The Ginormous Gym Bag
Modified Butterick 5475
Because I go to the gym to run in winter and when the weather is bad and then have to pick up my kids from school and run errands, I have to pack all sorts of stuff. My current bag is a bit too small and doesn't have all the features that I want, so it was time to make a new bag.
What I wanted was a bag that:
- was wide enough to put in a pair of running shoes so they sit flat on the bottom, side by side
- had pockets for all the body wash, shampoo, etc.
- had an inside zippered pocket
- had a key clip
- was big enough for a towel and complete change of clothes, not to mention snacks and water botttle
- had a waterproof, easy to clean lining
- did NOT look like a typical gym bag.
You'll notice some features are missing, such as the outside pocket. I have no use for this, so there was no point in making it. I also did not like the rounded bulbs at the ends of the straps, so I made my straps simple. To get the size I wanted, I added 5" to the length and 2 1/2" to the width; the height was just fine. The outer fabric is home dec fabric reinforced with one layer of heavy fusible craft interfacing. The bottom has a layer of Peltex fused to it.
You can sort of get a sense for how big this bag really is by looking at the scale of the print below and comparing it to the finished bag above - that is an 18" ruler on the fabric.
The black accents were made from some leather that I reclaimed from an old coat of my husband's. It is too large for him, had a small tear on the shoulder and is a bit out of style. That's a lot of nice leather, just waiting to be reclaimed!
For the lining, I chose oilcoth because it is fairly durable and can be wiped clean, which is ideal for bringing home wet towels and dirty gym clothes. I've added a row of pockets on the one side and a big zippered pocket on the other side in addition to the key clip. Yes, that's a regular-sized (not bath sheet) towel in there with my running shoes.
In the end, I think this will work - it has everything I want and does not look like a typical gym bag.
Parting Shot: No Glasses. That's right, no glasses. She's got contacts now, too. I wanted to wait a couple more years for this next step. With her prescription being so strong now, she's losing more and more of her peripheral vision. The doctor actually recommended the contacts as being better for her in this regard, so I relented. We'll see how her eyes are doing at next week's check-up.
11 comments:
Lovely bag! I was looking at some similar yellow damask for a summer duvet cover for my bed. I remember when I get contacts in 7th grade. I thought I was the coolest person ever.
This is a beautiful bag!
Great bag! It looks like it would also be ideal as an overnight bag (though I am sure you will be get plenty of use out of it as a gym bag of course!)
Your bag is just what spring has ordered! Beautiful work.
You continue to amaze me at all you accomplish.
Great bag!
Haircut, no glasses! She looks so grown up! My daughter is wanting to to ditch her glasses and get contacts. I said she could when she started high school. Well... she starts high school in August. I guess I have to keep my promise!
Great bag!
At about the age of 10 the doctor told my mother I needed to be in contacts no later than my 13th bday to slow down the worsening of my vision. The reasoning at that time was that with the contacts being directly on the eyes my vision was always aided, where as with glasses there was the area between the glasses and my eyes that was unaided causing a strain on my eyes. I got them when I was about 12 and I can say that they did slow down the worsening and after a few years actually improved my vision. Hopefully your daughter will have the same outcome!
That's a terrific bag! This is one of those "Aren't you glad you sew" experiences. You have exactly the bag you want and you couldn't have bought it anywhere!
They put my daughter in contacts at 10 because she was so nearsighted and she was a cheerleader and tumbled. I didn't even know that they have a bigger eye chart for people like my daughter who can't see that giant letter on a regular eye chart. She did fine with them. I'm sure your daughter will do well. Love the bag.
What a great bag. A place for everything and so sunny. I think I'll attempt something for an up coming trip. Lets see.. laptop ..camera ..kindle etc. You've inspired me, thanks.
That bag is absolutely excellent! As far as I'm concerned, the bigger, the better!
Congrats to your daughter on her contacts; I grew up wearing glasses with a very strong prescription; finally getting contacts was such a relief; my glasses, even with the lightest-weight lenses available, sometimes give me a headache just from the pressure of the glasses on the bridge of my nose.
Love it! It's perfect!
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