The Anti-Fanny Pack

It was two summers ago when I finally got frustrated with not being able to find a cross body bag that I liked for under $50. A few times each summer Mr. ShowMe and I will take our dogs, (a studious 7 year old Border Collie and a rambunctious 3 year old Australian Shepherd), out for a fun day at a park, or a festival, or another dog friendly event. At these outings, Mr. ShowMe typically carries both leashes, because it’s just easier that way. If we each have one of the leashes and try to walk side by side the two are constantly crossing back and forth and tangling up the leashes. When I try to walk behind Mr. ShowMe in an attempt to keep the leashes from tangling, whichever dog is with me will start panicking, convinced that they’re being left behind and pulls incessantly on the leash choking themselves and attempting to dislocate my arm at the shoulder. So, see, like I said, it’s just easier if one of us carries both leashes.

So on said outing, Mr. ShowMe has the leashes and I have every other outing necessity, such as the bottles of water, the cash, tickets to the event, the program, the occasional hot dogs, or snow cones… so I needed a cross body bag. I know I don’t need to convince you, my dear reader, that this was something that I “needed” and not just “wanted”… or maybe I’m still trying to convince myself. hmmmm But anyway, I couldn’t find one that fit the bill. They were starting to get more popular a couple of summers ago, but they still weren’t in abundance, and the ones I found that #1 I liked, and #2 were large enough for all of the aforementioned necessities started at around $50. Now Mr. ShowMe would argue with you if you said I was frugal, but still, I couldn’t bring myself to spend $50 on a bag that I’d probably carry fewer than 6 times a year.

So I’m at JoAnn’s one day with my daughter, (it's our happy place!!!) and they had this wall of those quick sew patterns. You know the ones I mean. They’re all a flat $2.00 or $2.50, this one’s a blouse, that one’s an apron, a skirt, and then there was this cross body bag pattern. It seemed to be all that I was looking for. I had tons of fabric stashed at home from when I used to dabble in crafts and sewing years ago. A quick glance at the notions list and I realized all I would have to buy was a zipper. So I could invest around $5.00 and try to make the bag that would cost $50 otherwise. A no-brainer, right?

So I got the pattern and zipper, hurried home, selected my fabric, and got busy. It had been awhile since I’d sewn anything, (other than a few home decorating projects), and I had never lined anything. It took me a couple of weekends, but I finally finished and it wasn’t half bad! I was left with a real feeling of accomplishment.  So here are some pictures of the completed bag. My skills have improved since then, so keep that in mind, but it was this cross body bag that led to more bags, and more crafting in general and to this blog and so on and so on.

Oh yeah, and about the title of this post.. The Anti Fanny Pack.. I realize a fanny pack would have given me the same hands free convenience that I got from a cross body bag, and they’re cheaper than a bag, but I just can’t stand fanny packs. I mean no disrespect if you like them. More power to you if you do!

So while the rest of the world calls them cross body bags, to me, they are really Anti-Fanny packs.