Maggy55 Ciara Cross-body Bag

On our trip to France and Spain in 2014, my friend and travel buddy carried a super cute Kate Spade cross-body bag. Despite knowing where she bought it, I could not find something similar; perhaps it was a limited edition bag or newly-discontinued. Fast forward 10 years and I still remember that bag! Since I started making handbags a few years ago, I was always on the lookout for a pattern that closely resembles the Kate Spade bag. The Maggy55 Ciara is closest I've found so far:

(image source:  maggy55patterns.com)

The general shape is the same - save for the zippered pocket on the front. 

Here's my version:

I waffled back and forth on whether to color block or not. Upon perusing the various versions made by others on the Maggy55 website, I decided to color block and am glad I did. I opted to make the white vinyl more dominant on the front so that the bag appeared brighter.

Fabric & Notions:

• ~ 1/2 yard slightly off-white vinyl
• ~1/4 yard black vinyl
• unmeasured cut of teal waterproof canvas for the lining
• ~22" #5 metallic nylon coil zipper (black tape, nickel finish) for the exterior closures
• ~7" #5 metallic nylon coil zipper (hot pink tape, nickel finish) for the interior closure
  
• 3 x #5 zipper pulls in nickel finish for both the exterior and interior closures
• 4 x 10 mm double-capped rivets
• 2 x 0.5" Chicago screws
  
• 2 x 1" O-rings
• 1 x 1" D-ring
  
• 1 x 1" swivel clasps
• 1 nickel "handmade" metal plate
• 1 nickel zipper end
  
• interfacing:  fusible woven, Decovil (light) 
• thread:  regular, heavyweight
  
• needle:  100/16
  
• feet:  standard, non-stick, narrow hinged zipper
• throat plate for thicker fabrics

Construction notes:  I sewed the bag completely on my semi-industrial with mostly no issue. Sewing the strap and strap connectors was the hardest because of number of layers involved. Once finished, there are eight (8!!!) layers of vinyl and that's...a lot. I didn't have rivets big enough to pierce through all of those layers, so I used Chicago screws.

 

The pattern came together fairly quickly. If I make this again, I'll be sure to choose vinyls of similar weight. The black vinyl I used is slightly lighter than the white and makes for a weird slouchiness that I wasn't expecting. 

 

Also because the weights aren't the same, I couldn't get a good even stitch on the back. There is only so much (read:  none) unpicking one can do with vinyl and I decided once was enough.

For the lining and interior zipper, I used bright colors for contrast. I had this polyester canvas (perhaps waterproof) fabric and I wanted to see how well it sewed and if I should consider using it more often for lining. I like it and can see using more of this instead of quilting cottons.

interior zippered pocket

This is my first time sewing a vinyl zipper overlay. Though it's not clear in this picture, I definitely need more practice with stitching this part.

 

interior slip pocket

I think I should have used coordinating thread here. It's not bad, but could look better.

 

I really took my time sewing this part because it's a focal point on the front I wanted to intersection to look good.

 

Instructions:  The instructions are very detailed and well-illustrated. There is a lot of information to take in and the bag designer does a good job of clearly explaining everything. There are also videos available for each major section of construction. Note:  the videos are only available with purchase of the pattern.

 

There were two minor issues:

1.    The instructions use *a lot* of double-sided tape.  A LOT. The designer used leather to construct their bag, so I suppose double-sided tape was necessary. I don't have a  problem with DST and have plenty on hand. I just probably could have gotten away with using a lot less on the vinyl.

2.    I think there is a better way to construct the straps that doesn't result in super thick layers. I don't think I can give specifics; suffice it to say if I make this again, I'll construct the straps differently.

Aside from that, the instructions and accompanying videos are great.

Hardware & Notions:  All of the hardware and notions were purchased from my regulars:   Wawak (thread, zipper tape, O-rings), Emmaline Bags (swivel clasp), Tandy Leather (rivets, Chicago screws) and JoJos (interfacing).

Conclusion:  This is my first Maggy55 pattern and I'm encouraged to make more. I have three of her patterns and intend to make them some time in the future. Some of the hardware is unique and I have to find a good source.

 

I wore it with my latest version of Vogue 9299. I have no idea if this matches, but *I* like it and am happy with how it looks.

The bag can be worn across the body or on the shoulder. To get the on-the-shoulder look, the strap is doubled, fed through the other O-ring, and connected to a D-ring on the other side. It's a clever design.

***

This is the first and only item I've made on my MakeNine 2024 grid. I traced the pattern for one of the shirts and almost immediately got bored with it. That's not a good sign. 😬

L

Make Nine 2024

I'm on board for another year of Make Nine sewing. There's nothing particularly different about this grid when compared to prior plans; I picked specific patterns and a handbag. I like to things simple and allow for changes if I want. 

 

Simplicity 8445 (vintage shirt): I'm starting to get into some vintage styles - mostly from the 50s & 60s. This pattern has some nice lines and seems to be quite versatile in styling. I especially like the back yoke, turned-up cuffs, and front/back tucks. I don't know if I'll do the cummerbund.

 

Vogue 1973 (tie-neck blouse):  This pattern is similar to my TNT blouse pattern New Look 6831. I want to try the Vogue pattern because it has a proper sleeve cuff and hidden button placket. Karon Euter did a review of this pattern on her YouTube channel and I like it a lot. 

 

Burda Magazine 8-2022-109 (wrapped top):  I love a weird Burda shirt. I'm intrigued with how the front integrates into the wrap style along with a hidden button placket. This could either be really great or a big fail. We shall see.

 

McCall's 8367 (cargo pants):  I've been meaning to make a pair of cargo pants for a while. I like View C because of the wide elastic waist and elasticized hem. I also like that there isn't an explosion of pockets. Yes, cargo pants have pockets, but that one pattern (y'all know the one) has ten pockets. TEN. Why for? 🤔 If you can rock it, go for it. It's just not for me.

 

Burda Magazine 8-2020-116 (vest):  This is kind of a new one for me. I have lots of vest/waistcoat patterns, but have yet to make one. This time I want to give it a try. I like the simple lines of the pattern and the self-fabric belt. I have lots of lightweight wool cuts out of which I think would make a nice garment.

 

Simplicity 8554 (jacket):  This jacket caught my eye recently after seeing two sewing YouTubers talk about their versions (Donna's Things & My Bucolic Life). I have some cotton twill cuts that I think would work perfectly with this pattern. I especially like view C, though I might go for the slightly longer version in view B.

  

New Look 6014 (skirt):  This is the only pattern that gives me slight pause. It's not that I don't like it; I picked it because I needed a ninth item and wanted a skirt. It's similar to other button-front skirts that I've made, so it shouldn't be too hard to make.

 

 

Maggy55 Ciara (handbag):  When my friend and I traveled to Spain in 2014, I noticed she carried a super cute Kate Spade cross-body bag. I don't think the picture below was her exact bag, but it had the same colorway and shape. 

 

At the time, I wasn't interested in buying this bag or anything similar. But here we are 10 years on and I haven't forgotten about it. When I started bag-making a few years ago, I began hunting for patterns that reminded me of the Kate Spade bag. The Maggy55 Ciara has many different features, but the general idea is the same.

 

The bag seems a bit bigger than I may want (10.5" width x 11" height x 3" depth), so I'll have to think about how to adjust the pieces to make it a bit smaller.

Wild Card (deep stash > 10 years):  This shouldn't be hard at all! I definitely have fabric from at least 10 years ago.

This is what I have for the current Make Nine grid. I'm eager to get started once my sewing space is back together. 

 

Speaking of which...

Painting is mostly done in the basement; I still have to do the stairwell, but that's not happening any time soon. I need to reinstall the quarter round and decide whether to paint the machine room now or do it during spring/summer. Common sense says to do it now since everything is moved and out of the way. But, the sewing bug is biting big time and I'm ready to get back to it. Decisions, decisions!

L