Yay, diaper bags!
Today was my friend’s baby shower, the event for which I’ve been frantically sewing for the last week and a half or so. I told her originally that I’d make a bag for her, then in discussion decided to make TWO — a large one for those big trips and all-day visits to Grandma’s and such, and a smaller one for quick trips around town and for when baby is older and doesn’t need as much stuff to haul around. She picked out the fabric, a cute alphabet print on dark red cotton for the lining, and black denim for the outer shell. We also picked up a cotton red-stars-on-cream print for pockets and contrast.
The “large” tote turned into a huge tote; I definitely over-achieved. You could fit a baby in there! The smaller bag is a messenger-style, with an adjustable strap. Both have bottle holders and numerous pockets. I embroidered a little firedog on the front of the large tote (daddy is a firefighter). I also made a changing pad using iron-on vinyl (first try using it — eeeee!) and a cute stuffed cube with satin ribbon loops all over it. Both bags were filled with bottles and teeny shoes (unworn) and baby clothes Asha’s outgrown and other odds and ends like that. (Lots more pictures on Flickr.)
I was pretty happy with the bags, especially the small one, but I got a bigger response out of the other ladies at the baby shower than I expected. I may have custom orders coming out of this! Now I need to figure out how much material I actually used so I can figure out what I should charge…
February 20th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Well done - they look great. How do I find you on Flickr?
Don’t forget to add on an “hourly” rate for making the bags as well!
February 20th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Hmm, good question. I need to add something to my sidebar! Theoretically you can click on the picture of the bags up above and go straight to that set, but I should have made that more plain…
And yeah, I’ll definitely be counting how long it took me to make them! I also heard the local children’s boutique store has some bags that “are really expensive and not nearly as nice as yours”, so I need to go check them out too…