The H20 to go Bag

This is my review of the H₂0 to go bag pattern by Linds Handmade.

First off, let me just say that I am not the most experienced sewist in the sewing room. I started around 2016 and have been sewing up a storm since then, but often each new project pushes new skills at me in a different way but always built on previous learning. Each year, I take note of the progress I’ve made from the previous year and still surprised to see how much I’ve evolved my sewing skill and knowledge. Having this blog is great for revisiting past projects and seeing that progress. Very cool. Keeps me going too.

Having said that though, I obviously have a ton to learn and master. So, preamble done. Phew.

Shall we?

I love having something that is a bit different, don’t you? It tickles me when I can bring new ideas to people especially when the expression is, that neat! This was the case with the H₂0 to go bag. I know it SAYS H₂0, but we all know it is for walking – any walking. And I walk my dogs and need to carry things like little pickup bags – if you know what I mean.

Look away from the following 2 paragraphs if you do not walk a dog:

Okay, lets just get this out there. Those little doggie bags are kinda gross when filled. Sometimes, due to distance from pickup to deposit, one even has to carry a warm dangling bag for a distance. They swing with a definite heft and can be ….odorous.

Before dogs, I had heard about this and thought it was nuts! Surely not. Would anyone actually do that? Well, how times have changed. I’m a regular poop-and-scoop warrior. I would never consider not picking up after them! They are my dogs, my loves and my responsibility and I jolly well pick up after them. To see other dogs’ leavings strewn across walking paths or where children play is just not on and I fully appreciate the necessity of this requirement of dog ownership. And it is the right thing to do. And, well, it is the legal thing to do. Why yes in answer to your question, if Hub is with us on the walk, he does the pick up. Poop and scoop! Okay, I’m done. – back to the H₂0!

Where was I?

Inventory for a walk includes doggie bags, phone, keys and ear buds. Forget any of them, and its back home. This little purpose built bag is perfect for such outings. I can keep it packed with necessities near the leads and never forget the doggie bags again!

I have made two of these bags so far, but I expect more are in my future. For the first one was for me. I used a nice fabric with pictures of puppies on it from FunkyMonkey fabrics. I did a “fussy” cut so my favourite puppy face would be featured front and center of the bag. For the outside, I used a forest green cotton fabric from my stash. The inside was done with waterproof medium/heavy Polyester 600 Denier from Paccana. It was in their gold colour. I wanted waterproof for obvious reasons but also it gives such a nice structure to the bag.

It is very satisfying to sew somehow and I really loved making the bag. Once the front was done, it came together very quickly except for the issue I had with the bottom. The front works really well though and the curves around the zipper come together very nicely. I added the slots to one side in the interior zippered pocket so very snazzy.

Uh oh, broke a needle – and again!

Okay, now to the bottom. Well I was using a size 12 because I forgot to change the needle. My bad. All my fault, I replaced it and put in a bigger needle. Well, pulling the thick outer layer fabric around that tight curve on the bottom and well, it broke again! Replaced that with an even thicker needle (16) and that seemed to do the trick – with some work. I made about 2 stitches forward at a time, lifted the foot and turned rather than pulling against the needle. Quite the challenge and slow going. It actually looked very bulky and bumpy at the bottom when done – but it was the bottom so not really noticeable. It has also pushed out better with lots of handing and wearing.

The second bag I made was for a friend of a friend. They are dog walking buddies and the recipient always lugs around a huge water bottle. She also has a Bernese mountain dog. (These are such lovely huge, beautiful dogs with great personalities to match.) Well, do you think I could find any fabric with a Bernie on it? Blast!

Luckily, I realized that the denier fabric I have is actually polyester which means sublimation should work on it. The fabric had to be a light colour to work though, so I pulled out the neon orange and fused it with an .svg file I bought from from Etsy (for a $1). I then used butcher paper to protect the fabric from coming into full on contact with the iron melting. It worked. I tried to use the fabric colours that worked well with the denier fabric, but that meant things in the orange range although I went out there a bit with the green zipper! Woah! I’m such a renegade! Way outside my colour comfort zone anyway. Oh, and the fabric is actually reflective for night visibility.

Conclusion

By all reports, she liked it very much! As I said, I enjoyed making this bag a lot and had no trouble the second time going around the small oval at the bottom. – slow and careful. I have also seen a tip to lessen the bulk at the bottom of the front pocket by folding the interior pockets out of the seam allowance – will have to try that next time.

Are you going to give it a go?