This article's title says it all. If you've been curious to know what the knitting project bags included in this year's advent will look like, you've likely clicked on this article.
But first, let me share what they were like last year, for reference:
There were several different prints, and I didn't get a chance to snap pictures of them all, but you get an idea of what they looked like - and maybe you even have your very own from last year's! They were big enough to store a medium-sized project, such as a shawl, sock, a cowl, a hat, mittens, and even the beginning of a sweater.
This year, I wanted to spice things up a little, so I worked on a new design.
This one was shared with you a while ago, but in case you missed it, here's what the knitting advent calendar project bag prototype looked like:
I really like how this project bag turned out!
And using heavier fabric for the outside makes the project bag stand up on itself, which means it's easier to pull your knitting or crochet WIP out of it and get to work straight away. It's also bigger than last year's bag, mostly because it's taller, because of the drawstring.
This year, I've gone away from the zip closure. While a zipper project bag has been one of my favorite for knitting WIPs, I wanted to try the drawstrings. Plus, the inside has 2 large pockets to store notions and others - I believe last year's only had 1 large pocket, so there's an upgrade here too!
I bet it could be used for a lot of other things too: for crochet (duh!), as a purse, to store snacks, sewing notions, small toys for kids like Legos and Hot Wheels, and probably a billion more things too!
Of course, the project bag above is a prototype only; the fabric used was a one-of-a-kind fabric, so I went online and bought the nicest fabric I could find to make those amazing project bags. After all, this shop is all aboout quality
I spent way too much money on quality canvas, that will build the outer bottom of the bags (sorry not sorry). Then, I shopped for the outer fabric, which is a somewhat heavy printed denim.
I knew I wanted the prints to be wintery/holiday-like without being the type of bag you'd only get out in the open 3 weeks before Christmas. I opted to stay away from Santa Clauses, bells, candy canes, and such.
It felt like outdoorsy, wintery vibes were a great option for this year. Of course, I couldn't leave out the "knitting" factor.
I placed the order, and then it shipped, and then three weeks later... I only received one fabric out of the 4 I had ordered!! Dang. I reached out to customer service, and they fixed it - phew! - but only now I was 3 weeks behind schedule!
And finally, the remainder of the order arrived yesterday. The fabric is now washed, ready to be cut and sewn into these wonderful project bags! The cutting will happen right after this post is published!
So... Without further ado, let's unveil the main outer fabric for the handmade project bags...
***Spoiler Alert: If you want the Advent Calendar surprise, stop reading here!***
So... here it is:
Obviously, the canvas color will match the outer fabric, and the lining will be 100% cotton fabric or flannel.
Stay tuned, I might (or might not) share the finished project bags soon!
*The bags will be attributed at random in the advent calendars, so if you've already ordered yours, know it will be one of these 4 fabric options. If you have a strict print preference, you can email it to me, but with the commotion of shipping the all advent calendars orders at once, I may not be able to fulfill your specific request.