good intentions vs. a new project... and finish

Today's project is something I've been thinking of making for a LONG time. It could even fall under the category of "necessity". My daughter has needed a bag for our congregation meetings so she can hold her books and pencils and pad for a long, long time. She had been making do with a little purse I had made her when she was even tinier, but it could only hold a small amount of things, and they had to be small things, at that. There is a distinct shortage of bags out there for children that are not heavily branded with logos and cartoon characters.

I've been mulling over HOW to make this bag for awhile now. I knew it needed to be versatile, tall enough to handle large notebooks, have pockets, and be able to go with most outfits my daughter would wear. I'm really annoyed I didn't find any solids that were pink or purple in my stash to incorporate, but I think it turned out well, regardless. And of course she found the only bit of pink in the bag.

After massive amounts of Pinterest exploring and pinning, I was inspired to make a Chevron Zakka style bag. I was drawn to a few that I saw using solids. I decided to do a fabric pull and gather solids that went from dark and cool to bright to warm and dark, in a sort of inaccurate rainbow. I incorporated navy, brown and a few blues and a few yellows/orangey reds. For fun, and to tie it all together, I used a great print called "Paint Box Primary Pointilism". It's fantastic. And it has pink (I mention this twice - it is that important.)

After reading up on a few basic bag making pointers, I went to town. This was such a fun challenge. More and more lately I find I'm letting myself design things without patterns. In the old days, I would have been unable to make this without a pattern firmly in my grasp. There were a few trial and error moments, but for the most part, it came together perfectly. I wanted the finished product to be quilted. I chose a light aqua thread and did some improv straight-line quilting. For sturdiness, I used fusible fleece. And for the inside pockets, I used a heavyweight interfacing. 

I made the pocket with four different colors, to add a little extra zip to the inside of the bag (as though the lining weren't enough).

Another favorite feature is the handles. I LOVE them SO much. 

Probably the hardest part was lining up the offset triangles to make the chevron. If I were making this again, I would use a different method to do that. 

I suppose the upside to abandoning my pile of WIP's to make this is that it's finished. 
I think it should be called "Seasons".

It's a little bit of fun, a whole lot of color, a tiny bit of art, and best of all, practical. My job is done. And my daughter loves it. 

Linking up with Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday.