmaline website. You will definitely  need the original NCW pattern as well as the Mini add on to get this done.

Construction:

I'll just deal with the differences from the big NCW here.

I have found it very helpful to mark the centers of all pieces of this little bag. It will definitely help you as with an item this small accuracy is critical. The mini directions for the zipper pocket simply refers you to page 6 of the bigger bag's directions for the zip pocket. No measurements were given. With the help of those on the FB NCW page I cut my zipper to 5 1/2 inches and proceeded from there. This does have the card slots of the original, but that's something you could certainly eliminate if you think a child won't need them. I kept them in mine as I think they give a "grown up" note to the bag. On the pleats above you can see the Chicago screws  being used. They are so much easier than rivets and far more fool proof, IMO. I probably could do better with rivets if I had the professional punch, etc but I just didn't want to invest in that.

The turn lock is attached with tiny little philips head screws. I had one of that type of screw driver and it has disappeared since a couple weeks back. So I ordered this pack from Amazon of tiny little screwdrivers. I highly recommend if you are going to be using more than an occasional turn lock. Lots of bag hardware has these tiny screws, and whew, they are tiny.

This is the set I got from Amazon. It cost seven dollars and change and is Prime. Well worth it.

You can also see in the bag above I did not top stitch the flap. I simply forgot and when I noticed it I decided I liked it and have left it that way. Out of all the NCWs I've seen, they've all been topstitched. I like this one without.

The flap and body have Peltex interfacing. The lining is all fused with SF101 but I think next time I will used Decor Bond for the  zip pocket. The straps are fused with Decor Bond and fusible fleece. ALL interfacing has the seam allowances cut out, critical! The side pleat area has SF101 on the exterior faux leather. It is cut separately from the bag interfacing so the SAs could be removed. That really made the bulkiest area much easier to deal with. The bag has a really nice heft to it and I like that.

Conclusion:

This is my most favorite NCW yet and it is Number Five! I do hope Sophie likes it. It won't be my last to make either as these make great gifts. Keep in mind, this is not a quickie gift and definitely takes focus and a few "tricks". I highly recommend.

If this dress is looking a bit large for my size, it is. It was a gorgeous find, size large, from the thrift this week. Lots of fabric and I already have plans for it......................Bunny

I'm an NCW Addict!

What's the NCW? It's the Necessary Clutch Wallet from Emmaline Bags. There is just something very potato chip-y about this design and I am eating the chips! What I like about this pattern is that it makes a really functional wallet, requires no fitting, is definitely more challenging than I thought it would be (fun) , can be uniquely personalized, makes a great gift and has its own community of sewists who have made tons of them. That community, the NCW Addicts group on facebook has tweaked this tiny bag every which way imaginable and provides amazing support, knowledge and inspiration.

The outside of the wallet can be made with or without the band. Some add wrist straps and/or cross body straps, which I have done and really like. Some have put beautiful hardware on the front flap. Some have personalized the bag with photos, weaving, artwork and more. Many are made of leather, faux leather and cork that is to die for. You see the addiction setting in?

The inside of the bag has loads of credit card slots on each side, a zipper pocket and dividers. The side flanges are sewn in but I soon took the groups inspiration and now use Chicago screws and a bit of E6000 glue for holding in the folds. Many use rivets as well. I never knew Chicago screws even existed before this!

On this NCW#2 the exterior fabric is Kaufman Essex linen blend. The focal fabric is a quilting cotton and the piping and inner pocket are patent leather. I've since learned topstitching tricks from the group that improved later versions. This version closes with a simple magnet closure and has a swivel hook and D ring for the strap.

One of the learning curves on this project is about the interfacing. The first wallet was made per directions and looks sweet but it is a bit softer than I'd like and I am not alone in that opinion. Advice abounds in the Addict group on improving the feel of the bag through interfacing and there are various possible combinations. This blue wallet below is my first, NCW#1,  and made exactly as the pattern dictates.

This has the sewn side flaps. Since making this one I have found a template in the FB group files for lining up the sides for perfect folds, which I then made in oaktag and just lay it down and mark.  I also now interface both sides of the interior pocket for a flatter, crisper finish as well.

Here you have NCW#3. The exterior is a cotton batik and the flap is a home dec fabric. I clearly have a bit to learn about scale but I'm getting there. On this one I used a thumb lock closure to take full advantage of the print on the flap. I also piped the edge. Next time I pipe I will use a smaller cord.

Placement on the bird is much better on the inside. The thumb lock is screwed and glued to the edge of the flap. Notice the zipper. The ends are covered in little squares that get caught in the fold and make it prettier and more secure, another tweak from the group. I love the colors on this one.

A bit of bling was added to the zipper pull.  Topstitching was done longer and in a rayon embroidery thread,

The interfacing in the bird wallet includes a sheet of Flex Foam from Pellon slid into the area between the exterior and lining and under the flap and bag body only, not the side flanges. In the rose wallet fusible fleece was ironed to the exterior flap and a piece of Peltex interfacing, non fusible, was slipped into the same area. I really like that "feel" but again, its personal. I like a crisp feel and look.

My NCW#4 bag is a "Mini". I made it for my granddaughter to have for school and she loves it.  She loves it so much that when she got home with it she changed into a matching outfit, her decision, and then asked her Mom to send me a picture. It is just like the big versions but about 65% of the size. It's a free download with the purchase of the original pattern. Wish I had a better picture for you. It is navy linen with the blue and white floral on the flap and green piping around it. For the cross body strap, which she asked for, I did the navy strap and green grosgrain ribbon on the other side. Love to see my girl happy and I love that preppy color combo.

A bit about the actual  pattern: I did the paper pattern for my NCW and the PDF for my mini. I have since purchased other patterns that I chose in PDF format. I am liking PDFs for these bags. There is very little paper used and very little taping. The instructions are VERY  thorough and there is a you tube video to follow along as well. There are also other NCW "experts" who have youtube videos as well and  they are really helpful. The instructions are really clear and at no point was I scratching my head. The pictures are clear and even clearer printed off in color if you can do that option. Janelle McKay, the designer really knows her bag business. I like her designs and the hardware most of them use. She has a craftsy class which I have taken and reviewed and  she proved to be an excellent teacher. Her patterns are the same quality. I recommend this pattern because it is very good, fun to make, challenging and still very doable. There is also a support system through the "Addicts" group as well as Janelle herself on the website and Emmaline FB page. After completing my NCW and the Craftsy class, I didn't hesitate to order other patterns

Let's get clear that I have no affiliation with Emmaline bags. I have simply become an addict like the other 7000 people who have purchased this pattern. ( Wish I could remember where I read that, but I did. ) It is fun. I have a stack of fabric all ready to go for NCW#5 and can't wait. In the meantime I will work on the diaper bag I have to hustle up for my gift for my darling new little red headed niece. But right after that I will make bags for two little boys!!! Bagapalooza continues......

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Bag making requires a lot of zippers and one good yard sale provided me with close to 300 zips, nearly all new. Here is my granddaughter helping sort and organize some of them after they were all washed and dried. She loves to organize and she did a great job with the zips. She loves helping Bunbun and it does my heart good.................Bunny