Sewing class #3 - I made a bag!

Last night was my third sewing class (no class last week, which worked out really well for me, because I was busy packing for our Chicago trip!).  We finished the little 'practice' bag that we were working on.  I think mine turned out pretty well.  You can click on the picture to see more of the details - the reinforced stitching on the handles, and the corners at the bottom actually give the bag some shape.  I was pretty pleased with it, other than the fact that the fabric isn't great.  We had to use this fabric because someone had donated a couple of yards of it to the instructor, but it's not the best fabric for a bag (or for a beginner to practice with, for that matter!) because it's a flimsy, slippery rayon or something like that.  Also, the stripes made me a little cross-eyed while trying to sew and keep everything in line!  I gave my bag to Annika, though, and she loves it regardless.  She was already playing "grocery shopping" with it this morning. :)  I'd like to sketch out the pattern though, and perhaps make a few other bags with other fabric (something a little sturdier, and easier to sew), and maybe in other sizes, because I think it would be a nice bag for shopping or it would make a good gift bag (eco-friendly wrapping!).  I think I might do as some have suggested in the past, and go thrift some fabric from Value Village. :)

The rest of the lesson last night was a bit of a bore, but I guess it was good information (I was just really tired!).  She talked to use about laying out our patterns, and what all the different symbols and markings mean, and how to alter a pattern.  Once she started talking I remembered quite a bit of it from my days in home ec.  However it was good to have the refresher, because I'd really like to be able to sew from a pattern without feeling intimidated by it.  We didn't have the chance to start marking out our patterns on our fabric, but that was okay, because I had forgotten to take Annika's measurements (I'm making a pair of pants for her, if you recall) so I wasn't exactly sure which size I should use (for those of you unfamiliar with patterns, they give you a range of sizes in one package - the one I have has sizes 2-6x).  So that's my homework for next week - measuring Annika.  I'm looking forward to actually start working on the pants, and Annika is too.  Every time I go to class, she asks me if I'll come home with her pants!