Pretty Project Bags

Have used any? They are such a fantastic idea! We went away for a few days recently and I packed some knitting and sewing to take along with me in both bags. It was much much easier to pack and unpack my work, it was put away quickly and stored nicely. Let me tell you a bit more about these great makes.

For the bag above I used this beautiful paper pieced pattern designed by Nicole. She is kindly giving it away for free. You can find the pattern here. There are many tiny pieces in this pattern and it is just a bit too fiddly to make, but still a lot of fun and the result is awesome. This bag has a large pocket inside for some bits and bobs required for knitting or sewing.

Using lovely beads and butterflies, I made a couple of pretty charms for zippers. These two are a perfect match for the butterfly. By the way, charm making is quite addictive. I have a whole packet of beads and small pretty figures. I just need to find time when the little one is not around to make a few more.

This bag is a bit smaller in size and does not have a pocket. Nothing can be completed without the tiny stitches. I just love how bright threads and running stitches add a lovely touch to any applique or patchwork. It's hard to see, but the little label on the side was made out of two different ribbons - one with a red edge and the other with a "homemade" word. They look so nice together, just like one ribbon, red and teal.

The paper pieced candy was inspired by one of the Splendid Sampler blocks that I made earlier. I spent a few hours late at night working on this pattern. This version is not the final one, so a couple of changes were made to the pattern to improve it and I am looking forward to using it again in my future work.

I used to keep my knitting in plastic bags, baskets, boxes, but I have to say that this kind of bag is absolutely perfect. It's thick enough for the needles not to poke through and the zipper helps keep everything inside even when the bag falls down. Which reminds me, I should show you what I have been knitting. It seems like I have caught the knitting bug again. :-)

Have you made any project bags? How do you store your work in progress? Happy sewing or knitting! Larisa xox