I think I’m on a roll with bags. I’ve gotten/made four in less than a year. Typically I get a bag and I use it until its falling apart, so like two or three years. But I’m growing up. And I’m growing into this bag thing. I still don’t know where people who have a hundred bags store them, because I’m having trouble finding a spot for the three I’m not using. Perhaps you bag ladies could answer that for me….

Anyway, I picked up this great African wax batik fabric from Sundara Fabrics at a quilt show, and I was just dying to use it. But it had to be on the right thing. When I found the leather strap from DooDoo Shop on Etsy, I knew exactly how I’d be utilizing this great print.

Yesterday while Justin was at work, I began brainstorming what my bag would look like. I really wanted it to be simple and not be super stiff and structured. I knew I wanted a slightly rounded bottom. This is what I came up with after drawing and cutting out some templates on an old newspaper.

Aren’t the adjustable straps cool? I love the idea of being able to cinch or enlarge the body of the bag.

For the bag’s lining, I used another fabric purchased from Sundara fabrics. This one is an Australian Aboriginal print. It doesn’t exactly match the African print, but they’re both abstract and foreign, and so that was my premise for pairing them up. I added a zippered interior pocket large enough to fit just about anything. To give you a better idea, it could fit like half a box of tampons. (That’s typically what I use the zippered pocket for, and even though I would never stuff (or ever need) that many feminine products into the pocket, I thought the illustration worked. Yes, I am a dork.) I also added two pockets on the other main interior panel to hold my phone, or credit cards, or whatever else.

I’m really happy with this bag. The best part is that the strap is removable, so when I want another bag, I can just whip one up, add the strap, and go.

So are you a “bag lady” or a keep-the-same-bag-until-it-falls-apart-lady? I’m curious to know!

-Meredith

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