The Many Faces of the Parisian Travel Bag

It's a very rainy day here in Chicago. As I type, Gracie is sitting behind my recliner, doing her best to find a little comfort and protection. She can be such a bold dog, but when it comes to a rain storm, she's a quivering, quaking mess. Poor dog. 

I met a lovely woman who does memory boxes for people who have lost an animal. I've gathered up all of Little Bit's things, her bowl which has a footprint in the bottom along with a heart, her foot print, a tuft of her hair, her name tag and collar, and now a picture. It has taken me quite some time to choose a picture, but I finally settled on the one below. One of her favorite things to do was go on a hike. She was so very happy on a trail, running along ahead of me, turning back from time to time just to make sure I was still there. Her little collar is one that I made, little Lady Bugs that encircled her neck. She was truly loved :) I'll share the memory box once it's finished.
     

Earlier this week, I was in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I did a presentation on Tuesday night for the ASG guild meeting. On Wednesday, we made the Parisian Travel Bag. 

   

I initially had the idea for the bag as I was so very tired of having the weight of a carry-on bag on my shoulder. Traveling is tiring enough without the added weight of something heavy on your shoulder. 

The backside of the bag features a pocket that slips over the handle of your rolling bag. I added a zipper as I wanted a place to safely store my I.D. while going through security. It's also a great place to stash a little money for a sandwich or drink without having to pull out your entire wallet. 

The front of the bag has a slip pocket which will hold a reader...or an old fashioned book ;) Yes, some of us still read actual books(stone-age leftover that I am!). Inside the bag is another zippered pocket that hangs so it can either be left to the side of the bag, or placed on top of your clothes for easy access when the bag is unzipped. 

So I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the finished bags from the Kalamazoo class. Everyone did such a wonderful job, and no two were alike.

This is JoAnn. She ordered her fabric from Fabric.com. She said that she was initially disappointed with how large the birds were, but once the bag was finished, she loved it. I like how she placed the pocket so that the bird looks as though he is sitting in the leaves :)  

Great care was taken to arrange the fabrics just so for this bag. Lots of sweet details that you might miss if you don't look closely. She actually placed a trim between the side and bottom of the bag. When she pulled out her strapping, I asked if she wanted to leave it black or add a trim. Initially she thought that she would leave the strapping a solid black, but the added trim down the center really makes it pop.   
  

This is Becky and JoAnn with their bags. More on Becky in next week's Wednesday Showcase post.

I love how the striped strapping works with the fabric choices.

They are actually smiling at the end of the day!!! 

This bag is so lovely. I wish I had taken a picture of the opposite side as she centered a medallion for the slip pocket. Made the bag look so sharp.

Sadly, I didn't get pictures of all of the bags, but at least you get an idea. 

Once I return from the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals conference in Orlando next week, I will be making the Parisian Travel Bag along with the companion bags available as a paper pattern available in my Etsy store. 

Hope you have a wonderful Saturday and that you find a little time to do something just for the fun of it :)