New Bag

I waited again yesterday. I called and they are definitely coming on Weds. I have good news they showed up today at 7:50 am.

I cleaned out one of the spare bedrooms while I waited, the closet had become a dumping ground. I pulled everything out and then only put in the stuff that should be in there. I found all my 72 hour kit stuff. I think next week, I will put the kits together and see what I'm missing. A 72 hour kit is an emergency bag to grab when you get evacuated from your house for 2 or 3 days, due to weather, diaster or something. This spare bedroom was one of the boys', he's now in the Army. Last time we had a visitor try to sleep on the twin bed, it was too funny. I've slept on that twin, it's not so funny. (when a grandchild visited and cried for Mom).

I pulled out all the sheets and paired them into sets after I washed them, the boy just shoved them in the closet. I've been washing sheets and blankets for the last two days. We don't have a twin bed anywhere in the house anymore, so I'm going to give them to a friend. The good sets of course. Buzz Lightyear and Power Rangers will go to a good home.

Then I sewed:

I have this perfect bag. It's the right size for everything from sample to show a client to carrying my drawing and doodling stuff. I carry it all the time. My husband gets crazy because a lot of the time, it has something in it when I want it and I just dump out the stuff in it and go. I decided to make myself some more of this size bag. This is the first one. The fabric is Micheal Miller laminated cotton called Black Damask. I added the outside pockets instead of the inside pencil pocket. The bag is big enough to hold a 1" three ring binder. I'm going to make more if these in different colors. I'd like to sort the bags by use. This way I always know where my drawing stuff is, it's in the drawing bag.

The hardest part was the bottom pleat. The Original bag had this detail. To make the pleat, you find the bottom and mark it, then measure up 2" on both sides (you should have six marks now three on each side). The tuck in the bottom lining up the 2" marks on each side and pin. I'll take better pictures when I get the next one cut out. Okay then when you sew up your side seams, the tucked in part becomes the pleat, like a reverse boxed corner, without trimming off the triangle.

I used the pocket idea from a bag I have that holds my laptop. The pocket is formed as a cyclinder with the zipper. Top stitch the zipper to the back of the pocket. I used the web belting to hold the pockets in place. This actually forms two pockets one zippered and one behind. very very easy peasy. What else did I change, oh yah, I made the straps 6 inches longer.

The laminated cotton works wonderfully. I was surprised that I could just tear it like duck cloth. I cliped the selvange and torn. I have this Black Damask on a roll. Note: I pinned and should have pinned more. There are a couple of wiggly places, but I'm the only one to notice. The zippers wiggled, so I need more pins next time.