Flap on the New Bag

This is the piece of black Soft and Stable I cut for the bag flap.  The center fabric was laid down and the lime green piping I made was laid down on the seam lines before the outside fabrics were stitched through all the layers.  According to the package directions no quilting is required but I did do some wavy lines on the center black fabric area as it was looking a little bubbly.  The Soft and Stable was very easy to stitch through.

I had cut the curve of the center piece before layering and stitching and cut the outside curve after the seams were stitched.  I lined the flap then turned it right side out and topstitched around the edge.  By this time I was feeling just pretty good….can you guess what I discovered next?  Here is the bag body and the flap ready, still love the lime green accents!

Enough teasing….Look carefully at the bag flap closed over the bag, notice anything?  Yes it is a camouflage flap!  I was astonished that I had not figured out that the bag front and the outsides of the flap were the same black and white print.  So much for making that great curved bottom on the flap as it all blended together with the bag body.What to do, what to do….I had to have a good think session as I just couldn’t live with it this way.  I figured that I had only a couple of choices; deal with it the way it was and add some lime green on the bottom and the outside of the flap or take the time to rip the top stitching then the seam and insert some cording covered with lime green fabric.  I didn’t relish doing all that ripping and didn’t think the cording would be enough of the color to visually separate the flap from the body of the bag so opted to add to the finished flap.  I covered the edge with 1/2” finished width binding and here is the new flap on the purse body.Now doesn’t that look better?  You can see the flap and the great curve now.  There is a downsize though – the binding added more bulk to the flap so added to my distress when stitching through all those layers when I got the top seam stitched with lining, cording, bag front and flap but did get it sewn, albeit slowly and one stitch at a time.  Will try to watch contrast on the next bag I make, hopefully before I get it stitched together but for now I do love this one.
Until later,
Lynn