School days, school days, dear old golden rule days! The days are getting shorter, the weather is slowly starting to cool down, and in many places school is back in session! I don’t know about you, but there’s something about this time of year that makes me want to load up on back to school supplies even though (1) Neither my husband nor I are in school and (2) While H does go to daycare a couple times a week, his only supplies are diapers, bottles of milk, and a change of clothes.
Naturally my lack of reasons to buy school supplies got me thinking about making some—specifically some of my favorite back to school projects from Handwoven. The first project that came to mind is Sarah H. Jackson’s fabulous Shaggy Travel Tote from the May/June 2015 issue of Handwoven which it’s my choice for the back to school project of the week.
Shaggy Travel Tote by Sarah H. Jackson
Teenage and college Christina would have absolutely loved this bag. Right off the bat, I’m drawn to it because it’s plenty big enough to hold textbooks, notebooks, free reading books, and anything else you might need for class. It’s also got loads of pockets! There’s one for a water bottle as well as one that’s just the right size for a small notebook or planner. To make a good bag even better, there are instructions for matching zippered pouches perfect for holding pencils, pens, and everything else you might need for class. Not only is this bag very fashionable it’s perfect for keeping school supplies organized once the semester gets into high gear.
The bag is full of pockets, perfect for keeping school stuff organized all year long.
Perhaps most importantly, this 4-shaft bag is woven in plain weave with weft floats making it a simple and fun hands-on weaving project. You’ll need a loom with a 29" weaving width and probably a sewing machine to create this stunning bag.
Not going back to school and don’t know anyone else who is? I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that this bag would also be great for going to weaving workshops and guild meetings. You could easily carry a book of drafts, your notebook, and some graph paper as well as slide your shuttles and other tools into the pockets. The bag is just that versatile! (In fact, now that I think about it, everything that makes this project a perfect back to school bag would also make it a perfect diaper bag, too! Were I going that route, though, I’d make sure to include waterproof lining.)
So if you’re itching to weave up some back to school goodies and know somebody who’d love this bag as much as school-age Christina would have, make sure to check it out in our May/June 2015 issue!
Happy Weaving, Christina