little bags of good use
2010
Often, whilst having a burst of tidying up, we stumble upon small collections of somethings that need a home. Somewhere they can hang out together and stay safe and neat. The solution – a little bag of cloth – a useful bag.
I especially love making them for Abigail. We’ve had book bags, library bags, drawing bags, ballet bags, swimming bags, piano bags, playmobil bags, animal bags, pyjama bags, toothbrush bags, pirate bags, peter pan bags … Oh the marvellous fabric you can use when making bags for wee girlies! And they make such a good present. I always try to give gifts in cloth bags – pass on that usefulness. Now, my girlie is in high school (HIGH SCHOOL!) And she needed a couple of new bags …
The bag a girl always needs to have packed and at the ready …
Small, cute, easily stuffed into the school backpack.
Then the hanky bag – I had been storing Abby’s hankies in the family hanky bag, but that just wasn’t working. Julian simply wasn’t fond of vintage hankies with animals playing musical instruments, or hip 1970s chicks strolling through the garden with their flares and holly hobby bonnets. And Abby just didn’t bother hunting through the big bag to find hers. So …
A gorgeous piece of fabric with little women in their national dress that I bought at an equally dear little patchwork store in Macksville on our great drive south. It reminds me of the birthday cards my Great Aunty Jean used to send me when I was little. They would fold out and have at least 5 little girls in wonderful costumes. I loved standing them on my dresser, giving them names, chatting to them whilst I played. Do they still make cards like this?
Lastly, for the family – a small bag that looks like a nine patch …
and really was made too big, even though I was trying so hard to make it small.
Never mind, it looks nice and does its job perfectly. Plenty of room for tiles and digging hands. Now Abby won’t be able to carefully arrange the tiles, face down, knowing just where the best ones are :-)
This is the kind of stitching – making pretty and useful things for my family that will be used for years and years – that I love. Quick, simple and – Oprah would be impressed – capable of adding a smile and a feeling of warmth to everyday life.
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Bags, bags, bags! They are so cute and look mighty easy to construct. I, too, am a bag-aholic, and I passed it on to my daughter, who just can’t get enough of them! Thanks for your clever ideas today! ~karen
Your bags are adorable! Our problem is unassigned bags — if they don’t have a specified purpose, they get stuffed with detritus and then when we need a bag to take somewhere, all the good ones are stuffed with detritus or can’t be found. Sigh. Perhaps we can get on the straight and narrow with some Lily-inspired bags.
Fabulous! I use little bags for organizing, but I end up using my cloth grocery bags. Then I find myself short at the market. I need to get that sewing machine my friend gave me and figure this out. My boy needs a bag for his new found passion of horse back riding… something to keep his stinky boots in and carry his helmet as well. Thanks for the inspiration as always :)
They are such pretty bags – I love those fabrics, especially the duckie one and the one with the girls in different costumes. It is such a good idea to use pretty fabrics that you can hardle bear to cut into for bags, so you really get to appreciate their beauty.
That bag with the little ladies on it is to die for. I’ve just started using cloth bags, which is good because I’m making so many of them of late.
love the bags … I make them too, but for knitting projects! and not quite so nice as yours! you’ve inspired me! thanks for sharing!
i love that ducky fabric! i have a lot of fabric that i love, but it is so hard to cut up. i guess i just have to dive in and make some bags.