Intermediate City Slicker

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For my second month as Go To Patterns* Ambassador, I received the Intermediate City Slicker. This is a large handbag style purse complete with several pockets both inside and out. This is a purse that will keep you organized for a day trip for sure. 

The front pocket features a twist lock with a flap that covers nice and roomy pouch style pocket. Honestly I was a bit leery of making this pocket, but it really wasn't difficult at all. In fact the hardest part about sewing the pocket was finding a twist lock locally. Even then the quality of the one that I did find wasn't the greatest compared to what I've used in the past. My favorite place to order twist locks online is from The Buckle Guy. But I didn't have time to wait for it to be shipped to me.

The back also features a very roomy slip pocket. I personally like to have a slip pocket like this on the outside of my purses and bags. It makes it very nice to easily slip your phone or keys into and be able to find them without digging through your entire purse.

Now for the inside. The inside features a zip pocket as well as slip pockets. There are slip pockets on the front as well as the back of the inside of the purse. 

The bottom of this bag is a large rectangle. Surprisingly this did not make the purse difficult to put together at all. I especially appreciate the tips given to add a professional finish, such as when and where to top-stitch. I'm a sucker for top-stitching, but I didn't top-stitch the purse sides as suggested. 

This purse is very sturdy, and I like a well interfaced purse. This one is no exception. You can see that it stands very well on its own without flopping over. The interfacing that I used was headliner foam (in place of Soft and Stable) and Decor Bond. I generally use Decor Bond when a light to medium weight interfacing is called for since it's more cost effective and I like the stiffness that it adds to a project in addition to body. The front pocket and flap as well as the straps use fusible fleece.

I opted for the intermediate version instead of the advanced version. It is my understanding that the advanced version includes a few extra details, one of which is a welt pocket instead of just a slip pocket on the back. 

I appreciated all of the step-by-step photos and well written instructions, including several tips and tricks, especially when it came time to install the zipper. This was not a hard step in the bag making process, but it was a different application than I had ever installed before. I think the unique shape of this bag is accented very well by the zipper. I also like that it will keep everything safe and secure while shopping or simply running errands.

If you would like to make your own City Slicker*, you can find the pattern on the Go To Patterns website. This was my very first Chris W. Designs pattern and I rather enjoyed myself. This pattern is definitely for an intermediate seamstress. I'm not saying that a beginner shouldn't try it, I just think that the sewer should have already made a structured bag or two or three. At times there are several layers to sew through, but believe it or not, I didn't break a single needle! And while this pattern did take me several sewing sessions to complete, I really did enjoy myself and the finished product is something that I'm very proud of. Usually the patterns I show on my blog, are made as gifts for others, but I think this is one that I'll be keeping for myself.

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This post may contain affiliate links. By using my affiliate links, I earn a small commission which helps me continue sewing cool stuff for my family. I would never recommend something that I wouldn't be interested in myself. I was given a copy of this pattern at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review on my blog. Thank you for supporting my site!