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I made this bag last year and I really don’t know why I didn’t share it earlier, but this pattern has me thinking about summer, so I figured I should tell you about it now to give you some time to prepare your next beach bag. Is it just me, or do bucket bags have you dreaming of sand and surf? The Blue Calla Dahlia Bucket Bag doesn’t have to be a beach bag of course; it could be your everyday bag too. It’s roomy enough to carry more than just the essentials and the trendy accents give it a cool vibe.

I couldn’t resist using the border print of this older Cotton + Steel print to coordinate with the other C&S. I will admit, the grommets were new for me, and I was having a heck of a time cutting the holes to set my grommets. My friend Crystal of Cloth Albatross helped me by suggesting to cut Xs for my holes, and then she even wrote a tutorial on the Blue Calla blog. If you haven’t installed grommets before, or you have but struggled, I strongly urge you to check out the tutorial, because it helps so much.

This pattern is great to try out vinyl or cork for the accents. I used a faux suede from Funky Monkey Fabrics; like cork and vinyl, this material doesn’t fray.

See this rounded cap stud on the accent here? It’s a purse foot! I know you can get studs specifically for adding bling, but the purse feet I had on hand worked perfectly and matched the rest of my hardware. I also use a zipper end from Emmaline for the end of my drawstring. 

This pattern has an adjustable strap, 2 exterior side pockets, an interior zippered pocket, and of course, a drawstring closure. It’s a lot of fun to sew up, and then a bit scary to cut holes into your completed bag, but that makes it a fun challenge.

If you want to try it for yourself, you can get the pattern from Blue Calla, and don’t forget to use the exclusive discount for my readers to save 10%, just put in code OKAPI10 at checkout.