No, I’m not talking about the dawn, I’m talking about the bag pattern from In Complete Stitches, which I won on an Instagram giveaway.

I took this description from the In Complete Stitches website: “The SUNrise is a versatile pouch pattern. It comes in two heights, cropped and tall, with LOTS of options (13 basic variations). It has a simple modern aesthetic with a circular graphic forming a PiecedSUN, a Front Pocket SUNflap (securing an external pocket) or a Fold Over SUNflap. It can be made as a simple pouch but offers lots of playful options and of course SUNhackability! The main zipped closure uses a 25cm closed ended zip finished with neat zip end tabs. The tutorial walks you through each step needed to make all of the options, including an internal zipped welt pocket and internal SUNpatch pocket.”

The minute I had the pattern in my hot little hands I was auditioning fabric, and I had an urge to embroider the front flap, so chose a pale blue scrap of linen which had been part of a bag of fabric samples from REMida, the local recycling centre.

I tacked some wadding on to it and hand quilted some diagonal squares. I took this away on our recent holiday and practiced some Zakka embroidery. I used one skein of variegated pearl cotton, which kept things simple, but added a bit of interest. I was better at embroidery when I was ten than I am now!

I hadn’t thought the whole bag through very well, having thought I’d use other samples from the bag as they coordinated, but they weren’t big enough. Choosing the lining was really easy – I used this vintage cotton that came from a deceased estate that my friend Sarah had visited. The zip is from my stash.

Choosing the external fabric did prove challenging, but in the end I used scraps of denim left over from when I covered our sofas. I also managed to find another coordinating zip for the inside pocket.

Birthing the bag was quite interesting. I had a lot of bulk to pull through quite a small hole.

I used an invisible magnetic clasp to hold the flap down. Having finished the bag I decided that it needed a cross-body strap. It was a bit late to make this decision, but I had some long shoelaces from REMida, and quite liked the blue one.

This was a photo to send to Katherine, as she also won the pattern. The top is knitted with yarn from Ripples Crafts Yarn, called Autumn Dog Walks, and bought when we were on holiday in Scotland.

Then in the middle of the night I remembered that I had some thick braid that I had bought from Fred’s Haberdashery in Chesterfield, UK, in 2019. I thought that this might be the perfect way to use it. I’m rather pleased with it; it’s a better thickness for a strap.

Of course, having failed to plan, I had a bit of a problem as to how to attach the strap. I finished up threading it through the side tab and through the gap between the zip and the edge on the other side. Not ideal, but it works.

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The bag has some lovely details. There is a handy pocket under the flap, which is perfect for keeping my phone safe.

and a zipped inside pocket which is useful for small items I don’t want rolling around in the bag.

I’ve used the bag quite a bit in the couple of days since I made it. I was considering this a test run before I made a “proper” one, but this will do me for a while. I would like a leather one, but I’m no longer in a hurry for that.

Just an aside: the jumper I’m wearing is called the Stay the Same sweater and is also knitted from Ripples Crafts Yarn. The Polkagris kerchief is knitted from the leftovers. I have to say that this is probably the nicest wool I’ve ever knitted with.

I had gone out with a friend and had donned the denim jacket that my friend Hélène gave me when I visited her in Montreal, and it amused me to sit on a denim covered chair. I’m sure I must be breaking so many “rules”. I don’t think you can have too much denim!

I made the tall bag and it’s a perfect size for me. I can fit in my rather enormous wallet, phone, keys, fold up bag, sunglasses and, when necessary, an umbrella.

I had planned to put another pocket on the outside of the back, but decided against it, and I’m glad I did.

This bag has the memories of a couple of lovely holidays and I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it. Although there are a lot of options, which did bamboozle me a bit at the beginning – I wanted to make them all – once I had decided on my course of action, it was an easy and fun make. The only thing I will do next time is plan for a strap before I start, not when I’ve finished!

I’m really happy that nothing was bought for this bag, the whole thing is made from stuff I already owned.

Thank you to In Complete Stitches, although I won the pattern, the opinions are my own.