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The Latest from Country Cow Designs

Our Next Pattern…

5th January 2022

Sedron Backpack   Sedron Backpack

Our next sewing pattern is well under way. We asked our mailing list what type of bag they’d like to see us design next and a full size backpack was the most popular by far! So this is our unisex backpack, as designed by Adam.

The Sedron backpack sewing pattern will be ready for release in early February. Until then we’re continuing to finalise the design as we use the bag and work through the prototypes. Then it will go to the pattern testers for a couple of weeks, and finally we’ll film the video tutorial.

The finished design will be slightly different to the one shown but it gives you an idea of the overall concept and size. In particular, the final design will not have a tongue closure but will instead have one central zip, as we discovered the tongue closure was impractical for daily use.

We’ve added the materials list at the bottom so those of you who are eager can get your supplies organised early.

For this backpack, we recommend using 10-12ox (320-400gsm) waxed canvas (aka oilskin), cork, or waterproof canvas for the exterior. These fabrics are perfect for the rustic style of the bag and wear well under heavy use. In the UK, I get my oilskin from Merchant & Mills. In the USA, I hear that AL Frances Textiles has amazing waxed canvas, though they’re currently closed for a move and are re-opening this month.

For the lining, we recommend 18oz (600gsm) waterproof canvas (WPC). The WPC adds loads of structure to the bag and means it needs no interfacing and only minimal stabiliser. It’s also very affordable in most locations. For example, in the UK you can grab a metre of WPC for just £7.48 including delivery from AE Market Store on Etsy. In the USA, you can get a yard for $7.99 plus shipping from Fabric Wholesale Direct. Factor in that it’s 60″ (1.5m) wide and doesn’t require interfacing, and you’ve got a real deal.

Shortly after the pattern release, we’ll be hosting a live session on YouTube where we’ll discuss the fabrics and stabilisers used in the pattern, recommend suppliers in various locations, and answer your questions in preparation for making the bag. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel or mailing list to make sure you don’t miss it!

 

Materials List:

No.5 Zip tape & four pulls – 42″

10-12oz (320-400gsm) Waxed canvas, cork or waterproof canvas (WPC) – 1 yard (54″ wide)

18oz (600gsm) Waterproof canvas (WPC) –  1 yard (54″ wide)

Peltex stabiliser (fusible or non-fusible) – 1/2 yard (35″ wide)

Foam (fusible or non-fusible) – 7″ (35″ wide)

2 x Magnetic snaps OR 2 x Side release buckles (you’ll need rivets too if you’re using buckles)

2 x 1 1/2″ Strap sliders

1/2″ Bias binding – 3 1/4 yards

 

*Optional Extras*

1 1/2″ Webbing (if you’d rather not make the straps) – 2 1/2 yards

Two-way stretchy mesh fabric (for the optional bottle pocket) – 9″ x 9″

1/2″ Fold-over elastic (for the optional bottle pocket) – 7″

Velcro (for the optional laptop strap) – 4″ x 3/4″

Double cap rivets – 8mm

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Waxed Canvas & Leather

22nd December 2021

We’re excited to be trying some new materials for bag making. With Adam helping out in the business more and more, he decided he wants to use some neutral materials and incorporate them in our next pattern. Our next pattern is going to be a full size backpack so this is ideal as we’re aiming for a more rustic design than usual. We’ve received our gorgeous waxed canvas from Merchant & Mills and we’re currently working our way through the first couple of prototypes, perfecting the design as we go. Adam also has some very quick and fun leather patterns planned for the end of December so keep an eye out for those too.

Waxed Canvas Red

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Hardware Orders Closed Until 29th December

20th December 2021

The post offices are soon closing for the season and the final recommended posting dates have passed so we’ve made the decision to close the website for physical orders as anything posted now is unlikely to arrive with you until after 29th December. You can still place orders in the meantime, but please be aware that orders won’t be dispatched by us until 29th December when the Post Office reopens.

This is also a fantastic opportunity for us to do a full stock take and update the website with new stock that has arrived.

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Konin Bowler Purse

10th November 2021

We’re excited to share this awesome new pattern with you! This is our favourite one so far. The Konin is an adorable size and it features an awesome built in wallet which we just love. This is an intermediate pattern, mostly because of all those curves and the binding. However, an ambitious beginner can definitely do it if they take their time, and we’ve included some excellent techniques to make sewing the curves easier. That’s right – we’re hand-basting the curves! Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. It will save you so much stress and you’ll never have to unpick a bad curve again. If you’ve not tried it in our previous patterns, do give it a go with this one. It really doesn’t take long and is well worth the effort. Grab the pattern from the website and check out the amazing tester bags in the photos. As usual, the full video tutorial is available to watch before you purchase the pattern.

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Muerqo Tote

17th October 2021

Our newest pattern is a perfect one for beginners. Sometimes we like to stretch our skills and encourage you to try daring new things, but we decided it was time for something beginner friendly, a nice easy sew. What’s different about this pattern to our previous ones? It’s the very first pattern where we’ve used a drop-in lining. We’ve come up with a method that we think you’re going to love. It gives a really neat, stress free, finish. You can grab the pattern from the website and the full video tutorial is available on our YouTube channel if you want to see what’s involved first.

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Top Tips for Making Bags on a Domestic Sewing Machine

10th September 2021

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we only have two sewing machines, and we make 95% of our bags on just one of them, a Bernina 930 Record. Many people believe you need an industrial sewing machine to make great bags, but we believe it’s all about knowing your machines limits and catering to them. In fact, all our patterns are designed to be made on a domestic machine, and we know you can because that’s what we’ve made them on. We love our Bernina and are really proud of all the bags we’ve made using it over the years. So we’ve made a short YouTube video summing up our top tips for making bags on a sewing machine.

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