Unexpected Hobbit Journey - The One With The Baby Diaper Bag (Sincerely Jen)

It seems like lately I've been making mostly smaller items and purses, so this was a BIG change!  Don't get me wrong, one of the best things about custom orders is the variety and challenge, but it did take a little bit of a mindset switcheroo to get back into the 'million and twelve' pieces of the bigger bags!

Zippered pouch side, nice and roomy!

Inside the pouch

On a chair, for size reference. Pretty sure it can hold a baby, but I wouldn't suggest it.

Other side slip pocket, with magnet closure

Each end has a gusseted pocket, great for sticking anything in that you need handy!

Since the baby isn't due until August, I had some wiggle room on finishing this, but I am really trying to get all my orders done in, well, the order they are paid for.  Initially the only thing we had settled on was the awesome Hobbit map fabric and the fact it would be a huge diaper bag.  It took a few different pattern suggestions until we hit upon the perfect one!  The One With The Baby is a pretty new release, and it has fun features!  I haven't used boning in a bag in forever, even though I bought a roll of it for the ONE time I made a purse that called for it.  (me, stockpile supplies? NEVER.)

Double zipper pulls even!  Fancy!

The boning is used to give the top of the bag structure without a lot of weight and it holds it totally open!

Inside has 2 elastic pockets, 2 regular slip pockets and a zipper pocket, plus nice and roomy!

The pattern calls for a LOT of fabric and interfacing, and it needs it all to give it the awesome shape! I only had a limited amount of the Hobbit print (digitally printed licensed fabric, almost as expensive as custom fabric!) so to make it stretch I raided the local Joann's.  I found the amazing shimmer fabric in the premium fabrics, it's like a gold metallic and silvery fiber were woven together to give it a subtle shine and rich feeling.  I feel like the fabric would be worn by Elves...

Impossible to capture the shimmer on camera, it's more golden in person

Inside is a simple and pretty green leafy print also from Joann's, more like something you'd find in a Hobbit Hole.  This is really a Hobbit and Elf hybrid bag!

The only thing I didn't really plan out was the hardware.  I snagged some amazing gold zipper tape when Blue Calla Patterns was having a special, and the golden rings just screamed that they were perfect!  Unfortunately, I don't usually work in gold hardware, so everything else I have is silver.  Good thing the elf fabric had both a gold and silver feel! I picked up 1 meter of the zippers with 4 pulls, and I used ALL the zipper tape with about 1/4" left over!  I do have one extra pull left...but I am sure I'll find a use for it eventually!

Back slip pocket has a magnet to keep it closed, but big enough to stash a changing pad and wipes!

I was digging through my stash for cool looking hardware and ran across the triangle connectors from XOXO by Lauren. I really love them for straps!  I really hope it stops the squishing of the handles when they inevitable slide around.  Plus it looks really cool!

As appreciation for her patience, I whipped together a zipper pouch that can clip onto the connector and keep certain things easier to find.  I had barely enough scraps of the map fabric, so it's as big as I could make it!

Almost too large for my strap shot location!

I have so many fabrics that would look awesome on a diaper bag, time to drum up some orders or squeeze them in!