A Mail Sack for me!

For the last few months, I have been teaching a friend how to sew. We usually meet about once a week. For her first couple of projects, she made dresses for her baby girl. For her third project, she wanted something we could work on together. We chose the Mail Sack pattern from Pink Chalk Studio. We finished our bags this week!

It was a great project for a budding sewist-- a straightforward (and fun!) design, great instructions, and a few more challenging bits to grow skills (zipper, accuracy, and lots of edge stitching). We made the Large/Adult size, resulting in a nice, roomy bag (perfect for outings with the boys).

For the main body of my bag, I used a gorgeous print ("Deep Sea Beauty Contest" by kayajoy) purchased from Spoonflower (back in 2011) in a linen/cotton blend. It is a great weight and quite nice. There was a bit of fading when I pre-washed it, but the colors, while not as vibrant, are still lovely. I pulled a couple of other fabrics from my stash for the straps and lining.

Love the zipper pocket! I shortened the strap by 2" but made no other changes. I wish I had a picture to share of my friend's bag-- you'll just have to take my word for it that hers turned out great as well!

I've made this bag twice before in the mini/child size for each of my boys (Big Bear and Little Bear). Both times I stated that I wanted one for me-- and now (finally!) I have one! Even better, it was a project I got to make with a friend.