I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Sara Lawson’s newest book Windy City Bags, so that I could host a Sew Along with all of you! Sara even let me decide which bag to sew with you. I loved so many bags from this book, so it was really hard to decide. I had to get some help from my Mom and sister to narrow it down. We decided that Hey Mercedes would be a great one for it.

You can read a bit more about the bag here on Sara’s blog, Sew Sweetness. I really love the shape and size of this bag, and I think there’s a lot of room to be creative with this pattern. I also think it works well with some larger scale prints, which can be hard to work into some bags.

Before I get into the details of the Hey Mercedes sew along (including prizes and a discount), I wanted to share another bag I made from the book: Trompe Le Monde. This is a really unique bag, with a zippered divider pocket, a tongue lock closure tab, and some pretty overlays. I used Heather Givans’ Succulent line from Fabric Spark. The main exterior is a border print, and I had been waiting for just the right bag to display it. For the divider pocket and piping, I used a Mixology print from Sitka Fabrics; it works great as an accent.

It’s a great size too! This large tote has lots of room for books or magazines, a tablet and typical purse contents. Keep your valuables secure in the zippered divider, and the larger items in either of the large sections. The interior slip pocket is great for quick access items, like a phone and keys.

This was my first time installing atongue lock and it was so easy! Check out the free tutorial on Emmaline Bags to learn how to install it.

What’s a sew along? You can check out some of my other sew alongs to get a better idea, but the gist is that I will break down creating the bag in steps over a few days. I’ll try to explain the process with extra pictures, and I also offer tips and different ways to do things in the pattern. Many people enjoy sew alongs because it’s extra motivation to get going on a pattern you’ve been wanting to make. It’s also lots of fun to see progress of others joining in. Once it’s over, I’m always amazed and all the different bags made from the same pattern…so inspiring!

Because I know many of you still need the book, I’m giving you lots of time to get prepared for this event. If you haven’t purchased a copy yet, you can pick up a signed copy of Windy City Bags from the Sew Sweetness website. Book purchases from the Sew Sweetness website receive a free paper pattern (just leave a note at check-out which one you’d like), and as a special for the sew along, Sara is including the 4 metal rectangle rings you need for Hey Mercedes for free as well (just leave her a note at check-out that you’re participating in the sew along so she knows to include the hardware with your order).

You’ll have a whole month to gather your supplies and plan the bag. We’re starting the Sew Along on March 1st.

What you’ll need for Hey Mercedes:

• 1 1/8 yard fabric for straps and accent
• 1 yard fabric for exterior
• 1 yard fabric for lining
• 5/8 yard 58″ Soft and Stable or comparable foam interfacing, or equivalent amount of fleece
• 2 7/8 yards 20″ fusible medium weight woven interfacing (such as Pellon ShapeFlex 101)
• 4 metal rectangle rings (1 1/2″ wide)
• 1 magnetic snaps
• 2 x 12″ zippers

Sitka Fabrics, one of the sew along sponsors, is offering a 10% discount from now until February 21 with code Mercedes10 at checkout. I’ll be making mine with the gorgeous Avantgarde collection from Sitka Fabrics and the colors are stunning!

Of course there are prizes! Really awesome prizes that I’m very excited about. Sitka Fabrics is giving away gift certificates and Aurifil has offered some thread boxes for prizes!! How awesome is that?! We will have one judged winner, and the rest will be random winners. I will include details on how to enter to win on March 1st.

So gather your supplies, and check back in on March 1st. I’ll be posting some progress shots on Instagram, so be sure to follow me there as well. I’ll use #HeyMercedesSAL, and I hope you do too, so everyone can follow along.