Denise's Bag and a Short Little Story

Here is the latest bag installment! This bag is for Denise, who cleaned my teeth. I used Moda's Flutterby by Tula Pink (the background on her blog is the same design I used for the lining, cute!). I love the way it turned out! I also figured out that fusible fleece is WAY easier to use than sew-in. AND I found a couple of tutorials at Sew, Mama, Sew! that really helped me out.

Here are a few other shots so you can see what the bag looks like. Wider (6") at the bottom for all your stuff. Long strap that can be worn messenger style (perfect for wearing under a Baby Bjorn and having your hands free without your bag sliding off your shoulder). 2 roomy pockets for diapers/wipes/wallet/chapstick/stuff you don't want lost at the bottom of the bag.

It's wide enough and tall enough to fit in file folders/papers. And soft sided enough to cram in 2 sweaters, 2 blankets, treats, water,bottle,camera,stuffed bear, and a few other necessities (I know! I had to do this one night when we went to an outdoor concert!). I also like that it is easy to dig around in with a wide opening - great for when you are managing a baby and trying to get your car keys out! Really, quite a versatile bag!

I didn't realize I hadn't written about how I started making these bags. So here' s a short little story.

I discovered Amy Butler's fabrics while browsing a Hancock's of Paducah catalog at my mom's house . I thought to myself, "Have I been living under a rock? Why didn't I know about her before?!" I was so excited to see some fresh designs for fabric. Joann's selection wasn't cutting it for me. So I entered the world of online fabric shopping - which was a little difficult, since you don't get a really good feel for how a big piece is going to look. But I needed a new diaper bag and the Lotus Wallflower in Sky was the perfect pick! I got the fabric and was overwhelmed with how unbelievably awesome it was! The colors, print and quality of the weave was amazing. I'm now officially a fabric snob.

I have a problem though. I love looking at the fabric. I'm afraid to cut it up and mess it up! I ordered it in November and didn't start the bag until April. I didn't have a pattern, but knew sort of what I wanted. Sooooo, I drew out some sketches made up a pattern and a bag was born! I was so happy with how it turned out. It's probably my favorite of anything I've made.

So, I went to the dentist a couple of weeks later and one of the hygienists walked by and said, "Hey! Cute bag!". And then she brought someone else in to show it to them. And then my hygienist starting asking me about it. When they found out I made it, they all wanted to know if I was selling them and that if I wasn't I should and if I would make them one and how much would I charge.

So I left the dentist that day with clean teeth and two orders for bags. It was really fun picking out fabrics for them. They let me surprise them and when I went back the next week to show them the fabric they loved what I picked out. I decided that if I am going to sell these then it needs to be fun for me and worth my while. Because really, I have 2 other things more important to worry about (Alison and Andrew!). One of the things that makes it so fun is working with gorgeous fabrics. So I won't be duplicating any bags. How boring to make 10 bags ALL the same. blech.

So I'm taking orders! The fun is in the details! I'm getting ready to open an Etsy shop too - stay tuned! And I'll probably be selling more than just bags. Really this is all just a way to feed my fabric addiction!