Market Bag, Desert Edition

I put my new sewing machine to good use over the weekend!

You see... my employer gave me a very special Christmas gift this past year in the form of a new teacher/friend. What a treat! Her birthday is today and I knew I had to make her something special or she'd no longer share lesson plans with me. Or maybe she'd start to borrow and never return the AC remote? I couldn't imagine the horrors. Plus, I really wanted/needed to sew!

Six months without sewing and probably seven months since my last market bag. I felt a smidge rusty when it came to the steps... but a quick read through of the tutorial brought it all right back. (My love for this bag makes it sooo hard to try other patterns.)

The fabric selection in Abu Dhabi is interesting... to say the least. There are actually tons of shops. The problem is just that a) the material type isn't suited to the sort of projects I do (think textiles used to make abayas and saris) and b) the patterns and designs aren't... well, attractive. Luckily there's an IKEA nearby that sells a few decent prints. This fabric I chose because it matches the desert sand. It gets really dusty here, especially lately. I knew any prints heavy with white would be beige in a snap. Hence, Sarah's bag is a desert edition.

But you know, market bags are reversible so she's got some color there too!

It was so nice to have some time to myself at the sewing machine. I already have my next project planned and it might just be for another birthday that's coming up!