A Penchant for Bags

Making bags is so addicting. 

There is no fitting involved, so it's a very forgiving construction process. If you can measure and sew squares and rectangles together, you can make a nice bag. The color and fabric selection that is available to create a bag seems endless.  You can choose a fabric that you wouldn't necessarily wear or use to decorate your home.

Also, they are so quick to make and require such little yardage that if you get tired of your bag you can just make a new one!

I made a few this past weekend. I would have sewn more, but a cold virus weaseled its way in and sapped a bit of my energy.

The grid on my cutting board gives you an idea of the size of these bags. I used a 22" zipper for the top opening on the large one. Next in size is the lunch bag like I made here. And finally a small pouch that uses a 7" zipper. The small pouch is made with the same fabric as the bag lining.

I have enough photos to put together a tutorial for the large bag. It is the perfect size for many uses: gym tote, diaper bag, carryon flight bag. 

Tutorial to be posted soon!

Be sure to visit  Sew & Tell Fridays. I'm not the only one making bags!

Large Tote and Matching Lunch Bag

I made this lunch bag from an online tutorial. Google "lunch bags" to find one; there are millions of them out there. Some are lined, some are not. I put a lining in this one. And used a hair elastic for the button loop.

The bag is resting on my elderly Christmas cactus plant. The plant was given to my father about 20 years ago by a man who was in his 90s and the plant had belonged to the man's mother! It has a thick trunk and gets lots of new shoots almost continuously. I have given it a haircut occasionally but not very often. It had about a dozen blooms this Christmas.

I made it to go with this bag.

And gave both to this adorable daughter-in-law for her birthday.

They should get a lot of use since she needs to be quite mobile in her job.

Hope you are having fun with post-Christmas creating!