I was going to include this bag at the bottom of yesterday’s quilting post, and then I thought “save it for tomorrow so you’ll have an extra one ready to go.” This way y’all get two posts in two days! You’re welcome.
I wanted a book bag for myself – in a bit of a hurry because I was getting ready for a weekend road trip – and I didn’t want a big tote bag. I love using the Soft & Stable from Byannie.com, and I wanted it to be sturdy but on the smallish side. So I mulled over a few ideas, getting a little discouraged because I didn’t really want to spend time designing a whole new bag and then figuring out what size, how much fabric I needed etc. Sometimes I’m in the mood for that, but not this time!
Then I looked up to the top of my shelf where I store the finished bags that are for sale in my Etsy shop, and I wondered how the largest of the Open Wide bags (pattern from Byannie.com) would suit my books. It turned out to be just the right size for what I wanted, but I needed handles to carry books around.
Here’s a picture of the bags made according to the pattern:
It didn’t take long to see that I could simply add a handle which could be secured underneath the already called for contrasting border strip on the front and then add a similar border strip on the back side for the other handle. I was able to use a pattern I already had – and have made several times so it’s kind of a no brainer now! – with measurements already calculated and just get to work.
I love how it turned out; I’ve already used it a few times and it’s working really well for me. So I wanted to share it here to give you an idea but also to remind you that sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to get something new; you might have just the right pattern sitting there and all it needs is an add-on to turn it into just what you need 🙂
Ann Walsh Quilting 