sew baby sew.

the moment i found out i was pregnant, i started planning my sewing projects. since i love to design and sew bags, i knew that i would make our diaper bag. for months i pondered all manner of tote bags, debating the merits of various accoutrements. and then i talked to my mums. she mentioned that my brother and his wife use a backpack. i firmly explained that i am NOT a backpack person, hence i would NOT be using a backpack. she gently pointed out that using a backpack means your hands are free, but at my further insistence that i would use a tote bag, she dropped the issue.

fast forward a few months. one afternoon, upon arriving home, i realize i have my school bag (tote), gym bag (tote), and two grocery bags (totes) to carry upstairs. eek. in order to simplify the carrying process and avoid two trips, i carried my school bag like a backpack and grabbed the rest in my hands. it was this moment when i realized that, as per usual, my mums was right. a backpack would be a whole lot easier when i need my hands to carry important things like my BABY!

needless to say, all my months of designing the bag in my head went right out the window. luckily i found this glorious backpack design on the internet and some fabulous plaid fabric. i did not actually use the pattern, but i did use this bag as inspiration and then made my own pattern. of course, i could not do simple things like a basic flap. oh no...my flap is a zippered pocket with a magnetic closure. and why have a flat pocket on the front, when you can have a zippered pouch pocket? i spent some time calculating with paper and pencil, then cut out the fabric, and then started sewing. it was a daunting task. there was definitely some cursing, oodles of whining, a lot of action for the seam ripper, and settling for some moments of less-than-perfect sewing, but, it is officially complete.

 naturally, you cannot have a diaper bag without a travel changing pad and a wipes/cream case. so i made those too. now i am on the prowl for my next project. i already made burp cloths, changing pad cover, nursing cover-up, crib sheets, and oh yeah...the quilt. i wonder what is next.