The Gina Bag

Do you ever see bags in different styles that have a name? Like a Kelly bag or an Amanda bag??
Well, meet the Gina Bag.

Named after my friend Gina, it's made from a pair of girls jeans, is fully lined with internal pockets and a zipped top. It's actually the second one I made for her - she wore the first one out! She asked me to do some running repairs on the first bag at one point, which I did but she clearly needed a new bag, so I made the one above. And she loved it. 

She kept enthusing about it and said how perfect it was and  how all her friends loved it and did I take commissions. And you know, I always thought she was just being polite about it being so brilliant. It was after all, just a home-made bag made from a second hand pair of jeans. Nothing special other than being made especially for her.

But that bag has now made it's way back to me and I used it myself for the first time on Sunday. And you know what? It's a brilliant bag! 

My friends will tell that (although I have a big mouth and make a lot of noise sometimes!) I don't blow my own trumpet very loud. If at all. I'm always the first to point out the mistakes in whatever I've made, rather than say how good it is. Well, having now used it, I can safely say this bag is brilliant. 

It's the perfect size. It has a roomy zipped pocket inside that opens and closes easily -with one hand. All the external pockets function too. The straps - OMG the straps - are just perfect! I stopped using shoulder bags because they were constantly slipping off my shoulder and I was forever hoiking them back up. But not this bag. The straps are made from denim too, with one being just a fraction shorter than the other, so that they'll nestle on top of each other, not side by side, and the fabric has enough grip that they just don't slip. Amazing. And the strap length is just perfect too. The bag sat comfortably beside my hip and - if you're as snap happy as me and like to have your camera in your pocket, if not your hand at all times - it proved to be the perfect position for slipping my camera in and out of the front pocket. And I didn't need to keep one hand on top of the bag as I walked - it just stayed where it was... Perfect.

So if you're listening Gina, Thankyou. 

And I'm sorry I didn't listen when you said I'd made something good...