I’m a novice, YouTube-taught sewist/quilter, and had four quilts (and nothing else) under my belt when I purchased the Doable Duffel pattern. I was excited to try, but my only concern was that I had never made a bag, and certainly had never sewn zippers or pockets or used interfacing or webbing or bag hardware before. And what the heck is a gusset??

Reading through the pattern, I was fairly certain I was in WAY over my head... until I saw Shelly's Duffel Master course! Shelly gave very detailed instructions, and demonstrated every single step -she was also extremely reassuring and offered a lot of tips along the way.

I loved Duffel Master! Even though I'm a fairly experienced bag maker and quilter I learned tons of helpful tricks and tips to really level up my bag making. Shelly's videos are chock-full of info about helpful tools you'll definitely want (and what you can probably do without), working with bias binding, and working with zippers. This course would be great for beginners just starting bag making, but even if you've made a ton of bags before you're sure to learn something new!

The Duffel Master course was just what I needed to kick start my bag making journey. Shelly answers every possible question you could think of to put your mind at ease during the course.

I loved the sections on how to pick fabrics and why, colour of thread for a polished look, stitch length, etc. For those that are intimidated by choosing the various components of the bag (me!) Shelly provides resources on where you can buy all the materials you’ll need, and offers a convenient bundle in her online shop.

Her technique for cutting large pieces is a great review for any quilter, as well as learning how to glue and press seams down for a professional finish. Shelly insists zippers are not scary and she’s right - it was probably my favorite module!

The Duffel Master course is a perfect complement to the Doable Duffel pattern. Although I have made bags previously, they never turned out the way I wanted them to. Having both the written pattern and the videos for each step of the way made this my most successful bag yet. The tips shared along the way were invaluable (what color thread is needed at each step, when to switch your needle, when to shorten or lengthen your stitch length, etc.) and made me feel much more confident in my bag making skills. Being able to go back to re-watch each step as needed made this feel like I was a part of a class, but it was on my timeline (and super affordable). I would recommend this course to anyone that wants to make a supes-profesh bag!

I expected Shelly to be a good teacher based on her social media and blog, and I was not wrong!!! Her videos explain step by step things that I would not have thought of when just following a pattern.

At no time did I have to redo anything as I had both the pattern and the videos to help me every step of the way. I was given fabric by a friend who wanted me to make her a bag and I was so afraid I was going to mess it up but with Shelly’s course I feel like I did a professional job! And I am looking forward to making my next bag!

I signed up for this course and believe me, it was money well spent! Shelly took us through every little detail so thoroughly that I honestly didn't need to refer to the pattern. At the beginning, I was eager to get started so I quilted and cut my pieces prior to the course starting. I learned a big lesson...Wait for the course! There were so many useful tips and tricks that Shelly showed that would have saved me so much time and struggle.

Just like other courses I have taken from Shelly, This one was very easy to follow and understand. Shelly is very clear in her explanations and her videos show everything in detail. I used my cell phone to watch them, and even on that little screen, everything was very clear and visible. It's just like having Shelly in your sewing room with you, and she's the kind of fun sewing buddy everybody wants!

Prior to this course I had only made one bag ever! It was a tote.. no zippers. I thought I could read the pattern and just figure it out, but the visual learner in me took one look at the pattern and the mention of zippers and said “Absolutely not!” I bought Duffel Master - BEST decision I made!

Sewing supplies are expensive and the value of this course is so reasonable especially when it spared me costly mistakes. I for sure would have made some without it! Plus the added tips of changing your needle size at certain points, how to cut the long pieces with multiple rulers and other little tricks were extremely helpful! 

I can't believe I made my own duffel bag! I've always been a bit intimidated by bag making, but when I saw that there was a video option for the Doable Duffel I thought I would take the leap. And I'm so glad I did! The modules were fun and easy to follow. Not only was my sewing machine able to handle all the parts of this well-constructed pattern, but I've gained a ton of sewing confidence through this project

This course was made for me! After watching Shelly on Instagram for quite some time, I was confident that the course would be detailed and it did not disappoint. Every single step of the making was broken down into small “bite size” sections so I never felt overwhelmed. The pattern itself was very detailed but I loved having the visual support.

Can I tell you how many times I replayed sections to ensure that I got it right? Watching Shelly was so helpful. I finished my duffel and am now using it. And…I have 3 more panels quilted and ready to make more. I cannot wait for Shelly to put together another course. I’ll be first in line to sign up!