I love a new bag

... even if it's not for me. A friend of ours had a birthday last week, which I, of course, took as an excuse to try out a new project. I wanted to make her a bag, but she doesn't usually use big or frilly ones, so I started looking for a pattern for something simple and smaller that wasn't just another tote (not as easy as you might imagine).

Lo and behold, I stumbled upon Noodlehead's 241 Tote pattern. Perfect!

I remembered liking the bag when the pattern first came out, but then it sort of fell off my radar. It's the perfect size bag with plenty of room to store everything you need but not so big that it gets overwhelming and inevitably filled with a bunch of crap you don't need.

I also love the two exterior pockets. I think it's a cute design and a good excuse to introduce another fabric into the mix, but they're also very functional, the perfect size for some keys or lip gloss.

Her favorite color is blue, so I used this great floral from my stash for the strap, main outside section, and interior lining.

The backing for the exterior pockets is a nice linen, and I used the Green Crosshatch from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird collection (left over from my Early Bird/Kitchen Window quilt) for the outside of the exterior pockets and the inside slip pocket. I think the combination was fun without being too in your face with crazy colors and patterns.

As with everything Anna does, the pattern was extremely well written and easy to follow. I love the result and can't wait to get started on another one (yep, there's already another one in the works).