Anthro-Inspired Bag: Ile Saint-Louis Bag

I saw tutorials for a knock-off of this bag from Anthropologie floating around some link parties last week:

Anthropologie - Knotted Tag-along Tote, $498 (Renamed by Anthro as the Ile Saint-Louis Bag with the reduced price of $288 ;)

The Little Appleseed posted a tutorial and a pattern at Someday Crafts! I checked it out and it looks easy enough to follow (except for the bias tape part... I have never tried using one before) so I decided that this will be my first attempt at making a bag.

After spending all my free time over the weekend...

... Mommy-and-daughter matching bags! After looking at the photos this morning, I only noticed that the folds along the sides are not as noticeable in the bags I made. I only made a couple of folds on each side and they were completely covered by the bow, but trust me... they're there! Also I couldn't find checked fabric in the fabric store at the mall so I had to use one with small beige stripes.

I mentioned that this is my first time to use bias tape...

Yes!!! I did it!!!

I didn't have time to make my own, though I saw a tutorial by Dana over at Made on how to go about making them. Maybe next time. The tutorial she posted on how to sew bias helped a lot though! And I did it the proper way, not the cheating way!!

I used soft cotton material for the bow so it was flopping around a little. I stabilize it, I sewed along the sides of the center:

I think the bag could use a zipper... but that's another thing I have never tried before. I think I will though, because I really want to have a zipped opening for this bag. But for now... my first attempt at making a bag and my first time to use bias tape! I think I learned a lot last weekend :)

Before I end this post, you gals might be wondering what my 1-year-old toddler needs a bag for. Well, every girl needs a place to put her 'essentials':

...you know, phone, keys and 'lipstick'.

I wasn't able to take pictures of us using these yet because I only finished last night (Sunday night my time). I meant it when I said this project took 'all my free time last weekend'. Andrea had no idea what it was when I first handed it to her... but when she saw I was carrying one just like it, her face lit up. She loves rummaging through my bag and I think she will love having one for her own to rummage through.

I hope you all had a productive weekend like I did. (In spite of the very sad news about Japan. Let's all keep praying for them).

Updated 3/17/2011:
We took Andrea to the doctor for a check up this morning and we used our bags!

Updated 04/04/2011:
I was browsing the Anthropologie site and I noticed that this bag is available again... but they are now calling it a different name: Ile Saint-Louis Bag. And they reduced the price, they are now selling it for $288. They have another bag they are now calling the Knotted Tag-along Tote.

I linked up this project to the following link parties:

Sundae Scoop at I heart Naptime | Free for All at Young and Crafty | Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Craft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | Made by You Monday at Skip to my Lou | Sew Cute Tuesday at Creative Itch | Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts |  Show Me What Ya Got at Not JUST A Housewife | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog | Made with Love Monday at Sew Chatty  | Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design | We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Sugar & Spice at Seven Thirty Three | Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple | Crazy Cute at Between You and Me | Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes |  Weekend Wrap-up Party at Tatertots and Jello |  Keep It Simple Sunday at The Tattered Tag | Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings | Sew Crafty Saturdays at Wildflowers and Whimsy | CraftOManiac Monday at CraftOManiac | Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T. |  Motivate Me Monday at Keeping it Simple | Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do |