Here's a gift I crafted for my friend's birthday this coming weekend. Her name is Karen, but last time we camped together, she was dubbed with a new nickname: "Karenheit 451". I let the lettering lead the way.
There are a lot of people out there selling this type of bag, usually made out of leather and waxed canvas. Instead, I opted for this jazzy cotton upholstery sample.
It was quick work stitching half of the sample into a drawstring bag. I also cut a 12"×3" strip of vegtan cowhide for the cover.
Tool time! I curved the corners and grooved the stitching line.
The fun part: Using swivel knife and stamp tools to fill out the design.
I cut the piece of designer chrome tan for the belt loop and D ring holder. Once it was assembled with stitching and a rivet, I also dyed the tooled strip and punched all my stitching holes.
Here is the belt loop stitched to the cover:
I positioned the cover onto the bag, and riveted it into place, then completed the stitching.
I continued decorative stitching around the perimeter for a finished look. Finally, I used a bodkin to draw some lacing into the drawstring channel.
A drawstring stopper completes the piece.
The pouch is 8 1/2"×9", but the cover rolls up into a convenient 3" square.
It rides on her belt and features a D-ring to clip on whatever.
I think it will be a fun surprise for her to see the customized flap.
It opens up in a snap, for collecting things on hikes, etc!
Thanks so much for reading!
