summercomfort (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summercomfort) wrote2012-12-21 07:46 pm
summercomfort) wrote2012-12-21 07:46 pm
Bag 2.0!!
So remember the bag I made last year? There were some problems:
I had hoped that by making an 8.5"x11"x3" bag, I'd be able to use it both for daily use and for travel, but it turned out that I don't need such a large bag for daily use (lots of floppiness, things I put in the top row of pockets would fall out, lots of clumsiness with the flap and the zippers). Even though it's a good size for travel use, and I really liked the water bottle pouch, there weren't enough functional pockets, leading to a lot of fumbling around inside the bag for misc things. To make things worse, the strap hook broke while I was traveling in Tanzania.
So it was clear that I needed to make a new bag.
Lo! It is my new bag! It's significantly smaller than my previous purse ... about half the size, actually (8.5"x5.5"x3"). I designed it while on a plane flight to Cat's wedding, and then I bought some fabric in October, but I didn't have the time to start on it until Tuesday. So I literally made this bag in 3 afternoon/evenings. I found the section of JoAnn's that has the thicker fabric, so it's much stronger/stiffer, and less floppy. I also found the fancy ribbon section of JoAnn's (which is in a completely different aisle -- thanks JoAnn's!), so yay, automagic trim.
So let's talk pockets! In addition to the easy diagonal slide-in pocket in the front, there's also the 2 side pockets, as well as a back pocket:
And on the inside are 2 pockets along the back wall (wallet, tissues), and also small inner pockets on each side (one side is holding the hand sanitizer).
And of course, the strap can be extended to cross-body style, so here's how I hope to look when walking around town:
But wait! What have we here?
The bag also extends length-wise! Yes, it is 3" taller!!! And the extended part also unlocks 2 new small pockets at the bottom of the front wall. Here's how it works:
There's a side zipper that goes around the back. The bottom of the smaller bag is actually the bottom 3 inches of the taller bag! Plus the zipper is cleverly done such that the back side pocket can actually expand in both height and width to hold a water bottle. Yay! Best part is, I can unleash the expanding powers without having to take everything out of the purse -- just unzip and fluff a bit.
So here's the final summary:
There's still some things that I did poorly, but overall I'm quite proud of the improvements that I've made.
Good-bye, old bag!
I had hoped that by making an 8.5"x11"x3" bag, I'd be able to use it both for daily use and for travel, but it turned out that I don't need such a large bag for daily use (lots of floppiness, things I put in the top row of pockets would fall out, lots of clumsiness with the flap and the zippers). Even though it's a good size for travel use, and I really liked the water bottle pouch, there weren't enough functional pockets, leading to a lot of fumbling around inside the bag for misc things. To make things worse, the strap hook broke while I was traveling in Tanzania.
So it was clear that I needed to make a new bag.
Lo! It is my new bag! It's significantly smaller than my previous purse ... about half the size, actually (8.5"x5.5"x3"). I designed it while on a plane flight to Cat's wedding, and then I bought some fabric in October, but I didn't have the time to start on it until Tuesday. So I literally made this bag in 3 afternoon/evenings. I found the section of JoAnn's that has the thicker fabric, so it's much stronger/stiffer, and less floppy. I also found the fancy ribbon section of JoAnn's (which is in a completely different aisle -- thanks JoAnn's!), so yay, automagic trim.
So let's talk pockets! In addition to the easy diagonal slide-in pocket in the front, there's also the 2 side pockets, as well as a back pocket:
And on the inside are 2 pockets along the back wall (wallet, tissues), and also small inner pockets on each side (one side is holding the hand sanitizer).
And of course, the strap can be extended to cross-body style, so here's how I hope to look when walking around town:
But wait! What have we here?
The bag also extends length-wise! Yes, it is 3" taller!!! And the extended part also unlocks 2 new small pockets at the bottom of the front wall. Here's how it works:
There's a side zipper that goes around the back. The bottom of the smaller bag is actually the bottom 3 inches of the taller bag! Plus the zipper is cleverly done such that the back side pocket can actually expand in both height and width to hold a water bottle. Yay! Best part is, I can unleash the expanding powers without having to take everything out of the purse -- just unzip and fluff a bit.
So here's the final summary:
There's still some things that I did poorly, but overall I'm quite proud of the improvements that I've made.
Good-bye, old bag!
no subject
I have trouble with conflicting uses of purses too. I always want my phone and wallet and keys together in something, but then I have random other items that vary from day to day. Well, now the Nook is a regular item.
I love the bag I got on my honeymoon, but it only has a liner pocket and 2 tiny inside pockets, so it's crazy messy inside all the time.
no subject
no subject