Work-in-Progress Bags

So i've been working on an idea for a work-in-progress bag. Something to take along a pair of socks or a hat or scarf or something small like that you may want to carry around with you. I've worked on it on paper for many months but could never decide which direction to take it. Well something pretty cool happened. I was going through this box my mom gave me with a bunch of stuff from my childhood in it when I came across this little blue polka dot drawstring bag my grandma made for me with fabric leftover from an Easter outfit she made me. I think I was about ten so this bag is approximately 21 years old. I'm not sure what made me do it but I pulled it out and stuck the socks i'm knitting for Brett's birthday in it. Perfect size and shape and so different from the idea I was working on. So after carrying the socks around this way for a couple of weeks it really hit me ... it was perfect! So simple, yet so perfect. If it's only for one project it doesn't have to have a complicated set of pockets or closures or anything crazy. Just a simple drawstring bag with no zipper or velcro or anything to get stuck in your yarn. Well creativity hit again yesterday and I saw the perfect way to sew this bag up. I changed a few things, but the idea is the same. I doubled the fabric so you see the pattern both inside and out and so it's a little thicker to hold up against the tips of knitting needles that may be inside. I also sewed it in such a way that there is no selvage edge. Anytime you see a seem it's actually a folded edge so no way anything can fray. I'll take and post more details pictures later so you can see what I mean.

The old bag is on the right and the new one on the left. I've had this fabric for years. I bought it because I just absolutely loved it. Honestly, if I were ever to have designed the perfect fabric ... this would be it. I knew I would eventually find just the right thing to sew with it. I actually made three of these bags yesterday. This one, one with a blue fabric with very small flowers on it and one with big sunflowers. I'm going to list the other two in my etsy store and see how they do. I'll post pictures of those later as well. One of the best things about this bag is that it's completely made out of the same fabric and some thread. No notions to buy and/or run out of in the middle of a project. Even the straps and casing are made of the same fabric. I have some ideas for jazzing them up a little too. I'll see how they work out before I post about them.

Well we're off to Gainesville for speech therapy this morning. And of course, a stop at the fabric store to see if any fabrics catch my eye. :)

Thanks Grandma, 21 years later, for the great idea!

And any of you waiting for the next kids art class, it's coming, I promise. I'm waiting to get through a series of doctors appointments first. I know if I go ahead and schedule it i'll end up having an appointment that day ... Murphy's Law, ya know ... so as soon as I know, i'll let you know. It may end up being the beginning of November instead of the end of October.