My review of the Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit. This kit contains everything you need to make a gorgeous waxed canvas bag. The included materials and hardware pieces are high quality and the pattern is easy to follow.
My Review of Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit
I made this waxed canvas dopp kit for Jonathan this Christmas, and I love it so much I almost stole it back. I'm seriously jealous that it's not mine. Waxed canvas is one of my favorite materials for bags, and it makes a perfect dopp kit.
When I saw the Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit on sale last November, I jumped on the chance to buy it. I loved that it contained the pattern, the necessary fabrics and all the hardware needed to make the bag. With the kit, I was able to get sewing right away.
About The Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit
The Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit is perfect if you are looking to do any or all of the following:
- Learn how to sew a boxed dopp kit
- Learn how to sew a practical zippered bag
- Work with waxed canvas
- Set metal rivets
- Quickly make one dopp kit without having to shop for supplies and metal hardware
This is a very beginner friendly pattern. Plus, it comes with a printed pattern booklet, so you can make this dopp kit over and over again. Keep reading for my review of this kit and pattern.
What I Loved About The Woodland Dopp Kit
There's a lot I liked about the Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit.
Saved me time
Personally, I bought the kit because I wanted to make a waxed canvas dopp kit to give away as a gift. The kit fit my needs perfectly because it came with all the fabrics and hardware, and saved me a lot of time from sourcing and buying the materials individually. Plus, it's not easy to buy small amounts of fabrics and notions.
Quality fabrics and hardware
The fabrics and hardware that came with the Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit impressed me very much. The entire kit comes in a rolled tube, and the waxed canvas piece did not have a single fold or crease on it before I started working with it.
Moreover, I appreciated the precisely trimmed and sized fabrics. The waxed canvas piece and the canvas lining piece matched up perfectly. The zipper also did not need to be trimmed.
Easy straightforward pattern
The Woodland Dopp Kit pattern is very easy to sew. The instructions are well written and I was able to follow them easily.
I appreciate the simple construction of the bag. Unlike other dopp kit sewing patterns, the Woodland does not have a seam that runs along the bottom of the bag. Instead, the waxed canvas outer layer and the canvas lining are each cut and sewn as a single piece of fabric.
Changes I Made To The Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit
The Woodland Dopp Kit is a complete kit with instructions, but I made a couple personalized changes.
Adding a D-Ring
First, I added a brass d-ring at one end of the dopp kit. This extra piece of hardware gives a place to hang a small charm on the bag. Also, it's a convenient handle to hold on to when carrying the bag or zipping the pouch open.
To add the brass d-ring, I used the scrap waxed canvas that came in the packaging. You see the little strip of canvas that is used to wrap the two fabric pieces in the kit in the photo above? I folded that up and used it to attach the brass d-ring.
The d-ring is simply sewn into the side seam. I placed it on the side the zipper closes, so when the dopp kit is picked up by the d-ring, the zipper is closed at the top.
Just to note, the Woodland Dopp Kit does come with two leather tabs on either ends. They aren't easy to use to pick up the bag though because of their small size.
Binding with Cotton Twill
Second, I used cotton twill tape to bind the edges on the inside.
The instructions suggest using a zig zag stitch to secure the side and boxed corner seams. Since this is a beginner friendly pattern, finishing the seams with a zig zag stitch is the easiest way.
However, because I didn't think a zig zag stitch would hold up as well, I used a ½" cotton twill tape. The twill tape binding gives the bag a cleaner more polished look too. Because I used a fairly narrow cotton twill tape, I struggled at the points where the seam contained multiple layers of canvas and became quite thick. Using a ¾" cotton twill tape would have been a better choice.
What Equipment is Necessary?
I made this dopp kit using a home sewing machine. The wax canvas and canvas lining sewed just fine with an all-purpose polyester thread. Also, as there's no top stitching in the pattern, no top stitching thread is needed.
To set the rivets, I used a double cap rivet tool. The pattern states that you can simply use a hard surface, but I used the rivet tool so the rivet stays dome shaped.
Would I Make The Woodland Dopp Kit Pattern Again?
The Woodland pattern is quick and easy to sew and follow. I have made it several times already with different fabrics.
My favorite part of the pattern is that there is no bottom seam on the bag. The bottom looks beautiful from the inside and out because of it.
However, because the inner and outer fabrics are each sewn as a single piece, it's not possible to top stitch along the zipper. Top stitching is not necessary though since the waxed canvas holds it's shape away from the zipper well.
Also, because there is no bottom seam opening, the side and corner seams are visible on the inside. I don't like that the pattern suggests using a zig zag stitch to finish the seams. Zig zag seams don't give a very professional look, nor do they hold up as well.
I have used both binding (like this bag in the photo) and my serger (for a quicker finish) to finish the seams when making this pattern. I prefer the look of the binding. It's not hard to use cotton twill tape to bind it because they are straight seams, but it would have been helpful if the pattern included instruction on how to bind the seams.
Overall Review of Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit
The Klum House Woodland Dopp Kit gives you all the instructions and materials to make a stunning bag. I would recommend it if you want to make a single high quality waxed canvas dopp kit, or if you are learning how to sew bags. It is a fantastic beginners project.
Any questions? Drop it in the comments below. Have you made this pattern or anythin from Klum House yet?
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