Bag lady

So I have a habit of carrying around mangy looking calico grocery bags, for my lunchbox, my waterbottle, my raincoat.... I've never quite managed to be a minimal traveller when when leaving the house only for the day and since I have loads of fabric, and old curtains, not quite big enough to make into clothing, and too lush to be left folded away, the obvious solution was to make some bags!

So I bought a pattern (shock horror - till this point I have been psychologically incapable of following patterns) made by the very talented loulabelle. The pattern is for a simple sling tote, lined, with a pocket inside. Long handles are useful cos you can easily wear a bag like that when you're biking about. It was also a very clear step by step instructions, which I need, because usually, I get to the first instruction that I don't understand, then I give in.





So I made three bags following the pattern, then being totally delighted with the results (and the fact I followed instructions), branched out a little and tried some different bags (sans instructions).

I made one for my knitting that was slightly larger and had two handles, and another two handled one in reddish fabric (since I'd already done green, brown and blue). Then I branched out and had a wee look online for other bag patterns and it turns out there are loads....





I tried this one, it looked easy enough, but I got totally flummuxed and my one looks nothing like the pattern one. sigh. Check out the awesome button I put on it though...


Finally, I made a case to hold my knitting needles to go in my new knitting bag, with some calico and a scrap of fabric I love so much. You simply roll it up like a giant knitting needle sushi and tie the ribbons tight.





For the record, this has been two weekends of mostly sewing - slightly intense but oh so satisfying. I don't know if anyone else is like this, but when I make something, I want to see in in a whole range of different colours and contrasts, and then that's all I can think about for a while, and I pull out my material and start matching it up until common sense takes hold again and I select just a few of the best ones and put the rest away. Slightly compulsive I think, but for now, bags are out of my system, until I try making a felt handbag (thinking along those lines soon)