Not-my-Granny's-curtains Satchel

You know when you get in idea stuck in your head, and you just have to clear the decks to see if the thing that seems to be a most excellent plan when it is still inside your head, turns out still to be most excellent in real life...? Well this is one of those things. 

Ever since I made a satchel out of an old curtain for Lindsay, one of the St Helena Ladies of Craft, I have sort of fancied one for myself. I love upholstery and curtaining fabrics and I think they are generally wasted on curtains where their beautiful designs are hidden in the folds and because they genuinely are part of the furniture, after a while, you stop seeing them. My favorite patterns are a bit old fashioned and possibly slightly faded. Just the sort of thing your Granny would have chosen.

And then a couple of weeks ago I got sick of my shoulder bag falling off the many layers of cardies and coats that cover my shoulders at the moment and thought to myself that a satchel was exactly what was required. 

Then I decided that it should be the sort of satchel that could be worn across the body for a hands free solution to the many-layers-problem, or could be worn on the shoulder when across the body just wasn't the thing.

What I needed was an adjustable strap... So, much googling and amazoning and etsying later I ordered the components. Then I waited. And waited. And waited... It turns out that it takes quite a while for buckles and rings to wing their way all the way from china, and I couldn't find what I wanted any closer.

I had a rummage in my stash and chose some fabric. For the outside, an off-cut of curtaining (not in fact my Granny's), an upcycled duvet cover for the lining and a ribbon across the front, just because I could.

I put a pocket for keys and another for pens on the inside.

And Ta Da!

A Not-my-Granny's-curtains satchel.

This was a lovely thing to sew and I have plenty more pieces of curtaining in my stash so I am thinking I might make a few more to sell. What do you think? Would anyone else like a Not-my-Granny's-curtains satchel?