I just joined a new gym that makes it possible for me to hit the gym on my way to or home from school --a big improvement over my old gym--but it doesn't have lockers were I can store stuff when I'm not there so I decided I needed a new gym bag to carry all my crap. This bag is constructed almost entirely from stash materials--I'm so proud! I got the main fabric as a remnant a while ago and hadn't found a project for it. It ended up having a small hole, so I appliqued a patch over it. This was my first time trying machine applique. It isn't the neatest, but hey, it's a gym bag. I'm not too worried about it. The zipper was bought for a sweater I knit, but it didn't match. Fortunately, it just happens to match the darkest color in the fabric
exactly! I also had the strapping for the handles left over from another bag project. I did have to buy the lining fabric and interfacing, but I found cheap clearance fabric for $2.00 a yard and I only needed one yard. So all in all, this bag cost about $5.00 (money I spent in the past doesn't count, right?)
Anyway, on to the bag. I used this tutorial
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=42927.0, but ended up assembling it a little differently. Also, I apparently can't measure or add or something and I didn't have quite enough fabric, so I ended up doing a little creative piecing on the sides. Oh well--all's well that ends well.
Here it is, stuffed (even with heavy interfacing, it is fairly floppy when it isn't full):
Close up of the applique:
I probably would have chosen a different location for a patch if I didn't have the hole to cover, but then again, if I didn't have a hole to cover, I probably wouldn't have done a patch at all and now I like it!
unstuffed and lining:
I highly recommend the tutorial. It seems like it will be a very useful bag!
