This week I’ve had a severe case of The Wanties. You know, when you get mildly annoyed with something you have, and want a new one, and then that wanting becomes SO BIG that you just have to do something about it, and before you know it you have a new whatever-it-was, even though you didn’t really need one?
In my case it was the bag I take to work. Or bags, to be precise. I have an ancient, second hand National Trust small bag (very sturdy and rugged looking) which holds purse, keys, phone, water, body spray, hair brush, diary, notebook, pens (as long as I stuff them in hard enough, of course).
I work at home some days each week, so I often carry folders and paper backwards and forwards on the train, and I now have a work laptop, which comes in its own bag, which isn’t quite big enough to old the folders too.
So I made a small laptop bag (which I haven’t shown you because I’m not happy with it and I might make another one), and put them all in the other bag I carry around, and it’s this other bag that’s been causing my dissatisfaction. Would you like to see?
An odd lime green colour, but otherwise reasonably inoffensive. I bought it for 30p in a charity shop because it says ‘treats’ at the bottom, and I liked the idea of a bag just for treats. I certainly didn’t intend it to become my everyday work bag, but it’s about the right size, so that’s what’s happened.
But look at the inside!
Gah! The lining has all come away, the bottom is covered in ink, and the whole thing does not shout ‘responsible high powered executive’ (which I’m not) or even ‘vaguely tidy researcher’ (which I usually am).
So I wanted a new one. Encouraged by some friends, I dithered around, and finally bought a brand new bag, from a non-charity shop. It cost £30, which is rather a step up from the 30p I spent on the old one.
But it wasn’t quite right. The laptop only just fit in, and the whole thing didn’t feel as sturdy as my 30p treats bag. I left the label on, and I’ll be taking it back to the shop today.
With one eye on Robyn’s Frugal Friday series, and the other eye on Jen’s Make Do and Mend Year, I gave the treats bag a bit of a facelift last night, by lining it using a saggy old ripped skirt the charity shop were throwing away.
It actually looks quite fetching on the inside now! Unfortunately this makes the outside look even more shabby than it did before. Good excuse for another project I think.
And the money I’ve saved means I can have lunch at the cheery new cafe again – hooray!
a cheerful living adventure 
Love the new lining.
How about embroidering some cheery looking flowers or such like on the front of the bag?
Could you dye the outside? Might have to unpick your lovely new lining first, but worth a go maybe? And I like the idea of embroidering or fastening something on to pretty it up. I have seen some lovely patterns for min crocheted hearts, which might look good?
Have a look at the cushions that Scarlett has been making over at The Finished Article – beautiful things with applique and embroidery, but all quite simply done. that might work? The inside looks fabulous!
Ooh, thanks for your lovely suggestions! I actually bought a small bit of fabric that matches yesterday, and found some other that will go with it, so I will be doing a slightly different overhaul soon, watch this space!
I think its crying out for some applique; did you stitch the lining by hand?
The lining is rather lovely! I am impressed. I know just what you mean about the wanties. Mostly I don’t have them at all but every now and then I can be overtaken. It is often something to do with gardening or knitting, or a book….