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Thursday 25 April 2013

I made myself a birthday present...

My Cath Kidston inspired book bag

Tomorrow is my birthday, so I treated myself to a Cath Kidston bag...sort of. I love Cath Kidston. I browse wistfully though her catalogue and website and love everything about her...except her prices! My goodness, Cath Kidston is expensive! I have been drooling over one particular bag for a while, but seriously who wants to pay £16 for a simple cotton book bag? I decided to make my own for the rather more reasonable price of £0. I used a pretty rose print fabric I have had in my stash for ages. I have about four metres of this fabric as I had originally intended to make myself a dress out of it. When the fabric arrived I found the cream was too yellow for my skin tone, so the dress was out. I love the fabric though, so I am always looking for ways to use it!

I lined the bag with another cotton fabric I had, a cream with a rose pattern in a lighter cream trailing across it. I have no idea if Cath Kidston's bags are lined as I have never seen one 'in the flesh', but my outer fabric was a little flimsy on its own, plus I think a lining makes everything look so much neater. The dimensions for the bag were conveniently printed in the catalogue, so I just added a seam allowance and went for it. I estimated the handles' width and length and sewed them between the outer and lining fabrics to keep everything neat.

I am really pleased with my Cath Kidston inspired bag. I may have to make more and play around with embellishments. I think I could have a great deal of fun embellishing book bags!

The Cath Kidston book bag that inspired me

Showing the lining fabric

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

A pretty good copy in fact a 'real Singapore copy' lol. Love Mum xxx

Hamlette (Rachel) said...

I love your bag! I'm something of a bag addict, though I loathe purses, and I have a lot more bags than I regularly use, but... they're so fun! And useful. I love the two prints you paired for yours. I made great big shopping/tote bags for my three best friends, my mom, and myself last Christmas, with plastic canvas inserted in the bottom to make them more durable (yet still machine-washable). Your post here is giving me the bag-making urge again... surely I could use another bag or two, right? ;-)

Fi said...

First of all, happy birthday! Have a great day.

The bag looks great. If we ever manage to organise for you to come and stay with us we'll have to pop into Cardiff as there is a Cath Kidston shop there.

Anonymous said...

Love the bag and Happy Birthday
Ann Kay

Hollace said...

That was a good solution for the money problem and the fabric problem! Very pretty bag. I find book bags very useful and use them a lot.
I really like the Cath Kidston prints and papergoods, too. So eye-catching!

Paula said...

Thank you everyone!

Fiona, I'm not sure Mark would be too thrilled at the idea of letting me loose in a Cath Kidston shop, but I would love it!