Wave to Canada's Birthplace!

Welcome to the Maritimes where you'll find Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Canada's very own Birthplace - Prince Edward Island (Canada's smallest province)! 

PEI is the home of all things Anne of Green Gables and the super delicious Cows Ice cream which you have to try if you ever get the chance! To get to me here in Nova Scotia just head along the 12.9KM Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick (Canada's only constitutionally bi lingual Province) and then into Nova Scotia (Canada's second smallest 
province).

Our whistle stop history tour ends just along the road from me in Annapolis Royal where exciting things have been happening and just in time for Canada's 150th Birthday! Annapolis Royal has its very own official tartan and it's all thanks to the determination and design skills of Kimberly Gunn from Tartan Wave.

 

So when I discovered the mystery bag pattern I was getting to sew was Fabulous Home Sewn's Military messenger bag I knew right away that Kimberley's Tartan, Fenna's pattern and my favourite chocolate brown cork would be the perfect combo.

The Military messenger bag has just been released in Issue 15 of One Thimble magazine and it is an intermediate level pattern. It's finished size is approximately 12" high x 10.75" wide x 2" deep - the perfect shape to hold a computer or use as a roomy book bag. The flap fastens with two magnetic snaps and has two shape options.. an asymmetric one with one bellow pocket or a symmetrical one with two bellow pockets. For the adjustable cross-body strap you can use either webbing or the same fabrics as your bag. The pattern has both written instructions and plenty of step by step photos which makes it very easy to follow. If you are a beginner bag maker.. the only part you may find a bit tricky is sewing your bellow pocket(s) onto the flap. 

I made a few changes to my military messenger bag as I have some fabulous blingy strap hardware that I've been dying to use for ages.. so instead of using the webbing all around the side(s) & bottom of my bag I used my BringBerry U shaped strap connectors and snap hooks instead.

In order to use these connectors I recommend you make a few templates.. one so you can cut the perfect shape on the bottom of your strap and another to mark the position of your screw holes to attach it to your bag. I pressed the back of the strap connector into a piece of paper to make little impressions and then pierced holes in the paper to give me the perfect screw hole template. 


For the curve template.. I drew tightly around the outside of the U connector and then trimmed around the inner line of my pencil markings. Then tried sliding the paper into the connector.. it was still a little big on my first go so  trimmed a tiny bit more and it was then perfect.

 
 


If you're using cork like I did you will also need a punch to cut the right size of holes through all your layers for all connector screw holes and rivet holes to nestle into. I used an 8 inch long x 2.5'wide strip of cork folded in half both width wise and lengthwise to make my connectors with a D ring at the folded end. 

 

I also use a piece of Peltex inside under my washers and screws when I secure my strap connectors to my bag with a little metal glue in the screw holes to make sure everything is absolutely 100% secure. In my bag flap I used fusible fleece just as the pattern suggested but as I like my bags to have a firmer body I used soft and stable foam on those pieces instead.

I think you can never have enough pockets so I also added a simple slip pocket to my interior too.

The bellow pockets on the flap are fabulously roomy.. the reason why I didn't put the grommets in my pockets as mentioned in the pattern is because I didn't want anything to detract from the tartan. 

On a plain fabric I think they'd make a lovely little detail.

So how did my messenger bag turn out? I'll let you be the judge but I absolutely LOVE it! 

Now for my giveaway... just leave a comment on this blog post below for your chance to win $35 to spend as you wish in my online store https://www.tangledblossomsdesign.com/. 

The Giveaway is open worldwide and the winner will be chosen by random draw generator at 2pm Atlantic Canada Time Tuesday 6th June 2017 ... now extended until the end of our InTheBag tour so everyone this week gets a chance to enter! Winner will be announced 2pm Atlantic Canada Time on the 11th June 2017!

Each blog has an exclusive giveaway, so be sure to visit them all.

And don't forget to enter our main Canada 150 in the bag rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of this post for your chance to win one of the many amazing prizes!

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Tour Discounts

• 10% off! Tangled Blossoms Design is offering 10% off anything in stock for the duration of the tour. Offer expires June 10, 2017. Use discount code HAPPYBIRTHDAYCANADA

• 15% off! Bringberry Handbag Hardware and Design is offering 15% off anything in stock for the duration of the tour. Offer expires June 10, 2017. Use discount code LOVECANADA150

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Tour Stops

(These links will be active on and after the day they are scheduled.)

June 4

Emmaline Bags

June 5

Tangled Blossoms Design ◊ With Love in Every Stitch ◊ Happy Okapi

June 6

Michelle's Creations ◊ Barabooboo ◊ Soca Sewing

June 7

Glitter in my Coffee ◊ Michelle's Creations ◊ Seam of my Pants

June 8

Seam of my Pants ◊ Creative Roots Sewing ◊ Happy Okapi

June 9

Seam of my Pants

June 10

Giveaway ends at midnight EDT (North America)

July 1

CANADA DAY 150

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Giveaway Prizes

• Grand Prize: 2 PDF patterns from Blue Calla Patterns, $50 voucher from Bringberry Handbag Hardware and Design, $40 voucher from Fabric Please
• Second Prize: 2 PDF patterns from Blue Calla Patterns, $35 voucher from Emmaline Bags, $25 voucher from MM Cork Supply
• Third Prize: $50 voucher from Blackbird Fabrics
• $30 voucher to spend on any in stock fabrics from Tangled Blossoms Design, 1 Pattern from Thread Riding Hood
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 Pattern, plus hardware kit from Emmaline Bags
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 PDF Pattern from Thread Riding Hood
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 PDF Pattern from FABulous Home Sewn
• $25 voucher from Fabric Please, 1 PDF Pattern from FABulous Home Sewn
• $30 voucher from Sitka Fabrics
• $25 voucher from MM Cork Supply
• Ooh La La Jewellery* bag pattern & hardware kit from Among Brenda’s Quilts (Includes shipping within Canada & USA.)
• A selection of items for bag making from Flare Fabrics (Includes shipping within Canada.)
• $25 voucher from Stay Home Fabrics
• $25 voucher from Funky Monkey Fabrics
• Store credit for 1 yard of custom knit from Crookshanks Custom Textiles
• Store credit equal to one meter of custom knit plus one meter of solid from Midnight Mountain Fabrics

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  a Rafflecopter giveaway Please join us in thanking our tour sponsors by visiting their websites.

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* Jewellery is the Canadian spelling.