A Willing Worker...: New Bucket-Style Bag

I enjoy making bags and totes and get the urge every summer for a new purse. I need a new bag like a hole in the head but I enjoy trying out different styles and techniques. This is my new bag for this summer:

It came together very close to what I envisioned in my head (not always the case) and its been a great bag all summer. The new things I wanted to try were 1) grommets along the top, 2) the combination of denim and this pink print, 3) an oval shaped base, and 4) custom interior pockets for things I actually carry on a daily basis, and 5) a strap that could be used in multiple ways.

I am very pleased with the fabric combination. The denim is very sturdy and the pink is pretty. It's lined in canvas and the oval base portion of the bag is heavily interfaced so the bottom of the bag is nice and sturdy and holds its shape well.

The grommets along the top are fun and trendy and work pretty well as a closure. They were more challenging to install than I anticipated - too many thick layers - but I made it through without ruining the bag so was thankful for that. I debated on what size grommets to use. I ended up using these large ones because I thought they fit the scale of the bag, the strap of the bag could then be the same size as the grommet ties, and probably most importantly I had these already in my sewing room as leftovers from a curtain project. Smaller ones would have been fine too, with a thinner grommet tie. I use a belt buckle to hold the grommet ties shut and that works well. I don't slide it open and closed too often - I've just found a nice intermediate spot where its easy to get into but stuff doesn't fall out. Now that I've found a good length I like I could shorten the pink ties but haven't taken the time to do it yet. The interior pockets are useful and I use the one outer zip pocket more than I thought I would so I'm glad I took the time to add it.

The strap was an interesting experiment. I envisioned it being able to be used three ways and only two of them really work. They're the two most important so I'm happy with it - it just means those d-rings on the base of the bag are a bit unnecessary and don't get much use.

Strap configuration 1 is from the top d-ring to top d-ring and makes a long strap for cross body wear. Very handy and just the right length.

Strap configuration 2 is from one top d-ring, across and through the other top d-ring, and then back to buckle on the first one again. This means two clasps on one side and a double strap for shoulder length carrying. This is the one I find myself using most often.

Strap configuration 3 is the one that doesn't really work. I had thought I could use the strap to go from one bottom d-ring to the other, feeding through the top rings to keep them straight, and it would be another version of a shorter strap. As it turns out, the bag itself isn't sturdy enough and it just kind of slumps down. Good idea in theory but not in practice. So, I don't use it that way and those bottom rings are a bit superfluous. Oh well. I enjoy the totally removable strap and its ability to switch between cross body and shoulder so thats a win.