a burlap bag

working through the stash... i started to picture the type of bag with two options for handles, only wanting that foldover style without the second type of handle. make sense?


i also wanted a single strap that comes across the body and sits close right under your arm (i guess i miss my timbuk2 bag, or, really, my bike).

i absolutely love this vintage fabric i got for ONE DOLLAR at a yard sale and have been dreaming up many possibilities for it, including a strapless dress, which i don't know if i'm really ready for.

it's not an ideal fabric for a big since it's a jersey knit (it sort of has the quality of kids' pajamas), stretches and pills easily, but it's what i wanted, so it's what i did. i stitched it to muslin to stabilize it and line it since it's slightly see-through.

lining? burlap. a random find in the remnants at lorraine's for $2 and i love the contrast with the black and white. (the inside of the pocket is a checked canvas i also bought in case the burlap didn't work out)

hard to see but i did red contrast stitching on the pocket.

not bad - and materials probably came to less than $5. unfortunately, it's probably not going to withstand much rough handling because of the outer fabric, but i think it will work for what i need it for.

addendum: notes.

• stitched on small squares of durable, thick upholstery to the outer fabric before stitching it to the lining where the straps were going to give them a little more durability
• lined the strap with burlap - a little itchy, but i was too lazy to stitch the muslin to it as well.
• the zipper was a little tough - not sure what the technique should be when putting it into straight piece of fabric (usually connecting two pieces of fabric this way), but i cut a horizontal slit with a small vertical slit on each end, attached the zipper and topstitched all the way around. burlap frays easily so one corner didn't withstand this process very well.

next up... my wiksten pattern tank!