I was in the market for a medium-sized brightly colored bag, so I decided to make one using McCall’s M5599, style b. The bag is the perfect size and shape, in my opinion– large enough to carry around books, lunch, and a small knitting project, but not enormous and bulky.

Since bags don’t require a large amount of material, this was the perfect time to use a pricier designer fabric.  I like this print because it’s summery and the neutral colors match with just about anything. On the inside, it has a silky chocolate brown lining with pockets.

I left out the interfacing– which I never have and always forget to buy– as well as the cardboard insert in the bottom. I’m still debating whether this was a good idea or not; although this makes the bag washable and allows it to be squished into a ball or folded into a small square, it probably would look better if it were more structured. I did double the material on the straps and the bottom for reinforcement.

I’ve been using the bag for a couple weeks now and I’m really happy with it so far. Hopefully it will serve as a springboard into a summer of sewing projects– right now I have a skirt in the works, I just ordered material to make a bag for S, and I have some home decorating projects planned for later.