Next up ...

While working on my tote bags this weekend I was reminded that a particular half metre of Ikea print was purchased some time ago for a special request.  Here was my brief:

Use the Ikea fabric (chosen by my son) to make a travel bag to store all the sorts of things a boy needs to occupy himself on ferry and car journeys (ubiquitous anti-social e-gadets, pens, paper, sweets and whatever else you can sneak in when mum's not looking).  The most specific part of the brief was that this bag was to be in NO WAY A GIRLY BAG.  Easy, peasy - not!

All the bags I know how to make are reasonably girly in style no matter what fabric you'd make them from.  So what did I do?  I hid the fabric in a drawer as a delaying tactic under the guise of considering my options, that's what I did. (Bad Mummy.)

I think he chose great fabric.

Anyway, I was reminded this weekend that I did say I would make it and that the fabric was ready and waiting for my creative expertise - ahem!  Also, since we are now (unexpectedly) getting a little trip to Scotland over the Easter break I thought that I really should do something about it before he gives up hope and before he gets too old to want to be seen with any of mum's handmade items!

So here it is - do you think it's girly?

Funky divided pocket inside.

No, I don't think so either, but I am considering egging it up and claiming it's really girly just so I can keep it!  I LOVE LOVE  LOVE this bag.

I hadn't a clue how to make a messenger bag, but I did it all by myself. (Can you tell how proud I am?)  Could I repeat it?  Probably not, since I was so busy working it out I didn't write it all down properly (doh).  It was hairy in places and certainly isn't perfect, but I'm very pleased at my first effort with the messenger bag style - now we just have to see if it passes muster with Mister.  I'll let you know!