Out with the Old, In with the New

I actually do have some finished things to show you! Not everything around here is a WIP (work in progress)--though there are certainly plenty of those. I recently made this charming little lunch bag.

I used Ayumi's tutorial. It may look long, but she takes it step-by-step with lots of helpful photos, so it's easy to follow. Usually I'll adapt other people's patterns here and there to make an item just the way I want it, but I made my lunch bag just like hers. (I box my corners differently, though: I cut them off before I sew them. I want to be able to see both side and bottom seams, to make sure they're lined up perfectly.)

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I haven't used it yet, though. The thing is, I don't pack many lunches...but I do sometimes, and I say that's reason enough to make something cute!
Here's my old lunch bag. I got that one in the early '90s; it's held a lot of lunches. I'm glad you can't see the stains in the photo. Truly a sad sack.

And while I was at it, making cute practical things from one of my favorite Alexander Henry fabrics, why not a couple notepad organizers? I made the larger one as a grocery list/coupon holder (below it is the worn-out specimen it replaces). I dislike grocery shopping, even under the best conditions (are there any best conditions?), so I'll do what I can to make it more pleasant.

The little one lives in my purse, for whenever inspiration might strike...which I'll scribble in a hurry and won't be able to read later. (Remember "Flaming Globes of Sigmund" from Seinfeld, when Jerry scrawls something that later he--and everyone else he asks--can't read correctly? "Salami salami baloney". Yeah, it's like that.)
Each one has a pocket on the left, a slot on the right to hold a notepad, and is held closed with elastic.

It makes me happy to take something that's usually mundane--a lunch bag, a grocery list--and turn it into something pretty and cheerful. Functional things should be beautiful; they're even more special when they're handmade.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for finish it up Friday. (Look at her latest quilt--gorgeous! Another one to add to my quilt bucket list.)

Have a great weekend!