I finished up my latest batch of bags. They were a bit of a pain to make because these shiny yellow straps are too limp to make good bags. To give them more rigidity, I sew two together. That makes them heavy and nice but it really taxes my machine and my patience to sew them double thickness.

I have struggled with zippers on my bags. I have just never been able to figure out how to put them on in an easy way. So, every time I make a bag that closes with a zipper, I swear I will never make another.

Here is a bag I made this week that closes but without a zipper. Maybe I can get figure out how to easily make these so I won’t miss zippers.

Here it is, with the sides folded over and buckled in front.

Here is what it looks like when unbuckled. It holds just as much stuff as my regular bags.

Here it is open so you can see the Velcro I used to keep the upper edges apposed when it is buckled up. This is the first time I have used Velcro on a bag.

The first time someone asked me to make a black and blue bag, I didn’t think I would like it. I think this goes back to the days when my father taught me to not wear a combination of black and blue clothing. Well, I am sure my dad taught me well but I was  wrong about black and blue together in a Tad Bag. This turned out very nice.

I spent some spare time the last couple of weeks making these bags. My wife asked me why I made seven and I told her it was because that is how many bottoms could be cut out of the material. Doing seven at a time makes me more efficient but at times I do feel like I am in a sweat shop. I crammed them in my locker at work and they are gone already!

When shopping at RAFT, I am always on the prowl for something that would make a cool bag. When we saw two huge banners with lots of black and orange, I bought them. I have had them rolled up under the bed for months until, on Friday night, I woke up at 2:00 and was unable to go back to sleep. It was tricky to sew the plasticized material but I was pleased with the result. The bag folds flat but unfolds to form a rectangular bottom that stands up well. Here are some pictures.

This is what the banner looked like. I took the upper left part for my bag.

Here is the bag with the bottom folded flat. The trauma straps cover the word “Microsemi” that was on the banner.

Here it is with the bottom unfolded.

Back.

Sides.

Sonia lent her Tad Bag to her sister, Fran, who sent these pictures from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Very nice!

Alicia looks happy with her new Tad Bag!

We are expecting our first grandchild this fall. Here is a picture of our son, Philip and his prego wife, Elizabeth, with the diaper bag I made for “Genghis,” the best name they have been able to come up with so far.

I have made several bags with zippers but it is a pain so I usually tell people “no” when I am asked for a bag with a zipper. When Jasmine asked me, I said “no” then came home and made one for her. Here she is, smiling appreciatively.

Also some other pictures of the bag.