I had a DH with a very sad face ask me yesterday if I could PLEASE make a bag to replace the plastic one that he has been hauling his practice tennis balls around in. His bag was tearing and he needed SOMETHING – FAST.My first thought? Uhhhhhh ----isn’t there a tote bag around here that would do the job just fine?
But I thought about it. How hard could it be? Heaven knows I have enough fabric here at home, and I could re-purpose the drawstring on the top of the plastic bag….
I didn’t even measure, not really……..it went like this…..
Empty tennis balls into a basket so they don’t all escape all over the floor.
Hold fabric up to plastic bag and add a bit more length, enough for a casing and for a boxed bottom ----cut two rectangles (one width of fabric was not enough) of the ugliest fabric in the stash that needed to go away!
Sew the two sides together….press side seam open. Turn over an inch and stitch down for draw string casing, turning in raw edges for the height of the casing so that won’t have exposed edges. ((This is so technical!))
I sewed across the bottom and up the other side, stopping the stitching and back-tacking just below where the casing was, leaving enough free to pass the cording through.
I boxed the bottom by bringing the side seams down to meet the bottom seam and stitching across the corners to give the bag more body. If I really cared, I would have matched the side seams to the bottom seams first, but hey, I was in a hurry!
And don’t you agree this fabric really needed to GO!? Sandi – if you are reading this, this is part of the fabric I got from you! It’s very masculine looking, a nice quality fabric – it just needed a place where it would be happy. THIS is it!
The whole thing took me around 20 minutes to make – and let’s face it, something like this that deals with actual YARDAGE and cutting and sewing is a lot better than having to hem a pair of pants or actually mend anything!
After all, haven’t you heard?
I was walking a fine line here!
40 comments:
It is amazing what a sewer can do. I made my camo bag I use hunting, a arrow carrier for bowhunting, a can holder for my hubby's deer stand, do you see a pattern here? I also made and installed a pocket for the seat back of my scooter. That is just a few things I have made but we are inventavie to say the least. Have a great day.
That fabric works great for something manly! I'm sure your DH will be proud to carry it. And consider the bonus that you can wash and easily reuse this bag when it gets scruffy.
I so agree, would rather pull my teeth than sew a hem. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Hubster was made happy and a piece of 'ugly' fabric has a new and hopefully long life...or you will be making another one soon. :>)
Faye in Maine
I have that very same fabric but in a deep gold/tan/gray color. In this version it fits very well into my color schemes.
Great way to help out the hubster.
XOOXOX Subee
I'm sure your hubby appreciated it! Lois
But did he like it? I think that fabric was perfect for this purpose!
Love it! You made your hubby happy, you used up some ugly fabric in a perfect way, and you even repurposed the string! And it only took 20 minutes... Way to go, Bonnie!
LOL! I sat down this morning and repaired the shoulder seam in my winter 'play' coat that was coming undone. It just wouldn't do to have 'the quilter' have a ripped seam. However, the cobbler's children went barefoot! :)
hahaha... As I scrolled through your post, and knew the photos of the ugly fabric were nearing, I expected to see some kind of kitty, bunny, baby, or other cutesywootsy motif. The fabric you chose is Perfect for tennis ball duty. Won't show the dirt, and won't bring shame. Plus, you Score: 20 minutes + 1 ugly fabric = one happy indebted husband. Can't go wrong with that.
MUST be love.... yeah I hate it when I have to do something like that.... but it is worth it, when you get the gratitude factor in later.
So funny... for a quilt I would have said that this fabric was too ugly... guess I would have cut tiny strings from it to use it up in some way - but for this purpose it's just the right fabric, the right color and even the print looks kinda stylish as a bag for the tennis balls...
I hope your hubby likes it as much as I do from seeing those pics - and hey... you have yet another justification for your stash: you always have just the right piece of fabric ON HAND!!!
See it wasn't so bad after all... the bag turned out nicely that is a great choice of fabric for a man's bag. Bags are quick and easy to make I actually like making them.. lol
I'm totally with you on the mending or hemming part though... lol
Have a great day Bonnie!
Gwen
ugly is in the eye of the beholder, or project. I agree with AddieNCE that this fabric is just right for the tennis balls, but simply wouldn't do (at first glance) for a quilt except perhaps a backing
I hope that DH had a happy face after you finished his bag. And his bag of tennis balls will never get mixed up with someone else's.
I make bags all the time so quick to do from one or two pieces of fabric. I have lots off biggish scraps furnishing weight from a previous life but also love to do something more personal also recent ly made baby bag with name and tumbling blocks will post photo when I figure out how!
As I was reading, I was thinking that I would not have selected this fabric to use in a quilt unless I cut it REALLY small, but that it was certainly a masculine-looking fabric, and then I read you saying almost the same things. Ladies, don't let your husbands or sons see this, or all of them will think of a thousand uses for a bag like this one!
I make bags all the time so quick to do from one or two pieces of fabric. I have lots off biggish scraps furnishing weight from a previous life but also love to do something more personal also recent ly made baby bag with name and tumbling blocks will post photo when I figure out how!
Love the bag, Bonnie! Would you believe that I used that same fabric for a short sleeved shirt for my hubby? He's an electrical engineer and loves how the fabric looks like computer circuitry! I'm sure your hubby was appreciative of your efforts ;)
How dare him ask you to stop quilting for a tennis ball bag!! LOL Good job and now he has room for new tennis balls!!
I may not like to stop quilting to make something for my DH, but I do because then he can't complain about all the fabric!! You invested 20 minutes in making a bag for hubby. You will reap some peace and quiet the next time you come home with a big bag of fabric!! After all, if you hadn't had all that fabric, you might not have been able to make that bag!
Great job Bonnie, and I had to laugh so loud about the quote! So true
My kids always say it's like the plumber... his house is the last one to get the drippy faucet fixed! LoL. My DH always seems to ask me to fix things that he wants completely made over! I do it, just, well like you say it does cut into the sewing/quilting time.
I like it when I can pull something from my stash to help out DH. It justifies my shopping!
Oh I don't mind making easy things like this for the Hubby. What I hate is being asked to replace zips. They are just so much work!
Oh Bonnie he is a lucky man. People always ask me to replace zips etc etc. "you like sewing don't you" is usually the starting line. They do not understand that I like quilting there is such a difference. My next project is to make my dear chap a pair of medieval trousers complete with flap so he can visit the privvy as it used to be called , and also a medieval jacket. He does long bow archery and they shoot at a medieval site near where we live.
Oh dear what fabric ! I hope hubby was happy.
Hubby will be SO happy about his new tennis ball bag that he won't even notice another sewing machine walking into the house! Gotta keep 'em happy! And I so agree--mending is a dirty word!
Knowing how to sew gets you all sorts of interesting projects. I once had to make a new bag for the SIL/DD's tent stakes. Can't go camping without the stakes! Now about the repairs to my winter run-around jacket... maybe I should call Ida from PA!!?? LOL!
Ah...but think about how many more hours of Quilt Cam and/or piecing and/or quilting of any kind that one small deed 'bought' you. ;-)
You are so generous and loving to do this bit of sewing. Wink, wink! It bought lots of goodwill.
Haha! I did just hem a pair of uniform pants for my son's friend. He got a new security job that started that night, so he got a rush job. I hope he's only seen in the dark! Reminds me how much I love cottons better than doubleknit.
The least you could do Bonnie, after you leave him so much. But I used to feel the same way about having to stop quilting to make something for hubby. But it was worth it. I think that fabric was perfect for him. Plenty of room for more balls.
I love that fabric. It looks like circuit board patterns which would totally please my techie DH.
Bonnie, I love your e-card. Can I post this on my blog...?
http//malinisquilts.blogspot.com
Thanks in advance.
Malini
It's the simple things that will make DH so happy. Hubby requested a cross stitch picture of Rainbow Row in Charleston SC....so about 10 years later, I made it. However, if we need some type of garment for our collectors club....get out of the way or you could be in the ER>
And that fabric! What were you thinking? Good job!
Did he like it? Because, it did turn out pretty cool.
Funny, I saw that first pic. and all I could think of was "MAN, that is a lot of tennis balls!" Of course, I have labs, and we deal in tennis balls at our house. I was VERY envious! Nice job. I love it when it is a fast project. I now have a stash of "quilted" fabric, because the hub is always asking for bags to put his electronics in, or asking me to make one for someone who needs it, mostly the kids.
They do make nice gifts. and because of 'weird" projects, I have more hardware, and fabric (Cordura, leather, buckles, zippers, etc.) then I would like, but then again, I LOVE making bags, especially when it is for something that works "just right". I just finished a ton of dog collars to donate...everything under the sun...
At our house we refer to them as "Brownie Points"!
What a great way to get rid of ugly fabric! And do something for hubby at the same time! BTW, my DH just dumped some great 100% cotton shirts that he doesn't want anymore in my sewing room. Is he well trained, or what! I need to get busy on some donation quilts with them.
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