Interfacing Bags: By Annie’s Soft and Stable

In working on the Felicity bag I decided to try a different form of interfacing because the metal frame would weigh down the purse {I’ll talk more about the interfacing we use in our other bags in a separate post}. I stopped by the By Annie’s booth at Quilt Market and received a tiny sample of Soft and Stable, it intrigued me, so I picked up a package when I was at the quilt shop with my mom. Since this is something one either has to order online or buy from a quilt shop, not everyone has easy access to decide weather it is a product they’re ready to try.

I took a scrap of Soft and Stable and quilted a small piece of unwashed fabric to it. Then, I threw it in the washing machine on warm and in the dryer. Since I’m a mom {and somewhat clumsy}, that products are washable is important to me. I’d hate to put an investment into something only to have it ruined in the wash. I’m happy to report that it turned out great!

Here’s a picture of the Soft and Stable from the side, the deep lines on it are where I quilted the fabric down, but you can see how easily it sews, and also how thick it is from this angle. This is after washing, and it looks the same as it did before washing.

And here’s a picture of the inside of the Felicity bag that I’m working on, again, you can see the Soft and Stable is a little puffy, but the bag stands up nicely on its own. I did make my original Felicity bag with the Soft and Stable and have been using it for over a month, so know that I’ve not only sewed with this, but have used it myself too. You will be seeing a few more sturdy bags in our pattern lineup because of this great product!

If you’re making a sturdy, yet light weight bag, that you want to stand up on its own, Soft and Stable is an excellent choice because it is easy to work with, affordable, and even washes well.

While some might find cost a concern, I feel Soft and Stable is very reasonably priced. I have been able to make two bags out of the 36″ x 58″ package I bought, and I believe {hope} I should have enough to make one more. Also, since bags are upwards of $20 even at big box stores like Target and Wal-Mart, I feel it is worth the investment for a custom bag made out of beautiful fabric.

There are only two drawbacks that I could think of, but both have easy solutions.

First, it does look a little puffy when quilted, which I personally am not a fan of. So, for this bag, I interfaced the bag, quilted it, and then added the Soft and Stable. Fortunately, the Soft and Stable doesn’t need to be quilted!

Second, since it is so flexible, it does not make a sturdy bag bottom for a flat bag. I found that when using the bag, if my wallet and keys were off to one side, it pulled the bag kind of funny. Again, by adding something for a bag bottom {either a purchased bottom or plastic canvas}, this problem is completely solved.

I hope you’re encouraged to try some Soft and Stable! And if you’re on the lookout for the Felicity bag, I am hoping it will be ready soon! Some other pattern work and three busy kids have been keeping me from it, but I’m steadily trying to finish it!