Castell Day Bag

Introducing the Castell Day Bag Pattern by Emmaline Bags. I had the pleasure of testing this lovely pattern a few weeks ago and I ADORE her! This bag is a 'BIGUN and is designed as a day trip bag, or an overnighter. It is a framed bag, a la carpet bag style but without the vintage vibe of most carpet bags. You will need the C style frames from Emmaline.. 

I stitched up this one in a mix of various Cotton and Steel prints along with some Essex Yarn Dyed Linen and I love the combo. 

The exterior boasts two large pockets that secure with a magnetic snap in the flap. The flap is the perfect place to add some bling and as you can see I will a little hog wild with the copper hardware (It's my current crush). For this bag I used the Emmaline curved metal edge trim, the script style bag label, strap ends and rivets all in copper. 

The bag opens WIDE which makes it perfect for stuffing and unstuffing (one testing showed hers with a carton of milk, which, barely took up much room inside). 

Inside there are two zippered pockets, which are gathered at the bottom to maximize your stuffage ability. They hold way more than a standard zip pocket. 

The zipper panel is so, so easy to install on this bag, as is installing the frame. It simply slides inside the casing you make with the zipper. Nothing complicated at all!

This was also my first time successfully installing rivets. I have tried them in the past and had zero luck, I have been using Chicago Screws for the longest time because Rivets and I have never played nice. After using these rivets from Emmaline, I learned that it wasn't me!!! Not all rivets are created equal and crappy rivets make for crappy results. I had tried multiple times with some value pack I picked up at the craft store. Now, I am no longer afraid to use rivets (just not the crap ones!). 

This bag is rated for an experienced intermediate to advanced sewist, but I don't believe it's because it's overly difficult, but there are a LOT of steps and pieces involved. A lot of the hardware I added is optional (rivets, edge trim, strap edges, bag label) so you can add as much or as little as you like. 

The pattern is clear and easy to follow, and although it's straightforward the number of pieces does take a while to put together. It's not a one night project, but it's totally doable in a weekend. I'm glad I ordered a second set of c frames because I am looking forward to making another. Head over and pick up your pattern and frames at Emmaline Bags.