Other People's Anya Shoulder Bags

(vibrant Anya shoulder bag by Instagram user abi_norman)

Nearly a year ago I released the Anya shoulder bag PDF sewing pattern. Since then, some seriously lovely versions have been popping up on the interwebs that I've been dying to share with you. I find it very exciting to see how different the pattern looks when made up in a variety of fabrics, and what kind of looks can be achieved through fabric selection. Possibly one of my favourite fabric choices for an Anya shoulder bag was the Melody Miller amazingness pictured above, created by one of my favourite sewers in the whole world, Abi Norman (abi_norman on Instagram). 

(denim Anya shoulder bag by Handmade Jane)

Kind of on the other end of the spectrum is this gorgeous dark denim version made by the very lovely Handmade Jane. She has omitted the optional button tab for a super sleek look. I'm struggling to think of an outfit that this bag wouldn't work with! 

(Vicki Rowe's lovely and practical denim-and-owl-print Anya)

Vicki Rowe also made a lovely dark denim Anya bag (with awesome owl print lining!). The bag pattern has pleats in the bag body which secretly make it pretty voluminous. I'd like to thank Vicki for sending me the picture above of all the things she can fit inside hers!

(Joke's ditsy floral Anya with additional ribbon detail)

Joke from Brugge made the super cute ditsy floral corduroy Anya pictured above. Note how her simple but clever addition of satin ribbon on the yoke really draws the eye! 

(mixed fabric Anya with bronze piping by Prolific Project Starter)

Speaking of customisation, check this one out. For the Prolific Project Starter's third Anya, she not only used an clever mix of fabrics, but she also deployed some lovely bronze piping. I'm bowled over by how neatly she has applied it, such an incredible make this one. 

(blue and white printed fabric Anya by knitwitsowls) 

This delightful Anya has been made by Frankie (AKA knitwitsowls on Instagram), and has something of a Japanese kind of vibe to it (or is that just me?). A clever use of an interesting print that makes me want to rethink what I may have lurking in my stash....  

(IKEA fabric Anya bag made by Alex's Adventures in Fabric)

And finally, Alex gives a reminder of how good the Anya shoulder bag pattern looks in a bold, retro-y print. This IKEA furnishing/curtaining fabric is the perfect weight to give structure to this shape. 

Thanks everyone who has bought the pattern, made and shared their Anya shoulder bags! If you'd like to see more versions of this pattern, check out this Pinterest board. 

Anya Shoulder Bag Pattern: Tester Makes and Giveaway!!!

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO THOSE WHO ENTERED, THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND EMAILED**

(pale green spotty by Elisabeth)

Thanks so much to everyone who has greeted the Anya shoulder bag pattern warmly so far, by leaving a lovely comment on my previous post which announced its release or by buying a copy! Here's a butchers at some of the fabulous versions that were made by the pattern testers. (Plus, stick around for a giveaway...)

(vintage haberdashery print by Jane)

Of course I owe ENORMOUS thanks to all the Anya testers:

Claire S, Elisabeth, Jane, Nicola, Sarah, Louise, Claire Corry, Cassandra, Emily V, Abi, Ana Rita, Alyssa W, Amy, and Martha. THANK YOU, ladies!!! Your feedback was invaluable and it helped me improve to the instructions by approximately 1000%.

(teal with contrast floral yoke and button tab by Nicola)

Thankfully, all the feedback I received agreed that the pattern itself didn't require any changes. Therefore, the versions in these pictures were made with the same pattern that you'll receive if you buy, or win, the Anya shoulder bag pattern. Which leads me to...

(bold stripes by Sarah) 

Giveaway:

To help spread the word of its existence, I'm going to give away ten review copies of this pattern. To be eligible to enter, you must have a blog and/or Instagram account, but it doesn't matter how many readers or followers you have. You must also promise to make the bag and then blog about it with an honest review, or share your bag on Instagram with a couple of sentences about it (plus use the hashtag #SoZoAnyaBag) within four months. Deal?

(yellow with black floral motif by Claire S)

How to enter:

If you would like to receive a free copy of this pattern and are willing to make, review and share your creation, then please leave a comment in the comments section of this post. Please include what type of fabric you think you'd like to make it in (coz I'm nosy) and if I can't access your email address within two clicks of my mouse, then make sure that it is included in the post as well. Email addresses will only be used to contact you if you win. The deadline is midnight GMT on 4th December 2015. Winners will be chosen at random using a random number generator, and contacted within a couple of days. If you have already bought the pattern (or are intending to do so), you are totally able to enter as well. If you win, then I will refund your payment so you'll still be getting the pattern for free.

Good luck!  

(green corduroy by Louise)

(denim with red piping by Claire Corry)

(damask upholstery by Cassandra)

(floral by Alyssa W)

The Anya Shoulder Bag Pattern: On Sale Now!!!

Woo hoo!!!!! After a months of work, help from Claire my digitising mastermind and a small army of amazing testers, the Anya shoulder bag pattern is now available to purchase here! Just in time to help you make lovely handmade gifts for your friends and loved ones... And for yourself of course.

Named after my daughter's favourite cousin, the Anya shoulder bag pattern is a deceptively voluminous, lined shoulder bag with an optional button tab closure which measures up at 38cm (15") wide and 27cm (10½") high without the straps. It can be made in a variety of woven fabric, from heavier quilting cottons to upholstery fabric and curtaining. I requires just 80cm (32") of outer fabric and 65cm (26") of lining (or less), so it is an excellent stash buster as well as a great show case for prints and solids alike. 

The pattern is sold as two PDF files. The first contains the pattern itself and is formed of only four pages that require printing out. The second file is a detailed 23-page instructions document explaining everything you need to know about preparing the pattern and making this bag. It includes clearly conveyed construction steps large colour photos. You may prefer not to print out the instructions, instead following them directly from your computer/laptop/tablet screen. However, the last page of the instructions document is a condensed text-only version of the constructions steps which you can print out to keep by your sewing machine. This may be useful for more experienced sewers, or for when you have already made the bag before and just need a little jog for your memory. 

In my next blog post, I'll share with you some of the fabulous versions that the pattern's testers created. You'll see just how cool or cute or pretty or vintage-y it can look when made in different prints, patterns and textures of fabric. Also in the next post, l'll launch a giveaway to give ten review copies of the Anya shoulder bag pattern to sewists who are happy to make it and write an honest review and post it on their blog and/or instagram. However, there's no need to wait to purchase your Anya shoulder bag pattern! If you buy it, you can still enter the giveaway; if you win I will refund your previous payment so you'll still get it for free. 

If you have any questions about the Anya bag pattern that hasn't been covered here, please email me at sozoblog (at) gmail (dot) com. If this pattern looks like it might be up your street, then please head over here to purchase it! 

New Sewing Pattern Sneaky Peek! Plus: A Call Out for Testers

**MY GOODNESS! I'VE HAD SO MANY RESPONSES TO THE CALL FOR TESTERS. THANK YOU ALL!!! I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE REQUEST FOR TESTERS NOW. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT**

Friends! I would like to introduce you to the next sewing pattern that I plan to release: the Anya shoulder bag pattern. I'd love to hear your initial thoughts, whatever they may be...

A brief explanation: the Anya bag is a deceptively voluminous, lined shoulder bag with an optional button tab closure. Like the Dolores batwing pattern, it will be available as a downloadable PDF file pattern. The pattern PDF will consist of just three pattern pieces: bag body, yoke and button tab. Dimensions will be given for the straps which are formed from a simple rectangle that can be drawn directly onto the fabric, rather than wasting your printer ink and paper by including it in the PDF. The bag should require only approx. 80cm of outer fabric, preferably a sturdy medium to thick woven fabric with no stretch content (I've found that curtaining and upholstery fabric work brilliantly, as do denim, twill and canvas) and 40cm of light to medium weight woven fabric for the lining. Fingers crossed, it'll be a suitable project for those fairly new to sewing and more experienced sewers alike. 

My hope is that this'll be the kind of pattern that you will want to make again and again, in many different fabrics, for yourself and possibly for your friends and family (I can't help but notice that there's a rather significant public holiday coming soon that traditionally involves gift-giving...). Over a number of years, I have made approx. ten squillion of these bags in various prints and solids, and the outcome each time always looks unique; the pattern seems to be a good canvas for many different types of fabric. 

A brief history: I drafted the first version of this pattern a number of years ago, and it has proved very popular over the last almost-decade. I used to make bags from this pattern, usually in vintage fabrics from 50s, 60s and 70s, and in African wax fabric, and sell them on various market stalls and at craft fairs. Unlike a lot of my other stock from that time, these bags always sold consistently well, and occasionally I got asked if I would share or sell the pattern. Well, it's finally time for me to do that!

So, the tester bit: I'm looking for about 6 or 7 testers with a variety of sewing-experience to try out the pattern and instructions and give me their honest feedback. If you think you might be interested in being a tester, please read on...

What will be required:

• I will email you two PDF files, one with the pattern pieces that will need printing off, and the other with full instructions that will include large colour images that you may prefer to read on your computer screen to save on ink and paper. 
• You will need to print off the pattern, make a bag as per the instructions, and email me your feedback ideally with a photo of your creation, all within two weeks. Normally, I'd suggest a longer time period, but I'm really hoping to release this pattern in November so people can use it for making Christmas presents.
• I will email you some questions to respond to as part of your feedback, plus I'd love to hear your thoughts on any other aspect of the pattern/instructions that may not have been referred to in the questions
• Unfortunately, I am not able to pay for your time nor supply you with fabric for the testing. I will, however, send you the finalised versions of both pattern and instructions once any corrections have been made. And you will have my undying gratitude, of course!

What will not be required:

• You do not need to be a blogger or have any social media presence at all. I am not looking for reviews of the pattern until it is finalised, in fact please don't review this beta version of pattern and instruction, for obvious reasons! 

If you are willing and able to test this pattern, then please email me at sozoblog (at)  g mail dot com by the end of Sunday 25th October. Please write a sentence or two about your level of experience using sewing patterns, and of sewing generally. I'm only asking for this to make sure that I get testers with a range of experience levels. Many, many, many thanks in advance for anyone able to help me out with this.