Bug Bag aka ByeBye Bag

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I was going to convert a canvas tote into a doggie carrier.  Well, I found an old quilted bag I bought at Wal Mart a long time ago that came with a matching comforter and pillow shams.  The material was very cheap and the comforter turned into other things long ago and the shams are now Bunny Blankies, but I kept the tote intact. Until today. 

As you can see, it is very roomy and large enough for a full grown chihuahua, or other toy dog.  The handles are long enough to throw over my shoulder and keep Bug at waist level.  Now to convert, upcycle, or retrofit (pick your phrase) this bag.

First, I cut a hole in the middle of one of the side panels.  This will be for Bug to poke her head through.

I added binding to the pokey.

I have a confession. I HATE using pins when sewing. I know my work would be much more even and professional looking if I used them.  I tend to free hand my sewing because I end up sticking myself.  It is a fear of mine and I hate when it happens.  I do have some Clover Wonder Clips  and I love them, but for tight work like the pokey hole here, they would not work well.  So as you can see, the sewing is quite erratic.

Next, to add a zipper.

Talk about retrofitting.  This bag was not designed to have a zipper.  But with some determination and good ole Ameri-CAN DO tude, I got that sumbitch on. 

I am going to have put a little oil on the zipper.  It is a very very old one I got at a thrift store ages ago with about 100 other zippers.  It was brown, just the right color and the perfect length.  I just top stitched it on along the top seam.  I did not use a zipper foot.  Unless I was going to take this bag apart, I had to be innovative.  No, I absolutely was NOT going to take this bag apart.  If I had the gumption to do that, I might as well just make a tote from scratch.  Now why would I do that when I have bunches of serviceable bags just laying around waiting to be converted/upcycled/retrofitted? LOLs at Internet crafter jargon....

Now all this bag needs is a few outer pockets for my own personal stuff like keys, wallet, phone and such. I had a fat quarter and a fat eighth in coordinating colors that have been hanging out in my stash for a bit.

From Prairie Quilt in Hennessey, Oklahoma.  Check out their website.  They are in a beautiful old building right off the main street/country highway.  This is one of my favorite places to visit for fabric.

This fat quarter is from Oklahoma Quiltworks in Oklahoma City.  I have never visited, but my mother shops there frequently.  She usually asks me if I need something and will pick up a fat quarter or two or three or ten for me. 

Just free handed this pocket and top stitched it on using the peach for a lining and hem.  I divided the pocket down the (sort of ) middle.  All this sewing was a little bit of a pain as the bag was already put together, but it is a big bag and easy to scootch all the extra cloth out of the way for my Nancy Zieman sewing machine (tried to find a link for it, but can't find one! It's not even on the product inventory where it was purchased.)

So... I cannot just toss her into the bag.  It needs a supportive bottom for her to stand, sit and lay on.  Let's recycle.  We had donuts this morning. 

I took both the top and bottom of the box and folded them on top of each other.

I measured (eyeballed) whether the box would fit the bottom of the bag.  Yup, just the right length.

Using a very technical method, I secured the boxes into the rectangular shape I wanted. 

I wrapped a long piece of fleece 'round and around the box.  This makes it very pillowy and soft.

I manipulated it into the bag bottom.  Fits snugly.

And testing testing 123

My Snugly Bug!!!!