Wednesday, October 21, 2009

That's my bag, baby.

There's a lot to do to get ready to bring home a new baby. First you probably ought to get the kid a place to sleep. And it's a good idea to dig out his big brother's baby clothes from the attic, before he comes home and charms you with his first blowout. (Adorable!) If you're a show-off, you can wash the hand-me-downs before you put them in the drawer because it's been five years since those little onesies have seen the light of day.

But don't go too crazy, because there's lots more to do and you're running out of time. In fact, you'd better get started on the MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT OF ALL: Your diaper bag. Sure, you could use one of the old ones lying around from previous babies. And you probably have a whole closet full of assorted satchels and back packs handed out like candy at all of the professional meetings your husband attends. But don't bother. There's no happiness down that road; only disappointment. You'll spend the next six months switching bags for every outing because none of them are quite right.

What you really need is a purse big enough to use as a diaper bag, or a diaper bag cute enough to use as a purse. And since you have that ridiculous stash of fabric hoarded at closeout sales and swindled from little old ladies, you should probably make it yourself. And you should probably use this tutorial because, well, look at it. It's perfect!

And when you're done it should look like this.


Now that it's finished, force your husband to admire your handiwork. Insist that he inspect each compartment individually. Point out the handy key fob.

Pay no attention when he observes that you've filled all the pockets with your own stuff, and there's barely any room for baby gear. Distract him with lies: tell him that you picked out that manly chocolaty brown color for him -- so he could carry the bag (and the baby) with pride all the way to the changing table!

When he's finished admiring it, wait until he leaves the room before you kiss the bag. He's supportive of your hobbies, but being pregnant can only explain so much crazy. The rest is all on you.

And of course, by "you" I mean "me."

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have an enormous pile of onesies to wash. And a diaper bag to smooch.


9 comments:

Rachel and Tyler said...

i was totally admiring your bag the other night and had no idea you made it. I love it!!! Now you just need thelittle man to arrive.

Peanut said...

Ooh. I love it! It's so pretty. And big, with organizers, and a key fob! That may be one of my next projects...

Maren said...

Diana! It is so frickin' adorable! I might have to make one for some beautifully pregnant ladies in my life! Awesome! Thanks for sharing! :)

Lady said...

I'm not sure which one I love more - the bag or the commentary.

Good luck getting ready for that baby? How much longer?

Peanut said...

OK, I've spent far too much of my day looking at your bag--again and again. And then going to the tutorial to see how it's done... And let me tell you, if my boss were to give me quiz on your new diaper bag/purse and how to make it, I'm pretty sure I'd ace it. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure my boss doesn't care whether or not I know how to make a really pretty bag.
But tell me this...Did you use fusible fleece or just your stash of fusible interfacing? How about the board in the bottom?

Anonymous said...

I agree with all the others - your creativity is totally amazing. I went to all of the "referrals" too, and enjoyed seeing all of those other things I hadn't looked at before. You really got a good supply of those thrifty Henrichsen genes. Mom

Boss said...

Thanks for your nice comments, everyone! Flattery always works around here!

Lady -- I have two weeks left till my due date. But who wants to wait that long? I know I don't.

Peanut -- I don't think I would have aced a quiz before I started the bag. I probably should have read the directions more carefully (I ended up sewing the magazine pocket on in the wrong direction because in the picture it looked like the short side of the rectangle was on top. But I'm good with a seam ripper.) For the interfacing, I used the heavy duty stuff we used on your bag on the lining, and fusible fleece on the outer material. I wanted it to be sturdy, but not puffy. We'll see how it holds up to everyday use. For the board at the bottom, I used part of a really stiff file folder -- it's sortof like plastic coated paper. Seems to work OK.

Ree said...

I'm really impressed! It looks al least as good as Cally's bags. I love the all the pockets, and definately the key fob! If I were Coach, I would fight you for the chance to throw it over my shoulder. So you may not want to bring it to the OBX. Hope you are feeling alright in the final stretch.

Anonymous said...

Diana, thanks for the blog love. I love your bag. I am still schlepping mine around.