Making an Amy Butler Sophia Carry-All
I totally understand the need for exciting and challenging projects. When I stumbled upon the Sophia Carry-all by Amy Butler, I was honestly smitten. Of course, I was also a little nervous since I hadn’t tried sewing a structured bag before. To add to my anxiety, it had been a while since I had done any “serious” sewing.
But, despite all that, I decided to take the plunge and make the Sophia Carry-all.
Researching the Project
To get ready for the challenge, I researched the pattern. I found a lot of blogs with reviews since the Sophia Carry-all was really popular around a decade ago. The reviews went from “I adore this bag! The instructions were simple to understand and I’ll make it again” to “I love this bag but I won’t make it again! The instructions were not clear and were hard to follow”. However, all the reviews agreed that this was an amazing bag! I paid attention to the tips and hints from the reviews and got ready for what I thought would be a big challenge.
The Beginning
I had the perfect fabric in my stash and I began the journey of making my bag.
I like to cut everything out before I start and this was time consuming. There was a lot of cutting out involved, exterior fabric, lining, interfacing and fleece. I took my time to ensure that everything was cut accurately and that I had all the necessary pieces.
Once I was satisfied with my cutting, I began to assemble the bag. The instructions were clear and easy to follow although there were a couple of places I had to read the steps a few times before I understood exactly what I needed to do.
Tips for Making the Sophia Carry-all
Now that I’ve finished the bag, there are a few tips that I would like to share for those who are interested in making the Sophia Carry-all.
Take Your Time
One of the main challenges was sewing the pieces together as my bag began to take shape. This required a lot of precision and attention to detail. I found I needed to be patient and take my time to ensure that everything was lined up correctly. Rushing through the steps could cause some errors so I found it was important to go slow and double check everything. Plus as the layers became thicker, it was harder to stitch so I found taking my time prevented damage to my machine. As it was, I still broke one needle. I upgraded my needle to a size 16 to keep from breaking more.
Use High-Quality Materials
To maintain the bag’s structure, it’s important to use high-quality materials. I would suggest using a medium to heavy-weight fabric like home decor fabric or denim for the exterior of the bag, and a lighter-weight fabric like cotton or linen for the lining. This will ensure that the bag looks great and is durable.
Practice Your Topstitching
Topstitching is a key part of creating the Sophia Carry-all. It helps give the bag its structure and polished look. Be sure to practice topstitching on a piece of scrap fabric. This will help you get comfortable with the machine and make sure your stitches are nice and even.
Changes
I wanted outside pockets on both sides of the bag.
I added bag feet to keep the bottom clean.
Then I decided to create 2 interior pockets on one side and 3 on the other, giving me 5 inside pockets.
Overall, making the Amy Butler Sophia Carry-all was such a fun experience. It really encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things. The final product turned out to be a gorgeous and practical bag that I’ll love to carry around when I travel.
If you’re looking for a project that will challenge you and help you develop new skills, then the Sophia Carry-all is definitely something you should consider. The instructions are fairly easy to follow, and with a bit of patience, you’ll end up with a stunning bag that you’ll treasure for years to come.
Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment below. And definitely show me your Sophia Carry-all! I would love to see them!
To help keep your sewing mojo going, check out these fun and easy project!
Get Your Sewing Mojo In Gear!!
Cup Cozy
Cup cozies are a cute and fun way to keep your hands from burning when holding a hot drink or freezing when enjoying a cold one.
Easy Envelope Pillow Cover
A quick change pillow cover to give you an easy update to any room!
Thank you for visiting with me at
Down Home at Dee’s
Subscribe to Down Home at Dee’s and join Litten, Tigger and me on our adventures of Exploring Life Every Day!
Down Home at Dee’s is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com