Travel Case (Times Two)

Many of you know that we make an annual summer trip to Arizona to spend time with my husband's family. This year we're going to try making an extra visit over Christmas break, and as I started working on travel details over the weekend, the image of a travel case popped into my mind and insisted that I give it some attention. It's been a while since I've dropped everything to work on a new sewing idea, but I'm so glad I did. These little bags are my new best friends.

My first attempt was the smaller of the two cases you see above. It was surprisingly quick and fairly easy to sew. The only drawback is a smaller opening since the zipper just runs along the top of the bag. Once this first one was done, I began right away on a larger version with an extended zipper down the sides. It's a tricky process, but I was able to make it work, and I absolutely love the results.

The bags are lined with text prints, which are always a favorite of mine. Both have linen exteriors featuring prints by Heather Ross and Melody Miller and two different shades of yarn dyed Essex linen. I used a heavy wool/acrylic blend Aurifil thread for the stitching on both bags. It's not only strong, but I like the way the larger stitches look against the linen. It all comes together to create a vintage style look that I absolutely love.

I give away a lot of my sewing projects -- how many bags does a girl need after all? -- but considering that tomorrow's my birthday and that I'm pretty crazy about these little travel cases, I think we're going to officially call these a birthday present...