I'm very proud of this.

It took me a couple of hours yesterday.

I took the children to visit my Mum.

I plugged in the machine and I got going.

Two hours of very straight line sewing later, I had my bag. It is made from four very coordinated prints, joined in stripes. I lined it with a blue cotton that was not absolutely plain, but mottled so that it also looks much like sky. There are two full width inside pockets separated out into smaller compartments for my sunglasses etc. One is much deeper than the other; in retrospect I should have made them both deep. The shallow pocket (about 4 inches deep) is too shallow to hold anything really heavy in, while a deep pocket will hold a small thing, won't it? I didn't use a pattern, per se, but I did have my other handmade bags which I looked at and thought about, and a copy of Lotta's very popular book. Her tote bag was just too small for my needs, you see.

The handle is attached with a top band of the lining material and then caught between the bag outer and lining by about 5 lines of top stitching, done in white. I ummed and arghed about putting ric rac... but that would have been too silly and I would have liked to put a big shell button at the top to fasten it with a little loop, but I am currently searching for something that tickles me.

I don't know whether to do some embroidery or applique to finish off the boats. The ones at the top of the sea are cut off and it bugs me.... yes, I know, I should have thought about it mid construction, but I didn't. I can live with it for now, but it might be altered by next year (presuming it lives that long) For now, I am happy to say I took the bag for a test drive to Borders today and it will do very nicely. Sunglasses, purse, keys and camera all safely to hand and it holds two books and a couple of magazines (Country Homes and Interiors and Period Living) in perfect safety.

And I really want some more material so that I can make a cushion cover like this. When can I go to Chester again, please?