This mama's got a brand new bag!

a bag to be, originally uploaded by LauraJ_Sews.

Finally after making 7 of the quilted patchwork bags I have made one for me! I went through my scraps yesterday finding pieces to use.

I used the scraps from one of my favourite quilts I made this year. (Not sure if I shared photos of that one?Stay tuned.) I also added a few other fun pieces to the bag and I'm a very happy lady!
I wanted it to be sweet but not too juvenily girly. I love the zakka Japanese movement of patchwork by adding cute elements to prints. I have 3 Japanese fabrics in this bag



After what felt like forever, which was most of Saturday spent sorting ironing and cutting the scraps, I put the pieces up on my little design door which is a piece of batting thrown over the door because the design wall behind the table is full! I took out the browns from my pile because they were too bold and drawing the eye too much.

I quilted and sewed up the bag this morning and attached the binding and handles after lunch. I am so tickled pink with my new bag!!
Here is the back:


here is the front of the bag:


A close up of the button and loop closure detail:


This is the first bag I've used the button and loop closure. I like the way it looks and it closes the bag nicely so it's not so gappy open. After sewing on the button I was snipping the thread and accidently cut until the binding part a wee bit. Oh dear! I thought about it a few minutes for a way to "make it work". I wasn't about to take off the whole binding and put another one for just a teeny hole. What I did do was added a zig zag stitching detail to the top edge of the binding and it hid the wee hole very nicely!

I hurried to make this bag because Tuesday I'm going on a road trip for the whole day!! I'm accompanying a family member to see a specialist out of town several hours away. I offered to go to keep them company. I'm very excited to be able to go since Aaron's dad is going to come and take over for me and send Aaron off to school and take him off the bus. It is a huge change from routine for me because I'm always mom on Tuesdays.