A homemade bag for use on dog walks lets me use up fabric scraps and show off my favorites colors.

My favorite pattern is for a crazy quilt fanny pack. While it’s meant to act a as a purse at quilt shows, I use my “waist packs” to carry baggies when I walk the dog, so I refer to them as Baggie Bags. I’ve made several at this point, because with daily use, they wear out. I let the last one get really bad before I decided to make a new one.

Crazy quilted fanny pack, faded and torn. Photo by Kit Dunsmore
The old baggie bag was starting to fall apart.

I love this pattern, which I bought at a craft fair twenty years ago. The designer is Lorena Ferchaud, who lived in Californiat at the time. I am unable to find her online, though, so I can’t point you to this exact pattern. But I can recommend making a scrappy bag instead of a plain one. You get the fun of using up fabric scraps while making something useful.

Cover of Crazy Quilted Waistpack pattern by Lorena Ferchaud. copyright 1998
Pattern by Lorena Ferchaud
Ironing board with fabric scraps and pattern, scissors, and quilted piece on it. Photo by Kit Dunsmore
The fun part: putting the scraps together.

The scraps are sewn onto stabilized muslin, then the pieces are cut to size and assembled. While I am not great with zippers, I usually manage to get this one to work.

Purple and blue crazy quilted fanny pack, front. Photo and bag by Kit Dunsmore
The new baggie bag in my favorite colors.

My favorite thing about this project is that, with just a few hours of effort, I wind up with something I enjoy using every day. I really shouldn’t call it “effort” though. It’s mostly fun. My favorite part of any sewing project is picking the fabrics, and for a small project, this one uses quite a few.

Purple and blue crazy quilted fanny pack, back. Bag and photo by Kit Dunsmore.
The back of the bag is as fun as the front.

What’s your favorite sewing pattern? Do you use the things you make? What’s your favorite part of a sewing project?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.