The Boring Bag

The scene:  Tuesday morning, 10:37.  A basic American office.  A/C is on super-high.  Not relevant to the scene but just letting you know they keep it crazy cold in my building. Not just in the summer but all year round.  This is why I own so many cardigans.  Action!

[Ring ring]
Me:  Hello, this is Bethany.
Voice:  Hi, Bethany.  I was wondering if you would mind making me a bag.  I like the one you made for so-and-so with the curvy piece at the top.
Me:  OK, that's no problem.  What kind of fabric do you want me to use?  If it's not in my stash I'll search for something. 
Voice:  I was thinking...how about beige?
Me:  What?  Did you say beige?  Like....beige?
Voice:  Yes, something neutral but fun.
Me:  Beige is not fun.  Beige is boring.
Voice:  Well, I want a boring bag.  Something that goes with everything.
Me:  Do you want any kind of embellishment?  Some embroidery? Applique?  Something with a little color to make the beige more fun?  Any trims for contrast?
Voice:  No, just beige.
Me:  Can I make the lining something fun?
Voice:  Sure!  Nobody will see it anyway.
End scene.

I'm not going to lie.  I felt a little twisty pang of ugh after this conversation. I like color. I like prints. I like things that are not beige (except for carpets, and sometimes pants for work).  I dislike sewing things out of things that are boring.  You can buy a plain beige bag anywhere...if you're having one made you should choose something fun.

OK, I'm climbing off my sewpbox (say it like 'soapbox' -- see what I did there?  Ahh...made-up homophones. Fun).  I didn't think I was going to find anything interesting in the beige section at the fabric store, but I did find something in my stash.  One piece I had was a khaki-colored twill.  I fell asleep looking at it.  But then I found something I had totally forgot that I bought.

So I present to you Sweet Bee's Tips for Making a Yawn Bag Interesting.

First:  texture adds visual interest.

Lightweight corduroy with thin wales and antique bronze hardware.

 

The straps and pockets break up a bleak monotone landscape.

Second:  make the lining pop.

Fun polka dots yell "Surprise!" when you peak inside.  Not literally.  Visually.

Finally, use cute  flower pins when sewing the lining together to amuse yourself.

See?  Amusing.

I don't think it came out too bad. Much better than I expected.  The corduroy is so lightweight that it feels like regular cotton fabric.  I just don't know if it's a psychological thing about corduroy in the summer...I love the contrast of the lining and the bag. And it's one sturdy bag, let me tell you. 

And finally, she also asked for one of these:

I was allowed to 'go crazy' with this sunglasses case.  I hope I didn't get too out of control...but then I considered the 'go crazy' as compared to the 'beige' and figured I'd go low-key crazy.

That's all I've got right now.  We dog-sat this weekend for my sister's puppy.  Her very-curious-gets-into-everything-is-not-conducive-to-sewing puppy.  Cute as all get-out (whatever that means...it's one of my mom's expressions) but a nipper.  Loves ankles and chewing shoes while you're still wearing them.  But cute.  And not a drooler.  Dog drool is icky.  I can totally get behind Lucy van Pelt with that one.