I made this bag for my friend with this chunky yarn - Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick And Quick - not called for by the pattern for the Fat Bottom Bag which you get in the book "Stitch and Bitch Crochet, The Happy Hooker". (It's a fabulous book with detailed, funny instructions on each stitch, gauges, yarn weights, and has many wonderful, diverse patterns in the book that would make any "Hooker" Happy. )
Back to making the bag with chunky yarn. To use the heavier weight yarn I omitted some of the middle rows the body of the bag because the result would have been too chunky to gather and look nice. Also I had to dec the amount of gathering stitches and add one extra row of gathering stitches in order for the handle flaps to fit the small handles I bought and for the dec in rows of the first piece.
Before adding the handle flaps I lined the bag with 1/4 yard of matching fabric, cutting the fabric to fit the bag while easing it inside the bag and adding a few pleats where necessary. The lining is sewn in with heavy duty thread using a blind hem stitch.
Next I added the magnetic snap closures.
I hot glued the handle flaps in place to the handles themselves in order to keep the oblong handles from sliding around and getting sideways while the bag is carried. I discovered why the pattern calls for round handles. heh, heh. Being the weirdo that I am, not liking to be told what to do I thought I would get creative and use these different handles to go with each bag's personality. Well, I should have stuck to the round handles but using the hot glue to anchor them in place, I am glad I didn't conform only to what the pattern called for. That's the rebel in me I guess.
After sewing the flaps and adding the embellishment I am done but for a cell phone pocket that I'll make out of the lining fabric. I tried to crochet one but the thick and chunky yarn wasn't suitable for making such a pocket.
And that's it. Now, if you don't already have the book, go to Amazon and order it! It's the best!
UPDATE!! I finally found the link to a blog that has a photo tutorial for lining your fat bottom bag... Here it is, it adds to this one, and this one adds to hers, so definitely check out this link if you wanna line your bag. It will save you a lot of time, believe me!
Go HERE
