Birthday Birdie Sling

This bag definitely had its challenges, but finally I have made the Amy Butler Birdie Sling for my mom's birthday.  Only a month and a half late, not toooo bad.  I had my mind set on using this Japanese Echino fabric to make this bag, but when I went to buy the yardage it was sold out everywhere.  I spent weeks looking at different fabric combinations, finally decided on what to do, and then the Echino fabric came back in stock.  At our actual birthday party, my mom got a picture of the cut out pieces of the bag and a promise of a speedy completion. 

There was a very frustrating incident that made it a little less speedy which I had never had happen before.  This was my first time working with linen, so I don't know if this is common, but when ironing the lining pieces of the bag to the fusible fleece the glue on the fleece came through the fabric.  It looked horrible.  This was definitely a low point in my efforts to get this done.  It was a waste of very expensive fabric, meant another trip to Joann's to buy a different product to see if it would work better and a whole evening's worth of sewing time lost.  Hunting down the specific pelon product suggested on the pattern proved to work much better, which baffled me because the pelon fusible fleece looked like it had more glue on it than the other fleece I had been using.  Luckily it worked, I think if I had had to find another lining fabric this bag would have been crammed in a dark place in my craft closet for eternity and my mom presented with a lovely gift certificate to the yarn store.

The first Birdie Bag I made also used actual bird fabric, I don't know if I will ever be able to make this bag any other way.  Happy Birthday mom, hope you enjoy your super cute bag!