H2O to go

If you’re reading this it meant you made it through the polar vortex (congratulations!), still are buried in snow (urgh I’m sorry!) or are in Florida (sigh). Either way I’m glad you’re here! 

If you’ve been here for a minute, you know I’m following some tutorials by Jess from The Oklaroots Channel and having (mostly) so much fun! But there are times when it’s all fun and games until you’re ready to take your expensive custom fabric and throw it out the window because a pattern just isn’t playing nice. Meet the H2O to go sling by Lind’s Handmade on Etsy. 

I bought this pattern a month before Jess’s tutorial even came out thinking this bag would be perfect for our new hiking adventures in Montana but was afraid to try it myself. Thankfully this pattern was and still is wildly popular so a tutorial from Jess was made and I was thrilled! 

I decided to use my very first full yard of custom fabric- this Disney snacks print by Oh So Pretty Custom Fabrics. I mean come on, what goes better with Disney snacks than some fresh water right? (Ok wine or a cocktail is great too—and this does fit a bottle of wine!😜) Whenever we go to Disney we always bring water bottles but carrying them is always a pain. Problem solved with this baby! 

Everything with this pattern started out fantastic! The installation of that curved zipper pocket was what I was most nervous for and it was so easy and hugely satisfying. And best of all my top stitching around that pocket was on pooiiint! Even attaching the pocket to that curve on the main exterior piece was much easier than expected. Where the hair pulling started was a place I really thought I could master easily, the oval base. I’ve sewn clothing for many years and attached hundreds of sleeve cuffs that seemed to have the same principle. Nope. Nuh uh. I just could not get it! I found the quarter marks as directed, clipped all around, sewed evenly or so I thought, turned to look at it and...I had a wonky trapezoid. Urgh. Rip. Try again using pins and a zipper foot. Result? Pointy circle. 🧐 Rip. Staples? Worked well but still looked poopy in the end. Then I kept getting visible stitches from the right side and crazy shaped bottoms. Changed the needle just to be sure and tried again. I ripped those bottom seams 6 times before I finally had to walk away. I honestly didn’t know if I would come back to it at all. But that front zipper and unique idea had me giving it the side glances the next morning. 

I started looking for advice on how to tackle this bottom and found ::drumroll:: A HACK! 😱 a square bottom hack to be precise from the Lind’s Handmade group on Facebook. GAME CHANGER. Tried it, loved it, done! Once I found that hack I was literally done with the bag in no time at all and the end result is really a thing of beauty especially with the strap anchors- I’m really really into using these things! 

All-in-all, I really do love this bag! It’s really well written and like I said earlier very unique and really a fun sew. I say if you’ve never made it before, try the bottom as written-there have been soooo many successful, beautiful oval bottomed bags! But if you’re like me, know that there is another avenue. Now who’s gonna take me to Disney already?! 

Pattern: the H2O to go sling by Linds Handmade (Etsy)

fabric: Snacks regular scale from Oh So Pretty Custom Fabric

Lining fabric: Joann Fabrics

zipper tape and pull: Wizardry Stitchery & Crafts