Hello, lovely bag makers! Have you ever had one of those days where things don’t quite go to plan, but you decide to roll with it anyway? That’s exactly how this live Tribbiani Traveler sew-along started—I accidentally scheduled the session for the wrong time! But, as always, our amazing sewing community came together, and we had a fantastic time stitching, chatting, and sharing tips. If you missed the live session, here’s a little recap of what we got up to!
Why the Tribbiani Traveler?
The Tribbiani Traveler by Sincerely Jen is a bag I’ve made multiple times, and for good reason. It’s a great travel bag with three different size options—small, medium, and large. For this session, I chose the medium size, which is perfect for a short trip. The large version is so spacious that I joked a petite adult could probably fit inside!
Fabric & Materials
For this bag, I went with a wool blend exterior, paired with fusible fleece to add structure while keeping it soft. The lining is cotton sateen, reinforced with woven interfacing for extra durability. The base is made from vinyl and stabilized with Decovil Heavy, which helps the bag hold its shape beautifully.
Sewing & Supplies
To put the bag together, I used my Jack industrial walking foot machine, which made sewing through the layers much easier. I went with a #19 needle and Tex 45 thread in the shade "Dusty Rose" from Little Stitcher Sews, which complemented the fabric beautifully.
The hardware selection included burgundy zip tape, lobster clasps, D-rings, and rectangle rings. At one point, I realised I had forgotten the purse feet, so there was a quick dash to the garage to grab them!
Construction Highlights
One of the first steps was installing the zipper panel, and I used double-sided tape to get everything perfectly lined up before stitching. As a finishing touch, I added a sewing label that matched the fabric, which gave the bag a lovely personalised detail.
To ensure a neat and professional finish, I pressed the zipper tape to prevent any waviness and used a fabric glue pen to hold the seams down before topstitching. These little tricks make such a difference to the final look of the bag!
Community Chat & Bag-Making Fun
One of the best parts of these live sew-alongs is the interaction with everyone watching. Throughout the session, we had some brilliant discussions about bag-making supplies, ruler sizes, and fabric sources. There were also plenty of shared sewing stories, including a few fabric shopping adventures—because we all know how easy it is to go in for one thing and leave with a whole trolley full of fabric!
Final Thoughts
The Tribbiani Traveler is such a satisfying bag to make, and I loved sharing the process with you all. If you’ve never sewn one before, I’d definitely recommend giving it a go!
If you missed the live session, you can catch the full replay on The Bag Makers Sew-Ciety YouTube channel and sew along at your own pace. I’d love to hear if you’ve made this bag before or if you’re planning to—let me know in the comments! Happy stitching! 😊
Until next time happy sewing and may your bobbin always be full
Deb x
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