My wee bag

I desperately needed a new wee bag for the inside of my purse.  You know the one you carry lipstick (me?), nail clippers, emery board, tissues and some of that other stuff you possibly never use, but you just have to have it.

I made this up and boy am I happy with it.  It was very easy to make. 

My main fabric I cut 7 1/2" x 11" and used a muslin backing that was slightly larger.  About an inch all the way around.

I sandwiched them together...........main fabric, batting and then the muslin for the inside. (I use fusible batting so this part is easy.) 

Once this was done, I laid a piece of masking tape from one corner to the other and stitched along the side of the tape.  I removed tape and then did the opposite direction.

When I was finished it looked like this.  I call it "arrows".  I have no other name.  How did I do it?  Once the two main lines were stitched I concentrated on one section at a time.  I took the tape and went into the center and another piece of tape to go back up.  Here is the way I did it.  A picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it? I continued making "v's" until the area was full.

You can use co-ordinating or contrasting thread.  I used white here so you would be able to see it.

When all the sewing is completed, I trimmed it, cutting away all the excess.

Now for the zipper...................I zig-zagged along the short sides of the bag first.  Then I brought both ends up and met them in the middle after I had pinned the zipper in place. 

This is the way the zipper will be pinned on.

Sew down one side and then the other.  It doesn't matter if the zipper is longer than the bag.  I used my zipper foot to sew it down. 

When the zipper was sewn in place I gave it a good blast of steam to hold it there.I then stitched it in place.  This bag can be made for a lefty or a righty.  The zipper is not at the top of the bag, but 1" down from the top.

Here are photos on how to do the lefty or the right bag.  You will place the 1" drop differently for each one.

The head of the zipper is at opposite ends for the left or right one.  Once you have determined which one you need, sew your first side seam closed.

BEFORE YOU SEW THE SECOND SEAM, PARTIALLY OPEN THE ZIPPER.

Now sew the other seam closed.  using a close zig-zag stitch go over the sides.  I used a rather close one and not too wide.

Here it is.  It holds quite a bit, which surprised me.  I'm definitely making more of them.

Tomorrow (Friday) our daughter is starting her chemotherapy treatments for her breast cancer.  She will be having 4 doses over a period of nine weeks.  After that she starts radiation.  I don't know how often over the next little while that I will be posting on my blog.  There are going to be a great many restrictions on her life and her Dad and I will be stepping in to fulfill some of the things that she has to do as a Mom. 

I will try to keep up with the blog as best as I can.  I'm not giving it up, my priorities have just changed for awhile.

Take care, have a great summer and we'll talk now and again.