One of my brother's recently asked me if I wouldn't mind making him a changing bag, come "chuck everything a toddler might need" bag. And of course, I said yes. His requests consisted of Paw Patrol or something Disney, big enough to carry nappies, cloths, toys, bottles, juice etc., and something he could easily throw over his shoulder to carry as he'd have his hands full most of the time. So this is what I came up with.
As I'm sure you have gathered by now, from my many bags and backpacks I've shared of late (click
here,
2,
3,
4 &
5), I am a big fan of Debbie Shore's designs and her incredible
YouTube channel sharing how to make her designs. Well, I have adapted her
Large Tote Bag to suit the needs of my Brother and his ever growing bambino.
So this bag is just under twice as big as Debbie's original stated size. The handles are a bit longer and there is also an adjustable shoulder strap so he can throw it across his body when he has his arms full with the wee munchkin. This is my dodgy attempt at showing you the adjustable strap ....not my finest photo ever, lol.
My brother asked me could I add a longer, adjustable strap to the bag to make it easier for him to carry the bag and the baby. So I added 2 little D-rings with a strip of fabric and an adjustable and removeable strap to the bag (links to the shopping list below). It was very easy to add to the bag.
This Paw Patrol fabric was a polycotton rather than full 100% cotton that I usually use. The 2 fabrics, I purchased off a seller on Ebay (listed below or click on the fabric above) and they were unusual sizes, not your normal fat quarter or per metre fabric. I was a bit surprised at just how large the actual print was on both bits of fabric. The images are massive. And with the images on each piece being rather large, this actually meant that it was quite hard to work with as I was trying to cut massive images into smaller cuts. The polycotton itself wasn't difficult to sew, but I wanted to get the character images on the bag as well as the font. But because they were so large, it was a bit of a jigsaw piece. It meant that I used more fabric than I would have normally, as I was cutting into the fabric at strange spots just to try and get the images and lettering to be prominent. It's almost like this fabric was for an actual duvet cover rather than say, a quilting cotton. So if I ever make another one in future, I will make sure I stick with the 100% cotton fabric that is cut in normal measurements, as that fabric seems to have the smaller images on them. But we live, we learn. And the bag still turned out really cute. Thank goodness I was making a pretty large bag because any smaller and the images would have been cut beyond recognition.
The side pockets are expandable to fit juice boxes or the wee munckin's bottles.
I added the zip pocket at the front, just as Debbie did in her design but, this pocket was obviously bigger. Because I had to make deliberate cuts in the fabric, I actually ran out of it and didn't have enough to do the inside pockets. So I added a cheeky little piece of Disney's Aristocats fabric to the inside as a funny little juxtaposition to the dogs on the outside.
The closure is the same zipper style closure that Debbie designed.
It opens up to be a massive big bag. There is a tonne of room on the inside and should have plenty of space for nappies, cloths, toys etc.. Hopefully this bag will last for years to come. It would be perfect as an overnight bag. And it can be stuck in the washing machine...just unhook the adjustable strap and it goes through the washing machine with no issues.
The inside got another inside zipper pocket so my brother could store other bits and bobs.
And the pocket opposite is divided into 2 and any mobile phone should fit in it comfortably and securely.
As usual I will put a shopping list towards the bottom for the things I bought for this project. That's it from me for now folks. I will probably have another post up at the weekend and that might be my last for 2021.....we shall see. I might be able to squeeze another wee project in between now and the end of the year....you never know.
Toodles Noodles.....Lee aka Crafty Loops xo
SHOPPING LIST
As of typing, the links to these items are available. However, I cannot guarantee that the links will always work. Therefore, I suggest a quick Google search and that should help you out.
Vlieseline/Vilene Volume Fleece Fusible interfacing H640 - Amazon This is the interfacing Debbie Shore recommends Grey zips - purchased on Ebay. The exact ones are now gone but click the link here and the seller has many more zips available for you to choose from.
Would you like to buy me a coffee? Every penny helps me keep this blog going and helps for the domain renewal every year. I don't run Ads on my blog so every little helps. No pressure though....none at all.
