Thanks also go to my friend Bekah, who has the first bag made from this pattern and was willing to be a guinea pig by allowing me to make one for her. I made a few modifications from the pattern this time, though it looks almost identical from the outside. The fabric I had in my stash, so I only had to purchase the interfacing, matching thread and a packet of snaps (about $8).
The straps are narrower and slightly shorter since I am shorter and have small hands. At the suggestion of a fellow crafter I used a fusible interfacing to stiffen the fabric rather than the duck cloth (thick canvas) I used previously. This bag probably isn't as stiff, but it's lighter and easier for my sewing machine to handle. I had only used fusible interfacing once prior to this project and it was not a successful adventure. This time around though I was better prepared with the suggestions of a much more experienced crafter, my own failed experience and much more detailed instruction. It still took a few tries and I almost gave up, but eventually I found the right pressing style, speed and temperature to make it work.
I replaced the velcro pocket closure and zipper top with a snap side closure and top closure. I have found that I tend to use and prefer snaps. I thought this would be easier as well, but sewing them in took more time than velcro and probably the same length of time as a zipper. I re-inforced the snaps with a plastic grid backing, which increased my frustration a bit but I appreciate the extra stability. The bag is large enough to have used more than one snap as a top closure, but because it's mine I chose to only do one snap.
I also added two more inner pockets, one sized for a cell phone and the other for keys. I tend to use the pockets of my current purse for these items and know that I will appreciate having these additional pockets.
As you will notice, it is a LARGE bag and while I like big bags, I do think it's too big for running errands. It is my intention to use this bag for extended outtings and overnight trips, as well as our trip to the hospital. Only time will tell how satisfied I am with the final product, but for now I'm glad to have started my collection of homemade baby items.
PS - For those of you that noticed, I have made a pair of baby booties, but I decided I don't like the final product so look for that yarn to show up in a different project later.
