Third one of this series

I have now finished the third and last bag of this series. I will probably make some more but they will all be variations on a theme. 

This third bag is really large. Great for the office, to take to meetings, because it will keep everything you need in it. You could have 2 laptops or even 4 if you were so inclined, because the front and back outside slip pockets are large enough and the zippered pocket and large slip pocket inside are also large enough for a laptop. And the great thing with this Gladstone style opening is, that it stays open once you open it and you don't have to fiddle with it every time you want to take something out.

Or you could use it for a weekend away and even as a diaper bag there are only advantages with this sort of closing.

Except for a large zippered pocket and a large slip pocket inside the bag, there are two further slip pockets for smartphone or whatever and on top of that there is an elastic band to hold your water bottle.

The outside slip pockets are closed with a flap and snap button but even without opening the flap it is easy to get things out very quickly which might be handy when you're travelling - tickets, magazines, book, etc.

To carry this bag there are two handles but also a long adjustable strap.

What more can I say? Oh, the size is approx. 34 cm high, 43 cm  wide and 10 cm wide. Despite its size it is a still a very elegant bag because the bottom is only 10 cm wide!

The outside of this bag I have made of cotton and for the lining I used a heavy, natural coloured linen. On the last picture you can see the three different sizes, 

2nd one of this series

Here is the next larger size to the previous bag. The fabrics used are the same except for the outside colour. The next bag will be even a larger size and could be used as a small travelling bag/weekend bag/diaper bag/sports bag and will be mainly in cotton and in a completely different colour combination!

The front and the back of the bag are the same and on each side there is a
large slip pocket which closes with a flap and press stud.

It is still difficult to get the colour right. It is lighter than in this picture.
The one above is more  accurate.

Here you can see the internal Gladstone like frame, the slip pockets on each
side with the closure flaps and the covered buttons to facilitate opening the bag

The slip pickets are large enough for an iPad!

The open flap!

The lining is made of pure linen and there is a large
 zippered pocket as well as a slip pocket.

There are four metal feet.

And here are the two sizes.

Sneak peek of the 2016 collection

The first bag for my 2016 collection is now finished and will be for sale in my shop as from January.
It is a Gladstone style hand- or shoulder bag, made of the softest faux suede and a beautiful multicoloured fabric. It is not a large bag but great for those occasions when you do not want to take too much with you, but it still spacious enough for everything you may need. There are large pockets outside at the front and back and one slip pocket inside. The lining is made of pure linen.

Here are a few pictures:

Christmas or no Christmas

Christmas or no Christmas, I cannot just sit around and do nothing.

We have been invited tonight for our Christmas meal but Alan is working downstairs on the ceiling so I have to keep busy as well. The weather is too bad to do anything else anyway so it is no hardship.

Yesterday I started on a new bag, made with a new pattern. I got the idea while looking through a book which I ordered a while ago from China. I cannot read Chinese but it is full of pictures. I wanted to make it into a Gladstone style bag as I still had some small frames - a size have not previously used. It turned out smaller than I would normally make bags. I love large bags but I also know that not everybody else does. So, this is not going to be a shoulder or cross body bag but a handbag. And here are some pictures of how I am getting on:

In between countries

Just before going back to Switzerland for two weeks, to set everything in motion for the restoration of a house and to clean up the garden, I had to finish these two bags which will stay in Scotland! They turned out rather well. They are both gladstone type bags, lightweight, made of faux suede, wool (some handwoven) linen and viscose. The blue one has some bedouin silver beads on it as an embellishment!

I also finished this bag/rucksack/backpack, a commission from Switzerland which we took back with us. I is made of grey upholstery fabric combined with a handwoven woollen strip.