Wallet

Back in November 2022 at a guild meeting, three members presented a trunk show featuring all the bags, purses, and wallets they had made. I hadn’t made a bag in about ten or twelve years, but when I saw one member’s “Ultimate Travel Bag” (a By Annie pattern), I fell in love immediately. So, when the Black Friday sale at the quilt shop came around, I went ahead and bought the pattern, fabrics, and all the other supplies. By Annie has fantastic video instructions on their website, and although it took me a while and was a bit fiddly at times, I finished the bag. I even had enough leftover fabric to make a smaller project called “Easy Does It” (a By Annie pattern).

My cats loved the bag as much as I did—they climbed all over it and even inside, thinking it was the best adventure playground.

The guild friend whose bag had inspired me mentioned that she ended up making four of them because all her friends loved it and wanted one, too. So, I decided to make another one for my mom before flying to Germany to visit her in June 2023. Once again, I had enough leftover fabric to make her a matching “Easy Does It” bag as well.

Have you ever heard of the “Necessary Clutch Wallet” (an Emmaline pattern)? I’m not sure where I first came across it, but I remember my friend Connie had made one, and I really liked it. Since I was already in bag-making mode, I decided to give the NCW pattern a try after finishing the travel bag sets. And wow, was it addictive! I made one for myself and then four more to give to friends and my mom. There’s a whole community out there hooked on making these clutch wallets, with excellent video tutorials, and I found it easy to follow along. Once I got the hang of it, I set up my own little assembly line and had them all done before leaving for Germany last year.

During my 2023 trip, I realized the “Ultimate Travel Bag” was a bit too big for my liking. While it is the right size for airline carry-on luggage, I don’t usually bring that much with me on board, and I found it cumbersome to lug around. I had already bought another pattern, the “Executive Carryalls” (also By Annie), which are designed as laptop bags. The pattern has two options: a smaller laptop cover and a slightly larger bag with room for extra items. Since we had booked a trip to New Zealand for February 2024, I decided to make the bigger laptop bag to see if its size would work better as my carry-on. Once again, I had enough leftover fabric to make a matching “Easy Does It” bag.

I also made the larger version of the Quick Zip Cases (another By Annie pattern). It was meant to be a quick Sunday afternoon project – though it took a bit longer since I put the zipper in the wrong way! But in the end, I was really happy with how it turned out.

My two “Easy Does It” bags, the Zip Case, and the Clutch Wallet all fit perfectly into the Executive Carryall, along with my glasses, phone, and the few other odds and ends I needed for the flight. I’m much happier with this smaller version of carry-on luggage.