2nd Bag Down!

I have finished the second bag! This is the largest of the three, and perfect for carrying my sketchbook and pencils in style. I tried the bag out the other night at a star party held by the San Bernardino Valley Amateur Astronomers (www.sbvaa.org). After viewing the quarter moon, and Saturn, through so many different types of telescopes, Sophie (my little grand daughter) and I found a spot for our chairs, then we began drawing the people moving about in the light of the parking lot. The bag held my larger sketchbook, pencil roll, and a change of clothes for Sophie.

The fun part of making these bags is finding the contrasting fabrics, buttons, or jewelry ornaments that add your own special touch to the pattern. For this bag I did make a few changes to accommodate the extra weight I knew the drawing supplies would have. So for the interfacing I used stiffer, craft weight fusible on the handles, and both inside/outside pockets. For the bottom, I used a super stiff, double side fusible interfacing and a piece of foam core board (instead of the cardboard the pattern called for) that made the bottom harder and strong enough to hold the weight of the sketchbook.

The smaller bag is just right for my crochet and knitting projects. The inner pockets could use a little redesigning to better hold needles and hooks; I also thought about making a bag with a skein holder that will keep the yarn in place when I take my work out of the bag.

I have just enough scraps left to make the third and smallest of the bags. The smaller bag will be perfect for carrying the daily needs stuff, plus a good book to read or my smaller notebooks. Actually, I've just gotten caught up in making these bags and I'm looking for any excuse to make the next one!

I'm using McCall's pattern M6409 for this set of 3 bags (http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6409-products-14672.php?page_id=104). Simplicity patterns have come up with a good selection and I have also found a Butterick pattern, B5197, that I would like to make for an everyday bag. I'm planning on making the overnight bag (pictured above, center, Simplicity 2274) for Autumn (my teen grand daughter); this would be great for the summertime slumber parties.

Knitting Bag Envy!

If you are like me, you probably throw your knitting or crochet projects in the first empty bag with handles that you can find before you take off for the long wait in the doctor's office, train station, or wherever you know you will have non-productive time on your hands. I was okay with that, even when the bag would wear out and tear (usually as I try to quickly stuff the project back in at some inconvenient time). I was okay, that is, until I was at the fabric store, and saw this suave, confident-looking, woman carrying a beautifully made bag of marvelous prints and colours. For a moment I was seeing green - I wanted that bag. The inner voice took over, "Dummy! You're in a fabric store and you can sew, what's your problem?"

Patterns were 5 for a dollar! I found the one I wanted, spent more time than I intended finding the prints and colours I desired, shopped for buttons, and interfacing, went home and got to work. The result was so beautiful that I had to show off my new bag to everyone. Then I found a problem - the bag only holds one project. So, I've started a new, bigger, and better bag! It was about that time that I realized that I "need" a bag for my sketchbooks and drawing stuff. That is my next project after the newer, bigger, knitting bag.

This is a McCall's pattern, M6409, the bag comes in three sizes (now that I think of it, I should make the small one for my tatting).

Do you see the stripped bag on the pattern to the right? I made that one for grocery shopping; that bag has soda-bottle size holders on either side. I don't have a photo to show you but it is so pretty that the baggers at the checkout stand actually treat my groceries with respect and "arrange" the items within the bag. They love to put the loaves of french bread or baguettes into the side pockets. (McCall's M6297)

I bought 2 more bag patterns today - 5 for $5.00 - the only time I buy patterns!; this time they are Butterick patterns and one is a diaper/changing bag (my daughter is about to give birth to my 3rd grandchild! Gotta have a diaper bag). My mother hated Butterick patterns, and I have lived in fear of them since I was a child, no doubt her spirit is scowling at me now. But fear is a thing to overcome, and I bought the patterns anyway. What? You need a diaper/changing bag? Butterick B5833, check it out!

So, there you have it - digging around in all this old stuff is rekindling my obsessive "gotta make that" behavior. I can no longer get on my Mom's case about her hoarding, except I still can't get over the jars and jars of screws she kept.