Doggy Beach Bag - Lessons in Large Scale Prints

Our Florida friends have a little dog Dunkin who goes with them everywhere, including the beach. There's even a Doggy Beach near their home!
That's what inspired me to make this... Doggy Beach Bag!

I had fun designing my own tote, using ideas from lots of other purse and bag patterns I've made before.

It is a really large and sturdy bag...
about 16" wide by 19" tall... Dunkin could fit inside comfortably!

{This is my little dog, Ginger...and she's not going inside that bag!}

I started with these fun prints from Terry's Fabrics,
in duckegg blue, gray, cream, and brown. I love to use stripes and circle dots, to set off a focal fabric.
Clockwise from top:

Right Lines, Great Spot and Man's Best Friend,
all in the duckegg colorway.

These curtain weight fabrics are sturdier than the
quilter's cotton I normally use.
I lined the outer bag pieces with Pellon 101SF
fusible interfacing, to add stability,
but it was not really necessary.

One great thing about working with
the high quality prints from Terry's Fabrics
is that they do not tend to fray.
I've had that issue in the past with some other home dec fabrics.
It's so nice to make a project without a sense of dread!

I'd like to share some tips for working with large prints:
1. Choose larger projects for larger prints.
This just makes sense, right?

{There are exceptions, of course, but the bigger prints are shown off best this way.}

I really love the way those big giant spots
look on the back of the bag!

2. Select three different prints to allow for great design opportunities.
Using only 2 prints, or more than 3, is fine...just more complicated.

I chose one print for the outer pocket,
and a different fabric for the bag body.
The third print, the stripe, was brought in for the lining
and some other detail work.

The three prints are varied in scale and value,
and they just look great together.

3. Directional prints, including stripes, need special consideration.

When cutting stripes, be extra careful to keep them straight.
Also note placement of pieces,
so they will not end up sideways or even upside-down.

4. Feature favorite parts of the large print, where they will be noticed.

Keep in mind which areas will be hidden
on the bottom or within seams, during construction.

{Here's a sweet little face that I wanted to be sure to include.}

5. Partner the fabrics to show good contrast and interest. Try using "opposite" prints for outer and inner bags.

For the outer pocket on this tote,
I chose the striped lining fabric for the pocket accent.
It's a nice and neat finish, and it shows up well
against both of the other fabrics.

On the inside of the bag,
I used the spotted exterior fabric to make the interior pocket.

6. Try something different!
Even an old dog can learn new tricks.

This stripe was actually printed horizontally across the bolt,
which is very unusual!
I love striped handles, and this time I tried
using the stripe lengthwise...and I love the way it looks!

I hope this post will encourage you to try some
large prints in your projects.
It's a whole new world of fabrics to choose from,
and you'll be rewarded with great looking results!

{I think Ginger would love a nice new doggy pillow.}