Sew Sweetness: Turnpike Convertible Wallet

I find that sewing bags is a great palette cleanser for me after I made several garments or sewn intense projects. Making bags can be quite tricky depending on the pattern, but as long as I follow the directions and pay attention, I usually get the results I want. If you make your clothes, you know this is not necessarily true for garment making. Before we get to the good stuff, I want to disclose that Sara of Sew Sweetness gifted this pattern set to me. 

This convertible wallet is my first project for the year, and I think it was a good starter project. The pattern is called The Turnpike Convertible Wallet, and it is part of Minikins, Season 2, a pattern and video bundle.  What I like about the Minikins bundle is that it includes several patterns and plenty of resources for a reasonable price.  Plus, if you are a new sewist, the videos are beneficial. However, if videos aren't your thing, the instructions are also available in text. I used the pattern instructions to complete this bag because I wanted to gauge whether it was well written. I made my wallet without any problems, but if you are new to bag making or sewing, the step by step videos will be of great assistance as you read through the instructions. 

This wallet has a detachable strap to go from tote to wallet for a larger purse in a matter of seconds. It is a “essentials only” wallet. I carried it for a dinner date, and my cellphone and chapstick fit in the cellphone pocket. I put my keys in my coat pocket (which zips) and slipped my mask pouch on the strap. Everything worked perfectly, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything I needed without my larger purse.

The project also didn't require a lot of sewing notions. To complete this, I only needed snaps, a zipper, and various types of interfacing.  I used knit fabric to make my wallet, so I interfaced my fabric using shape flex interfacing to stabilize the knit before cutting. After that, the knit handled exactly like woven fabric would, so I didn't have to modify anything. This is a good scrap buster project, and I made mine using fabric leftover for a recent sweater project, which I'll be sharing soon. If this project is an indicator of anything, I anticipate that I will have plenty of matching sets this year, and I'm absolutely okay with that.