Another handmade Monday and another 30 day challenge ticked off my list of projects! This week I have completed making the Upcycled Bag, now renamed the Beano Bag! A month or so ago I dragged my Hubby around the charity shops in Warrington, in search of some inspiration for my next unusual sewing project. I came across a ‘Beano’ single duvet cover and pillow case for £2. I couldn’t leave it there for that price and my fingers were itching to get making something out of it!
The main thing that attracted me was a large image of Dennis the Menace which I thought I would be able to cut around and turn it into a bag. So I set to and got snipping with my scissors. I found that by smoothing out the duvet cover, as I cut around the image on the front I also cut out the fabric for the back of the bag, therefore getting both pieces the same size. The size
of the bag was determined by the size of the image and it looked like it was going to turn out to be a rather large shopper style bag! I had some left over fleece interfacing which was just the right size, therefore I ironed it on to both front and back pieces.
Since the back of the duvet/bag was white I thought It would be a bit plain. I therefore cut around the Beano logo on the pillow case, arranged, pinned then sewed around the edges of the letters. I think it gives a bit more interest and gives 2 different choices for which is the front of the bag!
With right sides together I sewed a 1/2 inch seam around the sides and base. Then pinching sides seams together, making sure they were in line, I made a triangle measuring 4 inches across. I 
sewed across this line and trimmed off the top of the triangle to give the boxed bottom for the bag.
For the lining I had found a red and black striped material which I though was very apt! I measured it out the same size as the exterior, and fitted a magnetic clasp. On the duvet cover there was a part of it that read ‘Menaces for ever’. Using my rotary cutter I carefully cut around it and created a shaped that could be used as a pocket for the interior. I ironed on some left over interfacing to give it a bit more stiffness and then sewed around the sides and bottom and also down the middle to create 2 pockets. I then sewed together the interior as for the exterior, leaving about a 10 inch gap across the bottom seam.
I chose a cream webbing f
or the handles and after playing around with the length pinned on the handles to the exterior and sewed using a box and cross to make sure the stitching was nice and strong.
Then with right sides facing I placed the exterior inside the lining and pinned together at the top, gathering the material for the lining and making sure the side seams for both the lining and the exterior were matching. I then sewing a 1/2 inch seam around the top therefore attaching the lining to the exterior and then turned it right sides out through the gap in the bottom of the lining.
With a bit of pressing with the iron here and there and with the sewing of the gap in the lining done the bag was complete!
I am really chuffed with my efforts, especially making something new out of something old! I also kind of made it up as I went along and think it kinda turned out ok?!
Why don’t you check out Wendy’s Handmade Monday blog to see what everyone else has been up to this week 
Next week I will tell you how I get on making my T-shirt Tote, number 3 of my 5 projects in 30 Days challenge!
Sarah x
