We have several ladies on our review team that really like to sew bags. They have the patience to deal with all of that interfacing and turning and ironing and do a gorgeous job every time. I lovingly refer to them as my "bag ladies." Denita is fairly new to our team, but she is quickly becoming one of our go-to gals when it comes to purses and such. Today, she has a review of the lovely Swoon Evelyn Market Tote and Handbag. So sit back and let her give you the lowdown on this great accessory!

Hi it’s Denita from HattieLu Handmade. I’m reviewing the Evelyn Market Tote and Handbag by Swoon Sewing Patterns (affiliate link). For this review, I sewed the Handbag size.

I know you just finished racking up patterns from the Women’s BundleUP sale, but there wasn’t a handbag in sight this time. Now you NEED a handbag to accompany the fabulousness of self-care sewing! Meet Evelyn! She’s a new twist on a simple tote bag.

Now to be completely honest, I started the Evelyn Market Tote; however, the fabrics weren’t speaking to me. So, the Market Tote was scrapped. Well not exactly scrapped, but she’ll be in time out for a bit. Are you like this when choosing fabric? Does your fabric need to speak to you also? Thankfully, Evelyn was revived by The Fabric Cobbler. The new MLB fabric arrived Monday! I’m a New York Yankees fan, but used the Atlanta Braves fabrics since that team is regional.

On to Evelyn!!

Evelyn is the final pattern in the original Swoon Bundle. She is available for individual purchase. She is fairly simple to construct. Evelyn could be considered as a beginner pattern; however, the zipper may be harder for some beginners to master. Practice, practice, practice. Zippers are not hard. *pinky promise* If you are new to Swoon there is a slight learning curve. All the steps are there but the steps are succinct. Do not be frustrated! The Swoon Facebook group is extremely helpful!

There are two alterations I made to the pattern. I used marine vinyl for the overlays, strap connectors, and straps. This changed the amount of fabric needed for the lining. The second alteration was to the interior. Instead of adding a zipper pocket, I added two side pockets. These are much more convenient for me. To make this change, fold the Bottom Lining over ¼. Cut two new pocket pieces from the lining fabric. Interface with woven interfacing (SF101). Match right sides together and sew using ½” seam allowance. Match wrong sides together and press. Topstitch ¼” from the folded edge. Then baste the pocket to the Bottom Lining. You can also sew the pocket into sections once it has been basted.

There are two style options: overlay or no overlay. You can choose to omit the overlays, if desired. This review includes the overlays. There are two bag sizes: Market Tote and Handbag. The finished measurements of the Market Tote: 15″ wide, 13.5″ tall, 5.75″ deep and the finished measurements of the Handbag: 12″ wide, 10.5″ tall, 4.5″ deep. It took roughly 8 hours from cutting to finished product.