Golden and Charming

My Christmas present to my sister was a version of the Charming Handbag from Amy Karol's "Bend the Rules Sewing." She picked the fabric: a glitzy satin for the outside and a soft quilting cotton for the inside. The result was a beautiful little purse, perfect for the many things my sister carries around: lipgloss, cell phone, and camera.

I really love the shape, and it involved a new technique for me to practice: a square bottom without pulling in the corners like on a tote bag. The book says you can resize the pattern to make a bag suitable for larger items. Perhaps making one out of a durable canvas would be a good tote bag for hauling my computer and other little electronic bits to England?

I've still got a few projects lined up before I leave, such as a circle skirt (fabric already cut), a knit iPod cozy (gave my dad my old one to fit his new digicam), a sewn zippered pouch to hold my electronics/cables on the flight to England, and a padded zip pouch or knit cozy for my new external hard-drive. Also, I've got to make a set of fabric ties to prevent tangled cords. I like to keep my electronics scratch-free and drop-resistant, so a few little protective pouches and a bag that can hold all these things is exactly what I need.