The Get-Away Bag

I just finished up my Get-Away Travel Bag and took it on a weekend trip to Philadelphia. It's huge - and I was disappointed when the sides bowed out as I packed it. I think I came up with a solution - and here it is. Keep in mind that this tote bag was DONE when I did this. A bit of a hassle!

I made some ties out of fabric that I threaded through four large eyelets that I inserted (two on each side).

On one side of the bag, I slipped the tie through a toggle.

Here you can see the two of them. This allows me to loosen and tighten as needed.

On the other side is this pocket, so I had to work around it. I ended up putting the eyelets inside the bag.

(I took this picture as I was making it)

Putting the eyelet inside the pocket was tricky! I sewed the other end of the tie to a key ring.



And this is where I started. I threaded the other end of the tie through the eyelet....through the bag...and out the other side, then slipped it through the toggle.

If you are wondering about the pattern, it's one that I just kinda made up from another tote bag pattern. I designed all my own pockets.There is one (with the buckle) on the front and this zippered one on the side.

I made the two interior pockets from one of these pop-up hampers that I purchased at FiveBelow. I've seen them at Big Lots, too.















 
Over the weekend, I plan on getting a matching purse insert made! If you are wondering about the pattern for this, I used The Getaway Bag from Aunties Two - but the only thing I used were the dimensions. I took lots of shortcuts and made several changes to remove bulk. I also modified all the pockets. So basically, I didn't really use that pattern.