W.I.P. Army Laundry Bag

Last week I made a quick bag out of an old army laundry sack. I thought it would be best to stitch and think while pondering how to present some hand-stitching tips and ideas for the blog.

After a few days, the bag, simple and functional, felt a little too bare. It needed something else. I used a running stitch just under the raw seam, to give it a little more structure. Free-hand stitching, experimenting and taking notes kept me busy for a while. Free-hand stitching is a little like drawing without an eraser. Yes, I can take the stitches out, but I try not to, and instead, see how my (perceived) mistakes can lead to something unexpected. Sometimes interesting and sometimes not....and that's OK. Trouble often starts when having a preconceived image of a result, and not being able to achieve it.

It happens to me all the time with photography and often, with stitching. One thing for sure is that there are always new discoveries, which come when I'm patient and not too concerned with the outcome.

So I'll stitch another day or two and see how the bag progresses. I've decided to document this process, because it gives me some focus while I'm developing a hand-sewing project to share....