Travel Lingerie {Undies} Bag

I’m back!  We enjoyed our trip to Arizona but it’s definitely good to be home. I’m also excited to spend time with females.  If I never hear another Super Troopers quote, fart joke, or Fantasty Football stat again, it will be too soon.  We’ll share some of our vacation favorites with you later this week or next.

Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite recent creations…a travel undies bag.

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My brother asked me what I was making.  I told him I needed a bag to hold my underwear in my suitcase.  I hate when they get all mixed up.  I can never remember if they are clean or not.  They never stay in the pocket I put them in.  He didn’t understand. Nate didn’t understand either. (This is why I need more estrogen in my life.)  Am I the only one with this underwear problem? 

I can’t be.  Today I’m here to help.  This bag was super helpful on our trip.  We lived out of a suitcase and my suitcase ended up being a hot mess.  My underwear, however, were neatly confined to their cute little bag.

This bag contains a zipper but don’t let that scare you.  Zippers really aren’t a big deal.  I promise.  I think this bag took me about 45 minutes to make..and that was after I sewed something the wrong way.

You will need:

  • 1 zipper.  Any length.  See below.
  • 4 rectangles.  You can make them any size…probably depending on the size of your zipper.  My zipper was 18 inches so I went with four rectangles that measured 10”x20”.
    • The fabric I used is from the Salvation Army.  The grey stripes were a sheet and the coral floral was a torn table cloth.
    • Heat N’Bond
    • Fabric scraps for the “C” (clean) and “D” (dirty)
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Your first steps depends on if you want to sew on your “C” and “D” or if you want to just iron them on (my choice).  If you want to sew them on, this would be the time to do that.

Place 1 rectangle of lining fabric right side up.  Place the zipper on top of that followed by a rectangle of outside fabric (right side down).

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Sew along the top edge.  I’m horrible with seam allowances but just make sure you are sewing through the three layers. 

Place these two rectangles wrong sides together.

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Next layer your fabric as you did previously (lining right side up, zipper, outside right side down).  Pay special attention to how I have the zipper placed.  If you turn the zipper, you will have liner on the outside.  Not that I would know.  Sew along the top edge.

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Now it’s time to open the zipper a little.  This is an important step.  Don’t forget it or you won’t be able to flip your bag right side out and that would be sad.

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Next place your outside fabric right sides together and your lining fabric right sides together…as shown below.

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Sew around the perimeter of the bag leaving a small opening on one of the lining short sides.  You will use this opening to turn the bag right side out.  Turn bag right side out. 

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Close the opening in the lining either by secret stitching or just sewing over the top.  I sewed over the top because it’s an underwear bag for myself.  I’m okay a few stitches showing on the inside.

Ooo, look.  It’s a bag.

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Turn the bag right side out.  Find the center of your bag and sew to divide your bag into two halves.  I sewed over the same line 3 times.

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This line will keep the dirty undies from the clean.  Very important.  I also sewed a small (about an inch) line at the top along the zipper.

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Iron on your letters (I traced letters that I printed out and the used Heat N’Bond applied to my fabric.) and enjoy your fancy lingerie bag!

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lingeriebag
Make Your Own Travel Lingerie Bag!

Anyone else struggle with stray underwear?  Have you traveled recently? Any plans to travel soon? 

Chicago in Black & White

Nate and I set out early the morning we left Chicago.  The morning was gloomy and damp from the rain the night before.  The city was quiet. 

The photos Nate took that morning lent themselves to being edited in black and white. Black and white photos always speak to me.  Very moody.  Very city.  Very I want to move to downtown Chicago.  Yesterday.

Nate and I keep day dreaming about a studio downtown as a vacation home.  We talk like it could happen.  You know, after we both get second jobs or win the lotto.  Doable, right?

Guess we’ll keep day dreaming…

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I’m not sure why this city has sucked me in.  But it has. Big time. We’re already pondering our next trip!

Anyone else dreaming of a vacation home?  If so, where?  Any black and white photo fans out there or do you prefer the color photos?

Eating Our Way Through Chicago

I tried to get a post together for yesterday but my stomach was too large to hold my laptop.  Don’t worry.  I’m not preggo.  I just ate my way through Chicago this past week-end. I was telling one of my co-workers about our trip and she asked if we did anything besides eat. The answer was “not really.”

Nate and I headed to the Windy City with one of my best friends from childhood and her husband. 

We’ll call them Mr. and Mrs. A to protect their identities.   Mr. A had never been to Chicago and it had been awhile for Mrs. A.  Nate and I go about once a year but we usually strike out on food.  You all’s recommendations came in very handy and you most definitely didn’t let us down.

Two warnings:  1. Don’t read this if you’re hungry.  2. Our food photography is atrocious.

We arrived in Chicago around lunchtime on Friday.  Our first food destination was Portillo’s.  Nate did a much better job of photographing the food he consumed.  I did not.  Neither of us used the DSLR that I lugged around.  Blogger fail.

Portillo’s was delicious.  I had a chili cheese dog and Nate had Italian beef.  So very good.

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After walking off Portillo’s, we headed for some Chicago style pizza.  Giordano’s is Nate and I’s Chicago style place of choice.  We love the buttery crust and massive amount of cheese.

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Mrs. A and I were doing our part to keep Chicago classy.  Those pieces are deceiving.  We were all disgustingly full after two pieces.  I swore I would never eat food ever again after this stop.

And then Saturday morning rolled around and our first stop was Yolk.  I am thinking about selling my 2800 square foot home and using that money to buy a 300 square foot studio in downtown Chicago just so I can eat at Yolk every morning.  I could write and entire post on my love of Yolk.

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I had the Cinnamon Roll French toast.  Life changing.  I am still having dreams about this French toast.  I am thinking about framing this photo and hanging it on the wall just for the happy memories.

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We then waddled our way around the city.  I’ll share the waddling stops tomorrow.

For supper on Saturday night we stopped at Rock Bottom Brewery.  We left miserable once again.  Such good food.  Nate and Mrs. A were big fans of the fish tacos.  My Hickory Bacon BBQ burger was also quite delicious.  Like you know you should stop eating but you can’t delicious. (All of you on bump watch, please note my Lemon Drop Martini.)

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Beings that we are gluttons for punishment, we headed to Ghirardelli’s Ice Cream.  I can’t go to Chicago without a stop at Ghirardelli’s…and we were running out of time.

You can see my pores leaking grease and sugar.

Nate swears that the hot fudge sundae was the best he’s ever eaten.  I still don’t think I can pass up my chocolate ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone.

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Who’s hungry?  Any fans of the above places?  Do you want to frame that Cinnamon Roll French toast also?