My next make from one of the Indie Pattern Designers Showcase prize patterns is the Liz Haywood Zero Waste Waist Bag. I made it from a couple of scraps of cork fabric that I had bought at the Fibres West garage sale. I didn’t know if the cork would work, but it’s pretty good. Zips came from my stash and I was quite pleased with how they matched. Both are recycled.

Of course, being me, I had well and truly begun construction before my mind turned to the belt part. The pattern calls for webbing and a clip, and I was certain I had something. Turns out I only had black, white, grey or red webbing, none of which pleased me. I was determined not to buy anything, so I went ahunting round the house. I found this very old belt/waist bag. It actually looks quite fabulous on, but is completely non-functional. Those little pouches don’t hold my phone or a wallet. I may have used it once.

I pulled it apart to harvest the straps and sewed them straight back into my waist bag.

This is the front made with red cork. 

And this is the back made with cork coloured cork!

These straps worked so well! They are really functional – I can make them long or short, depending on how I’m using it. You can see that both sides have holes and studs that push through them. 

The top of the strap is made and bound rather beautifully.

I used a piece of precious fabric left over from another make for the pocket. It’s precious fabric because Archie bought it for me when he was in Darwin. You’ll see what I made from the rest of the fabric in a future post.

Before I left for our holiday I had a play with styling it.

Classic hip/waist bag

Bandolier style

And whilst I was away I used it as a shoulder bag. For a while…

Because Mark has decided it’s just the thing to stop him stuffing his pockets and I now seem to have lost control of it!

There is a little coin purse made out of the two scraps left over but I didn’t have time to make it before I left on holidays. The prize also includes a zero waste Velo Bag – which is a different sort of waist bag, ideal for when riding a bike. I’m looking forward to making that one too.

These patterns are currently on sale at 25% off, and I encourage you to give them a try.

So I’ve now made four of my 19 patterns, so I have a way to go, but boy am I going to have fun!