My sister, Teri, gave me this wonderful fabric featuring dress forms and tape measures. The bag is reversible, and I swapped the bottom pieces for a little contrast. I used heavy-duty interfacing on the bottom to add some shape and strength.
I should have added something to the pictures to give you some size reference, but I can tell you that it is the perfect size to carry two cans of pop and a little snack to work. In fact, I liked it so much I decided to try a larger, insulated version to carry my lunch.
The retro martini fabric has been sitting on a shelf for over a year - waiting for the perfect project. It makes me smile just to look at it.
Again, no size perspective, but this one is about 1 1/2 times the size of the first. I used the same pattern and kept the handle width the same, just widened the curve in between to make it 12" wide - because that's the size of paper I had handy for drawing the pattern. I also added 5-6 inches to the length. In this version, I used Insul-Bright insulated batting in the bottom and sides. There is no batting in the handles to keep them flexible enough to form the "knot".
Normally I would give credit to the author of the tutorial, but in this case I won't. The one I used is poorly written and leaves out a couple details that are crucial. This is really a very simple sewing project - if you have all the information. After the second one, I think I've got it figured out, but there are lots of patterns and tutorials out there if you search "Japanese Knot Bag", so I'll let you find a better one.
