(Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors. My editor is on vacation)
I often get asked a very simple question, “Why do you make bags?”. It’s probably my most created type of item in my sewing journey. Now though bags are small, they usually take me more time to create than other garments, but there are several reasons why I do some many bag upcycles.
LESS FABRIC
A simple fact about sewing is that once you cut into fabric, you’ll likely have to create something smaller than the original piece. Unless you are a magician it is nearly impossible to make the size of fabric larger. So a bag is one of the smaller things that you can create in upcycling that is both practical and fashionable. I’ve made bags using empty chip bags. Bags are also perfect to make when you just have scraps left from a larger project. It’s a great way to give life to fabric before deciding to throw into the trash. Once you understand the dimensions of a you can see just how many different options you have to create a bag.
WORN OFF BODY
When it comes to upcycling you can really find yourself sewing some different material. I’ve had creations that I’ve made from mostly plastic and mostly paper. When using these items I often use vinyl which is a very durable and stiff additive. The trade off is that some of these papers and plastics aren’t extremely flexible and does not naturally flow with the movements of your body, but your bag does not have to worry about the curves and muscles of your body as much. It really just forms a structure based on the items you place in a bag which is more practical for some of my weirder upcycle projects.
SIZING
A cool thing about bags is that the sizing is easier to deal with. You don’t have to worry about small, medium, large, etc. Anyone can wear just about any size bag and it does not have to be a specific in fit. More times than not I get to determine the size of a bag based off of how much material I have and which parts of the material I want to highlight. Sometimes even the zipper size I have on hadn’t can determine the size of the bag. I also don’t have to worry about if its sized for a man or woman.
USEFULNESS
Every few years I go through some sort of fashion change. There were times when I’d only wear tee shirts around the house. There were other times when I would seldomly wear a jacket and would elect for a heavier hoodie( it doesn’t get to cold where I live). But through all of these fashion changes I’ve always needed a bag. Everyone that I know personally, I’ve seen dawning a bag of some sort at one time or another. Whether it be someone I’ve known in grade school, someone who regularly works out at the gym, or even at my weekend farmer’s market trip. No one looks out of place carrying a bag.
WITH THE SEASONS
In the summer temperatures routinely reach ninety degrees where I live. I would be confused if I saw someone wearing a heavy coat or jacket during this time of year. I would probably expect to see this person on the news later (haha). But bags are for all year round activity. I can’t pinpoint the right season to wear a book bag, tote, or purse. These items can have a purpose for all 365 days a year.
FREQUENCY
When I was growing up I would have a favorite shirt, pair of pants, and a favorite hoodie. My mother, like most mothers, would tell me you shouldn’t wear one item too many times. This seeped into my adulthood for a while where I would think it’s embarrassing to see one person on two separate occasions and get caught wearing the same outfit from the last time they saw me. A bag does not have this same type of restriction. We all grew up going to school and would bring the same bag to school five days in a row. Most of us have accepted this in adulthood too sometimes even being able to identify someone by their primary bag.
FEAR
One of the main reasons I make bags is because they used to intimidate the hell out of me. I would be scared to death to make them. I did not understand the sizing, it smaller so mistakes are more noticeable and I used to be scared to death of dealing with zippers and adjustable straps. It scared me for so long that when I finally got around to making bags I did a bunch of them consecutively. My first zippers were so embarrassing that I found ways to incorporate them just to get more practice. Now most of my bags include at least one zipper somewhere.
In conclusion bags are one of the staples in all of upcycling and everyone who sews and appreciates upcycling should at least have a few patterns/designs in their arsenal. One of the best ways to give new life to old things are to turn them into bags. I will continue to make bags and I can’t wait for you to see some of the new cool designs and upcycles I have en route of saving old , less desirable or discarded materials.