A couple of bags

I made this bag for my Mum for Mother's Day.  It was a little bit late.  I bought the main fabric months ago, from Spotlight, because it looked like a print that she would like.  Then with all the Covid isolation goings on, I completely forgot about it.  Then when I remembered, it was taking weeks and weeks for parcels to be delivered, so I didn't even bother.  

Mother's Day came and went, and then I was asked to sew a tote bag as part of a present for a friend, which I did.  I had forgotten how satisfying bag making can be.  Choosing the fabric, scrabbling through the stash for supplies and hardware, getting just the pockets you need, sewing cotton that behaves well and not having to worry about fit issues!  I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I finished my friend's bag, I started on this one for my Mum.

The bag pattern is based on the gingham tote in "handmade style" by Anna Graham of Noodlehead.  I left off the exterior pockets and changed the interior ones.  I also altered the pattern to have the black base.

The main fabric is from the popular Jocelyn Proust range at Spotlight.  I interfaced the bag with "By Annie Soft and Stable".  I bought this interfacing several years ago, but this is the first time that I have used it.  The bag holds its shape well and the interfacing is light for the amount of bulk it adds.  I usually prefer canvas type fabrics for bags so that I don't need to interface them, but I was won over by this print.  It is a quilting cotton, and I have since learned that Spotlight carries a Jocelyn Proust range in the upholstery section, which would probably work better.  

The yellow fabric is a gorgeous remnant leftover from sewing this skirt eight years ago.  I have been saving the scraps for something special. I made the strap adjustable, but I only had one D ring in the right size, so the strap is attached directly to the bag on the other side.  

My stash of zips is getting quite low, so I was quite pleased that I found this orange zip of a suitable length.

I have been using this next bag as my daily bag for a few months now.

It might be hard to recognise, but the main bag pattern pieces are from the Sydney Cross-body bag by Swoon patterns.  I have greatly simplified the bag, leaving off the zips and once again changing the pockets to suit.  You can see this pattern made up fully in this post.  

The main fabric is a beautiful outdoor canvas.  I bought a remnant piece from Otilly & Lewis and have been hoarding for years.  It is firm enough that no interfacing was needed.

The lining is a quilting cotton leftover from making my quilt.  The pockets are scraps left from refashioning a silk Tommy Bahamas shirt that my husband didn't like into a tank top for my daughter (I don't think I ever blogged this project).  If you look on the left side of the bag in the below photo, you can see that I made a side pocket for my glasses, which makes it much quicker to find them in my bag.

I got to use the silk on the inside of the interior zip pocket as well.  Only I can see this silk, but I love the print, so it makes me happy whenever I open the pocket.

This bag sat unfinished for months, because I could not decide on a fabric for the strap.  Nothing in my stash seemed suitable, or quite the right shade.  Eventually I had the idea to embroider a scrap leftover from $2/m textured white fabric that I had used to muslin a coat.  I rarely have the patience to use the embroidery stitches on my machine.  I'm really happy I did because I love the result.