I'd like to say that I needed a new bag to haul all our towels to the beach, but the truth is, I haven't been to the ocean yet this summer (insert sad face *here*). No, this bag is the result of falling in love with this navy-gray canvas with silhouette birds (
Birch Flight in Dusk). As a participant in the
Bag of the Month club (thank you
Samantha!), I got to see 6 really wonderful bag patterns before general release, and Anna of
Noodlehead's
Poolside Tote was the perfect pattern to show off this great print.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of pre-washing the fabric. After washing and drying the lightweight canvas, the blue-grey was blotchy and creased. It was heartbreaking, but I decided to go through with my plan anyway...and pretend it's a purposeful "broken in" look!
A quick trip to
Hart's (15 minutes in a fabric store--a record for me!) and I selected a wheat-colored canvas for the handles and
Art Gallery's Cubisme quilting cotton for the lining. (And yes, for those who know the area, I was about a mile from the ocean at Hart's but a trip to the beach wasn't in the cards that day...)
Since the canvas was so light, I used Annie's Soft and Stable for some firmness. I haven't worked with this product before and I quickly learned that a walking foot is essential! Even still, I had a hard time keeping the stitches even. I do like how the bag stands on it's own, so Soft and Stable does the job!
I had to make some judgement calls on the stitching around the top of the bag--I wanted it to blend in with the fabric (mostly since my stitches were being all wacky), so I couldn't sew over the tan straps with my blue thread. I started and stopped at the junction and then hand-stitched the facing at those locations on the inside.
Metal zippers make everything look more awesome!
The bag is BIG, but designed just right so it doesn't drag on the ground while holding it by the handles (even for short me!). Perfect for blanket, book, and lunch (and sunscreen, water bottle, etc. etc.).
Inspiration for a trip to the beach? We'll see... :)
