Last week my mom was visiting me and we always try to do some projects while she is around. Usually we do some gardening since we both love plants but this time I asked her to teach me how to sew. She is getting older and I want to learn some of the things she has mastered in her lifetime. She asked what I would like to make so I described to her what an in frame bag looks like, showed her pictures of what I would like, and discussed its functionality. She agreed to teach me how to do it and we began.
I traced out the hole in the center of my frame onto some old cardboard with a sharpie to start our template. Then we transferred that onto wax paper using a pencil and adding on additional length to compensate for the seam. Once we created our templates for each panel and the sides we prepped the material by separating some old pants that I had with holes in them. We traced the templates onto the fabric with chalk and cut the pieces out. She had me do all the work like any good teacher would while guiding me along as she read from her book, I believe she was reading Into Thin Air.
With all the pieces together we started with attaching the zipper. This was definitely the hardest part of the process and I will be honest, she assisted me with getting it perfect since this was my first time using a sewing machine. After that I attached the pockets and sewed the rest of the pieces together. Overall I was very nervous about sewing but it turned out to be a very pleasant process. I love how you can just take out the stitching and try again. Over and over until it’s just perfect.
I am deeply thankful to have the mom that I have and especially grateful that she passed some of her knowledge down to me. About halfway through the project she looked at me and said “You really picked a difficult first sewing project. Most people would start with a pillow case or something simple like that.” She said it with a smile and I am happy she let me get fully immersed before telling me how ambitious and foolish my desires were. She let me live and learn and in return we got to have a good time and I have a new bike bag. Can’t wait to do another sewing. Project with her in the future.
After its first initial ride I’m super pleased. Works great for carrying a water bottle, jacket, weed, pump, patch kit, and snacks. The pockets are perfect for holding things that I might want to access while riding to avoid fumbling with the zipper. Couldn’t be happier. Going to make one for my gravel bike next. The only downside is that the added weight makes it less ideal for any trails with jumps but for around town and gravel grinding or even mellow single track it’s perfect.
I hope this can inspire others to try and make your mental creations come to life. Get out there and do something even if it’s wrong.
by Snowlock42