mushroom bag

Ahh, some sewing.  I love having a week away from work.  When I get over the guilt of sending Sadie to Mira's everyday (because shouldn't a mother taking time off work want to spend it with her little girl?) I get down to something wonderful: making things (urgent note here - spending time with Sadie would be wonderful too.  Not over the guilt yet, am I?).  I have finished two knitting projects, will be starting another this afternoon while I finish up Mad Men, planned a quilt for our sofa and made the bag above.  I try very hard not to think about what life would be like if I had more time like this.  Sigh.

But the bag.  I found the wooden handles at Le Comptoir in Paris (one of the trip highlights!) and the fabric is more from Shinzi Katoh.  When I ordered the blind fabric last January I had to order it right from Japan, so I chose this other pattern of his to make the whole shipment seem worthwhile.  I was never sure what to do with it, but now that I have a red over-the-shoulder bag (secret: it's a diaper bag, but I like it as a regular bag) I thought this fabric would make a great smaller bag, and they would be fun carried together.  I had no pattern and first planned to gather the fabric around the handles, but that proved difficult with the canvas weight material, so I improvised.  Truth be told, I think I like this shape better anyhow.  I just feel like the pocket needs a little something - maybe a button or brooch, just something to give a spot of colour.  But overall I'm quite happy with it and I'm sure it will help me carry around a knitting project or two.

It's Friday, 2:15pm.  Only a few more hours to go before this vacation is over.  Koigu cowl, a can of Coke and Donald Draper here I come.