|
|
Planning for my end game... |
Post #451 has me thinking about the end of this blogging journey once again. Last
year around this time, I marked my 400th blog post with permission to deviate
from my "every Saturday" schedule. Happy to have managed to continue on once a
week, but the permission still stands. ◕‿↼
However, as I continue to ponder how much longer this journey might last, I'm back with part two of my
bucket list
compilation... things I might want to accomplish before I call it quits.
One of the few upsides of the pandemic was the increased level of creativity
that resulted from too many days spent confined at home.
In my case, the need for a more efficient purse led to my reimagining the
design of a souvenir sling bag. It then turned into something that's been my
constant shopping companion for the past twenty-two months.
The pattern for the
crossbody sling bag
can be had for free here from my blog (there's a link for it further down on
the sidebar), but I also sell it in my Makerist shop, where I've been
surprised by its performance. Despite the fact that it's not a tutorial —
i.e., I provide no real instructions — people have been drawn to it.
That said, I've yet to see anyone's actual finished bag.
Over the past year, I've had two people strike up an extended conversation with me about my pandemic sling bag. I directed one of them to my blog to get the pattern, as she was a sewer. The other gave me her email address so that I could send her a quote on making one for her. While she did respond to me, it never went anywhere and to be honest, I'm glad. I decided long ago that I am not in the bag making business.
|
| My pandemic sling bag after twenty-two months of use... |
This leads to the topic of this particular post: the continued compilation
of my
bucket list. Before I retire this blog, I want to check off two more
items, one of which is to make another of my sling bags. Actually, it was
always my intention to have two of these to switch back and forth. I
specifically purchased (some of my own) fabric for the second one some time
ago and have had all of the required materials inside my
project bag
for a while now.
|
| Materials all gathered for a second pandemic sling bag... |
My original bag is showing distinct signs of wear after almost two years of
faithful service. The binding around the bottom of the flap is worn through
in one corner and the whole exterior fabric is a lot less vibrant than it
was at the beginning.
This new one is going to be darker than the first, with
fabrics
primarily in black and gray (it's my zen doodle fabric) with a bit of
white.
Going back to carrying a regular purse isn't such a big deal anymore, but
I've really gotten used to the convenience of this bag. (My mom is
similarly enamored with
her version
of a pandemic bag and hasn't wanted to go back to carrying her regular purse
either.) Pandemic or not, this bag will likely remain in my rotation for
regular use.
The other — more significant — bucket list item that I'm including here in
this discussion is also referred to as a sling bag, but in a mini backpack
style for hubby. It's a more complex bag (it's officially a
Swiss Gear Wenger mini sling) than mine, but I do have the remains of
one of his discarded versions as well as his current bag to use as
reference.
|
| Mini Sling by SwissGear... |
When I took apart his first bag, I documented the process with my camera,
snapping a pic with every piece that I removed. (Some of those pieces will
in fact be reusable.)
|
| Being thorough always helps... |
I'm hoping that perhaps my improved sewing prowess will make this project
easier than it would have been six years ago (the above shots were taken in
2016). I'm sure it was put aside and not picked up again for a reason.
Although... this is how it was put aside.
|
| Pattern pieces already made from six years ago... |
When I went looking for these "remains", I was surprised to find them nicely
organized in a zip lock bag, pinned to paper templates and all.
I'm not sure why I abandoned it at the time, but maybe this won't be such a
big puzzler after all. I just need to get into the right frame of mind to
start again. (And for the record, the one that he's currently carrying is
starting to show wear in certain spots, so it is time.)
For material, I may harvest most of it from a red jacket that the other
half gave me for recycling a couple of years ago. (Why not have a second
"jackets to something" challenge, right?) And I might just dismantle that
YJCFS sling bag
that wasn't to his liking for other components.
|
| A slightly damaged jacket ready for recycling... |
In the past, I've been leery about setting goals like this. However, a
bucket list is usually interpreted as a wish list of sorts. While I
may wind up being a bit disappointed if I don't actually do what I set out
to do, having markers to aim for down the road does make for a more defined
"journey".
I don't believe, however, that I will be as quick to knock off these items
as I was with my first bucket list item, which turned out to be the creation
of a
duffle bag out of a couple of jackets.
'Til next...
My skills were not as needed to tackle the sling bag project when you first presented it. Now my motivation is lackadaisical. I watched/read with admiration the progress of your recent travel bag project. I have decided my interest in projects that require tight corners and bulky mass is almost non existent. I so look forward to reading through your journeys and thought process. I hope you continue as long as it continues to serve you.
ReplyDelete