Travel gear – Improved

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go … to Nice for a few days. Actually it’s me together with a colleague and a bunch of students … hopefully no trouble but relaxed days for all of us. Of course there will be some pictures on the blog in a while.

My preparation – except of listening to the old and the new album of Zaz trying to refresh the sad remains of the French I learned at school: Sewing!

I sewed my perfectly customised multifunctional travel bag, that…

… is so large that it holds my camera bag and still has enough room for other things like wallet, water bottle, sunglasses etc. (final size: 37 cm tall, 42 cm wide, 14 cm deep)

… has two generous front pockets for additional stuff and a small interior pocket … for even more stuff

… can be carried in two different ways: as a handbag with removable handles (fixed with Kam Snaps) and as a tote with a removable and adjustable strap made of cotton webbing so I can wear it over my shoulder or cross-body style

… can be closed with a recessed zipper that keeps everything safely inside (learned how to make it from this pattern).

The fabric I used is some heavy weight IKEA fabric in black and white and mustard canvas fabric – a beautiful contrast, I think!

And as I was just on the roll, I decided to sew a new toilet bag as well. I used my old – practical (It’s so tall, that you don’t have to lay the bottles inside), but not very attractive – one as a model and used a similar colour scheme as with the travel bag. The inside is made of oil cloth, with a pocket on each side. The long zippered top panel allows open the bag wide, so I can find even the last hidden hair pin.

That’s it! I think I’m equipped now for la Côte d’Azur!