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psychedelic bag

October 22, 2007 by Susanne 13 Comments

I’m so behind with blogging that I don’t want to do it at all. You probably know this feeling (otherwise it is hard to explain). Still I will write those posts. Only slowly. Sorry.

Though I haven’t been blogging much I have been busy as usual. Mostly knitting and a little sewing. To blog about the “psychedelic bag” now feels a little weird because it has been completed for a while now. I started thinking about it months ago, made most of it in August and finished it weeks afterwards.

For ages I have been thinking that my husband needs a bag. In fact, I’d say he needs a purse, only men don’t get to wear those without getting funny looks. But a messenger bag seems to be acceptable, I’m seeing men everywhere with bags that I’d call purse if they were for me. And it’s a good thing because I don’t know why a man is supposed to be able to carry everything in his pockets. Otherwise he has the choice between briefcase and backpack. My husband owns an enormous backpack that really works well if you want to take your laptop, your knitting, a book like the fourth Harry Potter, a notebook, and everything you happened to pick up while running errands, plus all the contents of my purse. At least that’s what I carried around in it the last time I borrowed it.

For everyday use my husband needs something to hold his wallet, keys, maybe a cell phone, and something to read. So I decided to design a bag for him. He was game and we went to the fabric store. Those of you who have checked out his blog psychedelic zen guitar know that he loves all things psychedelic (not psychedelic drugs though) and so his fabric choice holds no surprise.

finished bag

Before that I had literally spent days thinking about this bag’s design. It had to be big enough to hold a magazine, it should have interior pockets with and without zippers, everything should be easily accessible and at the same time safely kept inside. And there shouldn’t be velcro. So I made a sketch and I measured the magazine and the wallet and the cell phone and I almost wrecked my brain thinking about how everything should come together at the zipper. The main one that closes the bag.

So you can imagine that I was mightily pleased with myself when I almost finished this bag (for those of you who are new to this blog, “almost finishing” is a specialty of mine). Only to find that a) the flap is too short, b) the shoulder strap was fastened too high up and so c) it was impossible to sew everything together at the zipper. (Note to self: when making last minute changes such as adding strips of fabric to the top of the bag better take the time to think about which other parts of the design will have to be changed because of that).

So, of course, I decided to leave it as it was and sew everything shut by hand. That was very nice until I lifted the bag by the straps and with a horrible srrk-sound all the hand-sewn seams opened up again. Disgusted I threw it in a corner and put a heap of laundry on top of it. But then, eventually, I finished it. And I’m now quite pleased with it, also very happy that nobody will ever see the inside of that part with the zipper in it ever again (hopefully!). But every time I look at it there’s a little woman in my ear whispering, “But the flap is too short!” I’ll just go and tape her mouth shut.

For those of you who are interested in sewing details:

first time zippered interior pocket following Lisa’s tutorial
first time interior pockets
construction

the dreaded “sew everything together with too small seam allowances”-zipper

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Filed Under: crafts, projects, sewing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    October 22, 2007 at 9:21 pm

    It’s awesome.
    Just curious (no, I haven’t made anything nearly so elaborate, so there is probably an obvious reason, it just isn’t obvious to me)–what have you got against velcro?
    Anne

    Reply
  2. flutter says

    October 22, 2007 at 9:54 pm

    That is so cool you did a fab job on the zipper!

    Reply
  3. Susanne says

    October 22, 2007 at 9:55 pm

    I don’t have anything against velcro but my husband has a tendency to get tangled in it. Pieces of his clothing tend to stick to every piece of velcro that is attached somewhere. It’s a knack.

    Reply
  4. Susanne says

    October 22, 2007 at 9:56 pm

    Thank you flutter. Of course I am convinced that the zipper is sewn in much too wonky…

    Reply
  5. crazymumma says

    October 22, 2007 at 10:25 pm

    I love it.

    The search for the perfect sac is a long one.

    Reply
  6. Sober Briquette says

    October 22, 2007 at 10:37 pm

    I think it looks really good.

    I didn’t get past my foray to the fabric store because I was paradoxically overwhelmed by the choices and discouraged because I couldn’t find anything I wanted. The seasons changed and I moved into my fall bag choices, which are all tried and true.

    Tony put up my shelves, so once I find a table that fits in my room so I don’t have to try to live around a sewing machine, I’ll be all set for a winter project!

    You didn’t tell us what Gary thinks of it.

    Reply
  7. ewe are here says

    October 22, 2007 at 10:58 pm

    Very cool.

    But I have to admit, when you first started talking about your husband needing a bag, I immediately thought of Friends, you know, the episode where Joey gets a man-purse from Rachel. snort

    Reply
  8. jen says

    October 23, 2007 at 5:34 am

    i love it. i love that you made it and that he carries it and that it’s full of love.

    Reply
  9. liv says

    October 23, 2007 at 7:36 pm

    you are such a goddess!

    Reply
  10. Denguy says

    October 24, 2007 at 12:42 am

    I carry a bag with me every day, and I’m a man.
    When do those go on the market?

    Reply
  11. nomotherearth says

    October 24, 2007 at 3:43 am

    I certainly couldn’t even begin to sew that. Good job!

    Reply
  12. Emmy Horstkamp says

    October 25, 2007 at 8:23 am

    I love this post… I am going through the same thing right now!!!!!

    I like the bags, both of them 🙂

    Reply
  13. capacious says

    October 30, 2007 at 4:12 pm

    Beautifully done. I love the fabric.

    I just recovered a chair and am very, very proud of myself, most of all because I threaded the damn bobbin and made it work! It’s the little things…

    Tonight I’m going to post a picture of my chair on my blog. If I remember.

    Reply

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