Project two on the new sewing machine was also utilitarian. After nearly a decade of cohabitation, Janne and I had never owned a proper laundry bag. In London, we kept our dirty clothes in a discarded Royal Mail bag, which Janne would carry on his head to the local laundromat—usually I’d be alongside toting a backpack overflowing with linens. The machines only took twenty-pence coins, which we always forgot to save and never, ever found in the couch. Oh, those were the days. Here, we’ve been using an unsightly burlap sack that holds all together too much laundry. We're expert at forgetting about the chore entirely until someone runs out of socks, and by then there’s an imposing mountain of cloth to conquer. My mother would not be impressed.
So when I saw the pretty Oversized Laundry Bag pattern in In Stitches I thought I’d give it a stab. The directions seemed overwhelmingly
detailed at first, but it turns out they just don’t leave much room for
error—good news for a novice like me! It’s large, but not as large as
the burlap sack, and this bag comes with features: a drawstring, three
sturdy layers, and even a strap. If I’m ever again forced to carry a
laundry bag around town, at least I can carry it in style on my
shoulder.
Afterward, I cut the teeniest fabric leftovers into letters for my
mother-in-law’s birthday card. I love it when scraps become new
projects.
Are you making something crafty?



