Sometimes you don’t realize just how many toiletries you have until you have to pack them all up and move. I made this toiletry bag for one of my children who, because of her job, packs up and moves more often than most. So rather than using an assortment of bags to hold her essential toiletries, she can now fit them all (or most) in one place.

A side view of the toiletry essentials bag. The picture shows the strap hardware in a glossy silver finish. The fabric is grey and white with a floral print. The zipper is black.

In my effort to not purchase any fabric or notions this year, I am happy to say that the only purchases I made for this project were the black shoulder strap and the hardware for the strap. I like that the hardware pieces have some sheen to them, they add some needed shine to a matte finish.

I always seem to go back to making bags. As a younger woman I never cared much for bags. It’s over the past few years that I’ve developed a fondness for them and for making them. I think it’s the making bags that has made bags so much more interesting to me. With each bag I make , including making this toiletry essentials bag there are things I wish I had done better, which in turn that leads me to wanting to make another one.

The Pattern

The toiletry essentials bag is self-drafted, as usual. Inspiration was found by looking at different bags on social media: Pinterest and Instagram. I considered what it was going to be used for, and what supplies I already had at home when developing the pattern.

A picture of the inside of the bag. The fabric is grey and white. The seams are covered by bias tape, in grey and white thin stripes. The is a wide pocket in the inside of the bag.

I wanted the outside of the bag to look simple and uncluttered, so I added the pockets on the inside – one side has a big pocket (maybe for makeup sets or small serum bottles) and the other side has four narrow pockets (maybe for combs and brushes). What I did to add some visual interest is place the zipper on the outside. I hand sewed the zipper to make sure it sat exactly were I wanted it to.

The bag has handles, as well as a shoulder strap, and the shoulder strap is removable, which is a nice option.

Instructions

I had no instructions for this bag so I just winged it. Of course, I kept the seam ripper close by for the times I forgot to complete a step before moving onto the next one or decided to add a design feature or do something different than originally planned. The fabric stripes were added onto the front and back panels after having sewn the bottom pieces together. I also decided, after sewing the top panels, to sew inseam handles rather than attach them on the outside of the bag.

PSA – always keep your seam ripper close by!

A close up picture of some hand sewing with light green thread down the sides of a stripe. The fabric is grey and white.

I did a lot of hand-sewing with this project and it’s a good thing I enjoy doing it. Some of the hand sewing was for aesthetic reasons and other times it was out of pure necessity. My choice of green thread on the stripes and the green embroidery/fabric patch on the front panel worked well. The green adds some colour but it’s not overwhelming. I also hand sewed all the bias binding covering the seams on the inside of the bag. Hand sewing personalizes a project unlike anything else. It makes the project personal and I love it even more because of the time spent with a needle and thread in hand.

The panels were fairly thick and my Singer Heavy Duty was not impressed. So I tended to just used the hand crank rather than risk stepping on the foot peddle and trying to plow through. I could have used an industrial machine to handle the thickness. (I would love to experience working on an industrial sewing machine just to feel the difference). It was a slow process and I broke a lot of needles but somehow I made it work. One of the negatives of sewing with bulky pieces with my machine is the low shank. Trying to position the fabric under the presser foot was very frustrating at times. The industrial machine would really come in handy here.

As a side note, I interfaced all the outside pieces and then quilted them with the lining and structured batting to give the bag the stability and form I was looking for.

The Fabric

All the fabrics I used for the bag were already in my stash, as well as all the interfacing and batting. My daughter didn’t want it to be too colourful so I was glad I had this grey and white floral fabric. I think the fabric was originally marketed in store for baby items, but I think it works perfectly.

The batting, all fabrics and zippers had all been purchased at my local Fabricland.

All interfacing, strapping and strap hardware were purchased at Leather and Zipper Supply Depot in downtown Toronto. They have a wonderful selection of hardware and their interfacing is a great price. This is the first store I go to when I need any kind of hardware for my sewing projects.

A picture of the label on the inside of the bag. The label, white with black writing, says "I love you".

The label is says “I love you”. “So ardently” is on the reverse. I absolutely love the Pride and Prejudice reference but I didn’t think that was really appropriate in this circumstance.

I might have to make her a small toiletries bag for quick overnight trips to visit mom 😉 Just a hint.

Let me know what you would use this bag for.

Comment, like and share with a fellow sewist.

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