My Diaper Bag

I accomplished something really great last week, something I totally didn't have the confidence in doing myself, but once my sister got here I finally felt like I had the back up I needed. I started and finished a big sewing project (it was big to me). I never start sewing because I feel like I don't know enough about it and that I'll just end up seam ripping over and over again and eventually giving up and waisting all that money on something I never finished. 

I sewed a new Diaper Bag for myself. And I can't take all the credit. 

First off there was this tutorial: Hip Mama Diaper Bag where we got the basic idea of what I wanted, although we did adjust it a bit.

And then there was Jared: he did all the math and created a blue print of what I wanted. I wanted my bag to be a bit bigger than the one in the tutorial, with slightly different pockets, and without a top flap cover. He also wrote out how many of each piece I would need. And then he created the whole pattern on fancy grid pattern paper for me! He is totally awesome.

And then there was my sister EmJ (as I like to call her): She took fashion studies in school (something I wish I had done) and she has sewn alot of things, even a quilt. But she helped me pick out the fabric (and had a ton of patience with me through it), helped me pin and cut out all the pieces (she is super fast), she helped me figure out the zipper. And my favourite thing about her was that she never tried to take over, or do it for me! She totally cheered me on and made me feel like I was doing a great job. It was a really great experience, and I feel like I have learned alot about her.

Now that thats been said heres the bag:

The fabric that took me a good 2 (painful) days to find. We bought WAY too much fabric and didn't end up using the red (it's actually more coral in real life) at all. And this picture sucks, but later in the post you will see it better in some natural light.

Em's pinning and cutting. 

The grid paper pieces is the pattern Jared did up all on his own. 

We interfaced most of it, although if I were to do it again I would interface more (ie. the lining as well as the outside).

Emily was only here for a week, and since it took so long to find fabric she was only here for the beginning of the sewing stuff, and never actually saw it become a bag. But she helped me assemble all the pieces, including completing the zipper pocket (something I was oddly nervous about doing), and the pocket pieces.

Once all the little pieces were assembled we sewed them into one big exterior...

...and the liner (this is the piece I will interface next time)...

...then this is what they would look like sewn together (but in this pic they weren't yet)

 I wish I would have taken more pictures of the process, but I didn't. And I think that's because the tutorial I used was pretty good, so if you want to know how I did the zipper and how I sewed it all together you can refer to the link at the top of the post.

But here is the finished product: and I'm pretty stoked about it.

Front view: I put a regular travel size wipes case so you can get an idea of the size. 

It has two pockets on the front.

Side view. You'll notice the strap in this one. I sewed it in differently than the tutorial. I actually sewed it in between the outer fabric and liner fabric, it took us a while to figure out how to lay it inside the bag to get it to come out right. But luckily it worked and we didn't have to unpick the top and do it over!

Back view: Zipper pocket, it takes up the whole back panel of the bag. (the monkey is hanging off the open pocket)

Inside view: Three pockets here, and they are nice and big, can each hold alot of diapers or whatever else. Again I put the wipes case in one to get an idea of sizing.

Top: I sewed a magnet in between the two fabrics to hold it closed when I needed. I love that you can't really tell there is a magnet there. In the tutorial she uses a big piece of fabric like a flap to cover the top, but I like mine to be a bit cleaner looking so I opted out of the flap and just did magnets and I love it!

Side/Front view: The side pockets are the perfect size for my wallet, which was totally unplanned, but so great.

Also I think you should note how well everything lines up, the pockets and what not. Mostly due to my husbands superior pattern making skillzzz. 

And don't mind the almost-full-term-preggo in this picture, it's just to give you an idea of the size of the bag once again.

And that's it. 

I am pretty proud of the finished product, and I want to do another one. 

I love that I will be able to wash it if needed.

And I love that it is mine. There is no other like it.

I love the size of it, my current bag is about half it's size and it just barely fits all the stuff I need for one kid (plus me), so I think this will be great for two kids.

I don't plan to use it until the new baby comes. In fact I plan to pack some of the stuff I need to bring to the hospital in it and have it ready to go with the carseat.

And heres my question for you:

Do you like it, enough to have one for yourself?

If you don't, no hurt feelings. But I am seriously considering sewing some more like this (with different fabric) and selling them. 

So if you think you want one let me know. Leave me a comment with your email or something, or if we're friends on FaceBook send me a message and we can discuss it a little more.