Sadly, not a knitting post

This is a crafting blog. Given that knitting takes up most of my time, it’s fitting to expect that knitting will take up most of the space here. But from time to time, I’ll also post things that I’ve crocheted or sewn, given that I also do those forms of crafting. Once in a blue moon you may even see some cross-stitch. Try to contain your excitement.

So this is a sewing post, elaborating more on the camera bag that I showed you in the last post. Except this time, it’s all nicely finished and what not.

(Please ignore the clothes that need to be ironed.) I wanted a camera bag that would meet the following specifications: hold my camera and camera lenses as well as other things that I like to carry with me, such as knitting or my computer, for use when traveling; have an easily accessible interior for quick lens changes or an overwhelming need to purchase yarn (it happens); look cute; be affordable. I pretty much struck out based on the first two. I could find bags that would hold everything, but they were either backpacks, which I’d have to sling off my back and then unzip anytime I wanted to get into the bag, or messenger-style bags that wouldn’t quite hold everything and would still require fumbling around to get the long flap out of the way. Or I could find bags that were easily accessible, but wouldn’t hold anything other than my camera and lenses, which would mean I’d have to carry at least two bags. So I figured I could make my own. You know, like you do.

I created the pattern from scratch, using a large pad of newsprint to draft and cut out the pattern pieces. I estimated my measurements based on the approximate width and length of my iBook. Please note, I haven’t yet tried to figure out if the iBook will fit inside the bag. I have plans, they get waylaid, what can you do? I used about two yards each of two Heidi Grace fabrics, although since I had to go back to the store a few times, I sort of lost track of how many yards total. I will say that, assuming I only used 4 yards of fabric all together, I spent less than $30 on the fabric for this bag. You cannot find a camera bag that cheap, so I win there.

I had to break out the old camera to give you an idea of how things will fit. (The yarn was already there from this morning, in case I had time to knit during lunch.) As you see, it’s got three compartments—the two smaller front compartments for camera, lenses, and yarn, and the longer back compartment for everything else. Trying to figure out how to get those compartments into the bag was a bit of a mind-bender, but I did it!

I also wanted the bag to have a back zippered pocket, so that I could easily reach some things. I’m really really happy with the way this part came out (I’m happy with the whole thing, but there’s a little bit of extra work required in figuring out how to install a zippered pocket, so I’m a little extra proud of that part).

I don’t often feel a need to be completely matchy-matchy. I personally feel that red shoes with white polka dots go with pretty much everything. But sometimes, a girl needs to have things match, or at least coordinate, and this was one of those times. I designed this wallet out of the scraps of fabric that were left. As an added bonus, it also holds my pen and pencil!

I installed a little zippered pouch to hold the more liquid forms of money, and then added smaller strips of fabric to hold credit cards and other items. The “clasps” are really two halves of the same hair elastic (the clasp on the bag is one elastic). This way if the wallet or the bag have to expand for whatever reason, there’s a little bit of give. I should have added a smaller strip of fabric for holding cash, but I actually ran out fabric, so I didn’t.

This gives you a better idea of how it looks when it’s closed. So that’s my latest sewing project, thankfully finished just in time to try out on the trip to Washington, D.C. I leave tomorrow afternoon, and I’m really excited. I’ve never been to D.C., so I’m hoping to take in as much of the sights as possible. I know we’re going to the zoo and hopefully to a couple of museums (and hopefully a couple of yarn stores, but the friends I’m visiting aren’t yarnies, so I may have to drag them kicking and screaming). So, radio silence here for a few days, but hopefully I’ll have pictures of new yarn (and maybe some finished objects!) next week.