Choosing fabric and interlining for the Noodlehead Oxbow Tote
If you’re thinking about making the perfect overnight bag, but you’re not sure where to start, then this is the blog for you!
Here at Tuesday’s Child Fabrics, we have road tested the Noodlehead Oxbow Tote with various fabric and interfacing/interlining options to help you find the combination that works for you.
With a bag pattern like the Oxbow Tote, initially you have a choice about what size to make. The pattern comes in regular and overnight size.
The finished measurements for the regular size are approximately: 15 inches wide x 5 inches deep x 12 inches tall (that’s 38cm x 13cm x 30cm). In comparison, the overnight size comes out around 18 inches wide by 7 inches deep x 14 inches tall (46cm x 18cm x 36cm).
In the image above the lemon print fabric was made into the regular size, the other three into the overnight size.
Having used the overnight size for three trips this spring, I can say that it really is the perfect size for a night or two away. The regular size is, in my opinion, ideal as a large handbag for a day out, but would likely be a squeeze (well it would for me!) for an overnight trip.
The main handles of the bag are a good size for carrying by hand, or looping over your forearm. They are a touch short if you think you might want to carry this bag over your shoulder. It’s a balance though, because if they were any longer it would mean the bag might drag on the floor when held lower.
The pattern includes a handy adjustable cross body clip on strap, which has worked well for me when navigating public transport too. A note on the cross body strap connectors. These are reasonably securely sewn into the side seam of the bag, and with reinforced stitching they have held up well for me so far.
However, Anna at Noodlehead has put together a YouTube video about an alternative method if you think you’re likely to be packing this bag really full and want to make sure it can handle the weight.
So, what about the features of this bag? We LOVE the style of the slanted straps across the body of the bag. On the front of the bag, this edges the pocket.
The pocket itself is the perfect opportunity for a contract fabric, or perhaps you’ll keep it matching the body of the bag. The pocket can be left as a simple slip pocket, or you could use a snap, magnetic snap or even a turn lock to keep the contents secure.
The curved top edge of this fully lined pocket is a nice design feature – something that Noodlehead patterns are known for!
Inside the bag, there is a large simple slip pocket too. Left as one single opening, this could fit a small laptop. Or split the pocket into two or three openings, for organising items in your bag. In one of our sample bags, we have switched out the slip pocket for a zipped pocket. The joy of bag making really is that you can very easily personalise your project to suit you!
Let’s have a look at the different options for interfacing/interlining. In the four bags pictured in this post, we have made two using fusible fleece, one with Style-Vil foam and the other is quilted using two layers of batting. Depending on your outer fabric and the combination of the interlining choice, you may end up with a bag which stands tall and proud on its own, or you may have one with a more slouchy and relaxed looking finish.
The black canvas overnight size bag stands up by itself, and holds it’s shape wonderfully. This has been made using the Style-Vil foam and also G700 interfacing on the lining pieces. The canvas used for this project is a medium weight (230gsm) with quite a soft handle. The Bedford Cord in contrast is heavier weight (350gsm), and for this version we used fusible fleece on the outer, and G700 on the lining pieces. For the black floral version, we used quilting cotton for the outer and quilted this with two layers of batting (a tip from Noodlehead!) and then constructed the lining as normal. This bag is soft, yet has lovely structure still. The bonus of this fabric choice is the wonderful range of fabulous quilting cottons to choose from! All three of these bags have been made in the overnight size.
The final bag of our set has been sewn using a mid-weight cotton canvas (260gsm) and fusible fleece for the outer and again G700 for the lining pieces. For all of the 4 bags, we used quilting cotton for the lining.
I think my favourite is the Bedford Cord/Fusible fleece combo. It has a more slouchy structure, but feels robust and hard wearing. For a bag that’s going to see the floor of many a train station, that feels important!
You have the option with this bag to use a contrast fabric for the base, or to use something more hardwearing for the base. For the quilted version, we opted for faux leather on the base, which is then quilted to a layer of Deco-Vil for a nice solid bag base. With the others, we opted for self fabric, and used a couple of different quilting designs, because, well why not!
All of the fabrics used are currently available in the shop, along with lots of other options. We also stock hardware packs for the Oxbow Tote. These packs are available in various colour finishes, and include matching hardware items needed for the bag but leave you the option to choose the zip that works for your project. If you opt for one of our double pull zippers, I recommend trimming one end so that you don’t have a metal stop. This will make topstitching your bag much easier!
If this sounds like the perfect bag for you, why not check out our Oxbow bag making kits? They come with the pattern, or if you already have the pattern you can choose to get the kit without.
We can’t wait to see what you make, and we love it when you tag us on social media too! If you’re on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us with #TCFMaker so we can join in the fun too.
