22 April 2006
A new bag, a new bag! No, I haven't tired of the great Green Bag, but I do sometimes long for something smaller, especially as it's getting warmer and I don't need to haul things around like. . . mittens. So a new tote is born:
Gisela sent me a good wodge of this brown fabric, similar to material she'd used before which I'd admired. It's dark and woolly and has little nubs of colour sprinkled around. I was trying to think what I'd like to make with it, and I knew I'd have to balance it with something bright and colourful. The curving, slanted pocket and patchwork panel popped into my head pretty quickly, and I tried not to overthink the design.
The cutting and sewing of this bag was pretty straight-forward, although I think there are some great details in it. I tend to get overexcited about things like hidden pockets and strange shapes, and I wind up basically out-thinking my abilities. This time, I kept things simple but spent time for the things that matter.
I added a band of the brown exterior fabric to the top of the lining, because I always like how that looks. You can just about see the machine stitching where the two meet -- a row of stitching to keep everything looking flat and professional. I also hand-stitched around the top of the bag (and the bias binding on the front pocket, and along both sides of the strap) -- I'm not a huge fan of having to do neat little stitches by hand, but I do adore the look. I love the little key clip in the photo above -- a necessity, since there are no interior pockets.
When I make totes, I often use a magazine as a guide. I very rarely carry around magazines, but I like the idea that I can, or that I would. This bag is just the right size for a copy of Country Living, a notebook, and the other necessary items, ready for an afternoon out or a nice visit to a cafe.
Bonus picture! Ira looking plump and snuggly; Frankie peering from the nest:
Bip, bip.
Hello sweetie ! Your bag is so lovely !! I'm mad about it :) ! The colours you choose are perfect together ! Is it hard to make the little flower ? Can you tell me how you made it ?! And the pattern you create for this bag is really original ! You're talented ! Big smooches from Belgium :)
posted by Sandrine (alias Didine!) at April 22, 2006 09:52 PM
Oh, Anna! I love your bags! Love-love-love them! I wish I had as much creative genius in my entire being as you have in your little finger...just lovely!
posted by Laura at April 22, 2006 10:52 PM
Anna the new bag is just gorgeous. I love the slanting pocket to show off the colours - it is just beatiful.
posted by samantha at April 23, 2006 03:09 AM
Oh my gosh, your bag is stunning! I love the fabrics and the way you did the outside pocket!
posted by myra at April 23, 2006 06:39 AM
The bag is just perfect! I love every detail: the slanted pocket, the patchwork, the flower, the key clip... everything! I recognize the button too! Beautiful!
posted by Gisela at April 23, 2006 07:15 PM
Great bag! love the details, the patchwork feature, the shape.
(found you via Samanatha above, via a comment she left on my blog)
posted by di at April 23, 2006 10:45 PM
Absoloutely beautiful! It's perfect.
posted by nichola at April 24, 2006 03:17 AM
Oh look at Ira and Frankie! What sort of birds are they?
Also I made the pumpkin bread you posted about a little while ago. Yummy in the extreme. May need to do an ocado order more often so that can buy more pumpkin!
posted by Gemma at April 24, 2006 02:47 PM
the bag is perfect, lovely fabric and details!
posted by Hanna at April 24, 2006 06:48 PM
Love the new bag and of course Frankie and Ira. What a cute lot!
posted by vegasandvenice at April 24, 2006 07:43 PM
Thanks for the nice comments, everybody!
Sandrine -- There's a tutorial on craftster. That's not quite how I made mine, but I imagine the end product looks more or less the same.
Gemma -- Frankie and Ira are Bengalese (aka Society) finches. They're very shouty for their small size.
posted by Anna at April 25, 2006 06:23 AM
The bag is darling and that bird -- so distinguished looking! My mom's canaries had a baby last week. Very exciting. Well, I mean one of her eggs hatched. She didn't turn into a mammal.
posted by Alicia P. at April 26, 2006 05:01 AM
Oh you make beautiful stuff!!
posted by Claudia at April 26, 2006 03:52 PM
hi anna,
your weblog is really great!
and your bags are so gorgeous! it's like being on holidays watching all those great blogs...
corinna (germany)
posted by corinna at April 26, 2006 04:05 PM
What a stylishly hip bag! Love the combination of fabrics and that flower adds the finishing touch. (Sweet tweeties too!)
posted by ~vicki at April 26, 2006 05:43 PM
Quelle merveille ce sac ! Et quelles couleurs ! Et quelle simplicité ! BRAVO !
Nathalie
posted by Rouge Nahsam at April 26, 2006 09:49 PM
That bird is so cool, it looks almost fake :)
posted by Alex Noriega at April 26, 2006 11:41 PM
how completely fab you must feel when walking around with that gorgeous bag! as we're heading into winter, i would love something so spring and fresh looking like that! well done!
posted by shinyruby at April 27, 2006 01:57 AM
Love that bag! So glad I found your blog through Whip Up today. Very beautiful.
posted by Kristin at April 27, 2006 04:40 PM
Oh I also found your blog thru Whip Up. The bag is amazing. Lovely colours and great size!!! Will be visiting often!!
posted by Julie at April 27, 2006 09:22 PM
thought you might one to see one of your prints in action:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/progoddess/136071059/
posted by rachel at April 27, 2006 10:18 PM
your bag is just wonderful!
posted by helen at May 4, 2006 12:38 PM