Sunday, April 12, 2020

Ferris Waist Bags

I saw a photo of the Ferris waist bag online and thought it was really a nice looking bag, so I bought the pdf pattern. It comes in 3 sizes, small-medium-large. I made the medium and large sizes. The small size is more for a child or someone who carries very little.

The bags look really nice and can be worn as a fanny/waist bag or as a sling/cross body bag. The bag features a zippered main closure and a zippered front pocket. I also added a zippered back pocket. I feel the back pocket is a good place for storing your money and/or credit cards as it would be against you body however you chose to wear the bag.

I did run into some instruction/pattern issues with this bag. There were some pieces that didn't line up properly after they were sewn, so I had to adjust the sewing in that area to make it work. At first I wondered if I did something wrong, but when it happened on the second bag I made too, I knew there was something wrong with the pattern. Also the instructions (and some of the words used) were confusing in some parts as well. I know this bag had been tested, but how no tester found these things is a bit disturbing to me as I only buy patterns that have been tested to avoid having any issues with patterns. I did email the designer, and it took her a long time to respond back to me, but she really only gave me the line of being so busy lately and never addressed any of my concerns. I had told her I was only trying to be helpful to make her pattern better and not being harsh. I also said that it was my first experience using one of her patterns, so I doubt I would purchase another of her patterns if her other patterns might also have issues with them.

Most people will never contact the designer with what is wrong and they also will never buy from them again. As a tester for other designers, I like to give designers that I buy from a heads up if I find something that could be improved with their pattern. How else are they going to know or improve on the next one if they don't think anything is wrong? The testers she has obviously didn't bring up the issues I found.* I would rather have an honest and blunt tester than one who just gives me compliments and says nothing bad about the instructions. For instance, on some pattern pieces the word reflected  is used. As in cut one reflected. That seemed such an odd use of the word, when a better word should have been reversed or mirror image. The designer is from the USA, not another country where I could understand that things could get lost in translation if she were from another country.

*Update: I did find out from a couple of her testers that they did point out issues with this pattern and the designer chose to not change anything, so that certainly doesn't give me confidence in buying any more of her patterns. I buy patterns so I don't have to write my own because I assume since they are tested that any of the problems have been resolved. But if I have to do the changes in order to make the bag design work, then I certainly shouldn't be paying someone else top dollar for me to rework the pattern myself in order to make the bag and possibly ruining my fabric in the process.

Okay, I was just pointing out a few things I had issues with, but like I said earlier, I do like the look of the Ferris bags and I will redo my own personal pattern to make it work for me when I sew any more of these bags. This first bag I made is the medium size. I do have this one for sale in my PayHip Shop .  

The finished size of the medium is 15" wide and 7" high. The finished size of the large is 19" wide, 9" high.

Front zippered pocket and zipper closure.
I used those plastic snap thingees (don't know the technical name, lol) and a plastic adjustable slider instead of the metal hooks and rings that the pattern called for. I thought the metal would get burning hot in the summer months with having more skin exposed in the summer could be a potential burn on the skin! But then the zipper pulls are metal and I did add some rivets, so hmmm, maybe it wouldn't be much different? 

On the back of the bag I added another zippered pocket, which wasn't in the instructions.


Inside the main compartment.

Front.

Back.

Inside the back zippered pocket.

Both zippers opened.
Large Ferris bag. I also used the plastic snap and slider on the large as well.

Same as the medium bag, there is a front zippered pocket and main zippered closure.

I also added another zippered pocket on the back of the bag.

Bright green lining in the pocket.
For comparison the large on the left and the medium on the right. The large bag will fit most people of medium to large build. The strap might be too large for thin people if you wear it around your waist or hips, but if worn as a sling it is perfect.

The finished size of the medium is 15" wide and 7" high. The finished size of the large is 19" wide, 9" high.
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5 comments:

  1. Lovely fanny packs. I would like to make one, but don't want to deal with those issues you are talking about. Happy Easter!

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  2. I am a huge fan of fanny packs and these are beautiful. i feel your pain when patterns don't work out it drives me crazy. Love the batiks and you did a wonderful job these are so practical. They are actually perfect during the Covid crisis because if you have a fanny pack on, you don't need to set your purse down in a cart and you can just bring your essentials to purchase your items. great job
    tara

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  3. Pretty bags and love the fabrics!

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  4. Hi Daryl, beautiful fanny packs -- love both colors. How are you doing? We are hanging in there out here in the east. Just finished a t-shirt quilt for my nephew and now making some pillow cases from a Disney character sheet he had as a kid for his kids. Thankful I have all this to keep me busy. Jackie

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  5. Beautiful fanny packs. I've been looking for a couple years for a good pattern but haven't found one yet. Yours turned out great but I don't want to deal with issues you had so I guess I'll wait until I find one that is someone I trust. Thanks for your review of the pattern and the beautiful inspiration of your bags.

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