The ballad of the bag.

I have too many bags, but I get attached to one or two (or three) that I wind up using on a regular basis. The last time I needed a bag I made this one. It has served it's purpose well, and isn't even close to being put away, but now I was in need of a more grown-up bag. I don't need diaper pockets or places for sippy cups (eek! When did J get so big?!) and he's rarely in the sling anymore, so I can swing one over my shoulder again with no problems. 

I don't like name brand bags. It's something I know how to make and make pretty well, so I don't see why I would scour stores for a new bag (although there was a point in time where I needed some Andy Warhol bags, two of which I still use and love). So, it was time to make a new one.

Back in the Fall I came across some gorgeous golden velveteen fabric from Anna Maria Horner. I usually use what I have on hand, but I decided immediately that I needed to make this bag out of it. My mom was amazing and gave me some money for Christmas to stock me up on Anna Maria's fabrics. But that velveteen- it was no where to be found, and I mean nowhere. It was apparently from her previous collection and every scrap of it had been bought up. But I was obsessed, I had to find it. Around my birthday I thought I had and ordered two yards from Amazon of all places, but it came in as a thinner cotton. It was beautiful but not the fabric for my bag. I did make a skirt out of it, and wore it in London :) 

So, I gave up. I figured someday I would find a fabric that would be perfect, and my old messenger bag was still doing the trick.

And then.

Another woman who's blog I've been reading for several years (Meg of Sew Liberated) posted that she had sewing project kits put together and ready to sew. She had a really cool, really big old-fashioned carpet bag that I've loved for some time. As I scrolled through the photos of the kits I saw it. My fabric. There is was, in all it's golden glory, on a bag very similar to my original inspiration, trimmed in waxed canvas, and all ready to be sewn up in one easy afternoon. After an audible gasp I quickly hit "buy" and waited not so patiently for all the pieces to arrive in the mail...

And then they did, and I spent one evening petting the velveteen and another evening and afternoon putting this beauty together (while hanging out with friends, which makes it that much sweeter). 

So simple, so cheerful and so, so... rewarding. I'm thankful for talented women who have great ideas!

I can't wait to spend the summer traveling with this baby dangling from my shoulder....

And that cute kid on my hip!