I was excited to be commissioned for the first time to make a bag for a customer. The plan was for this to be a 24th anniversary present for the customer’s wife. He had done his research and discovered that 24 years’ marriage should be celebrated with opal, tanzanite (a beautiful clear blue semi-precious stone), lavender and musical instruments. I set about my own research and found the following fabrics,

Opal, tanzanite and lavender, all fused and ready to go.

I used a pattern from https://noodle-head.com. It’s a tote bag called Explorer. I really like Anna’s patterns. They are very clear and easy to follow. I added an internal zipped pocket because I can’t imagine a tote bag without a zipped pocket. I worked on the bag over a weekend and by Sunday tea time it was time to “birth” it. Turning a fully interfaced bag with a heavy wool base through a small hole in the lining is always stressful, but this one wasn’t too bad.

Once the hardware was installed ( a turnlock on the front) and the gap in the lining sewn up, it was time to call the client and hand it over. He seemed very happy with the product and I certainly enjoyed the process.