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| The CarryALL |
I've always believed that a bag that doesn't have lots of pockets is not for me. I like organization and this new bag delivers! It will securely hold your laptop (up to 10"x 14") or 10" tablet. The CarryALL features pockets for pens/stylus/business cards/glasses; elastic edged pockets for bottles and phones; and a discreet zipper pocket for your most important treasures! I included a hook to hang keys on, but you may want to use it for hand sanitizer. All of your contents are stored under a top zipper closure, and magnetic snaps hold the flap in place. That is a lot of features in a bag that measures 15"x 12"x 4".
Here's how I made the CarryALL. I start with heavy weight denim and discharge patterns into the original indigo. Discharging is the removal of color. It can be done with bleach, chemicals, soft scrub, or gel dishwasher detergent. I use bleach and treat the fabric to remove all the bleach before I add the next layers of color and design. I add patterns using freezer paper, folding, stencils, whatever works! This is the same process I described in my blog
"Freezer Paper Screening". In this case, bleach is the paint. After the discharge process, I sprayed dye onto the denim to change the blue into green and violet, and add additional patterns. After 24 hours of waiting for the dye to bond, I wash the denim and it is ready to be used!
In the meanwhile, I dye the pima cotton for the lining/binding fabrics. I personally prefer a bright interior, so I decided on a bright lemon-lime. Now everything is ready to form into a bag!
The lining gets beefed up with interfacing, and a stiffener is adhered to the backside of the denim. The first thing I assemble is the flap.
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| Binding, denim, lining ,snaps and decorative thread! Flap ingredients! |
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| The reinforced back |
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| The ling with stitching and snaps |
I planned to do some decorative stitching to the flap, but it was swallowed up in the design and did not add to the finished product. So, I stitched around the motif edges to give it a hint of depth.
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| All bound and ready to go! |
Next, I build the lining. Nylon fasteners are used on the laptop to prevent marring those precious electronics.
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| Did I mention I like pockets?! |
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| Laptop/tablet harness |
The small part assembly is finished! Yay! Now, the lining is sewn into its basic box shape. The denim gets the same treatment, and the flap and snaps are aligned and installed. The strap loops are attached to the side panel. The last bit of sewing is to join the two parts together. I stitch the lining and denim to each other along the seam allowances to hold it all in place. Then the top edge is sewn and it all gets turned right side out! A bit of hand sewing closes it up!
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| Overview of lining: keys on right, phone on left. |
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| Tablet harness, bottle holder, finger. shown with optional tablet sleeve. |
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| Strap, flap and zipper closure. |
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| The back. The dark areas are where the bleached was blocked. |
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| The completed CarryALL |
This bag is a downsized version of the diaper bag I make. I think the CarryALL will work well for the office, gym, overnight bag, or as a diaper bag. Every piece of fabric is unique and can be customized for your needs.
We are proud to offer this bag and the tablet sleeve through our new
Etsy boutique! Of course, it's made in the USA!
