The Gym Bag is Finished!!

I'm trying to do the after Christmas sewing challenge with Sew Much To Luv.  I did NOT think I'd pull this week off, but I did it!  This is from a Mackerilla Design pattern called Cruzer and Little Cru.  This is the Cruzer version.

I love this bag!  It has an open pocket divided into two on this side. And the other side has a zippered pocket--first time I've sewn one.  Not hard at all.

 There are side pockets for my water bottles/glasses/whatever-I'm draggin'.

You can see the zippered top flap and lining in this pic.

This is a great pattern on so many levels. It's a great bag with all kinds of pockets.  It can be used as a backpack or over the shoulder.  The instructions are simple and detailed enough even for the pattern-challenged like me.  This pushed me into trying new techniques and working with new materials including a couple of stabilizers. (It doesn't require multiple kinds of stabilizers.  I just wanted to try a few out.)

The only problem I had was finding the hardware.  Heads up:  go find the hardware before cutting the material for the straps.  Changing the width of the straps to accommodate what your sewing center has available is much easier than trooping off to every possible store and combing the internet to find the right size.  I could not find  1-1/4" loops or sliders. I could have purchased them online, but the shipping charges were outrageous.  One inch sliders worked, but I couldn't get one inch loops in the same color.  I finally used one and a half inch loops that are fine.  I'm sure that no one will notice that the loops are slightly too large and wider than the sliders but me.

Join in the challenge!  Click here.