I made the first box bag on a quiet weekend this fall, following drago[knit]fly's tutorial. It was easier than expected, and ideal for storing sock knitting in progress.

the first box bag

I like using an invisible zipper, non-invisibly.. it makes for a nice clean look.

Then I made a couple for Christmas gifts. You've seen these before as bags for the Christmas shawls.

Looking kinda squished in this photo

And a few more to show a shop down the street to see if they would sell them.

The shop is going to try to sell my bags! Full box bag production is underway. I will bring them about 10 on Friday. Fingers crossed that they sell!

I think what I like about the bags is selecting the fabrics, linings, and zips.. playing with the patterns and colors. There are only so many things I can make for myself, or as gifts, so the idea of making items for sale is appealing because I can keep sewing, and keep creating things, trying out new fabrics and ideas that otherwise wouldn't have a purpose.

I've sewn up another batch of box bags, this time for etsy. Check them out in my brand new shop!

streetsandyos' etsy shop

Cannot stop sewing box bags! Here are a few recent additions to the Streets and YOs etsy shop.. bright colors to round out the selection.

A friend requested a bunch of box bags for mother's day. She'll fill them with homemade cookies and biscotti for her mom and aunts, who apparently all love pink. So we shopped for fabrics and I started sewing them up. Extras will go to the etsy shop as they are finished (pink woodgrain ones are already there). If you've got a pink-loving mom too and want to reserve one of the in-progress bags, just let me know :-)

Hot off the presser foot, and just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping, I just posted a new series of box bags in the Streets and YOs etsy shop. They have wool tweed coating fabrics for the outside, and fun cotton print linings.

On new years day, with my crafty project list dwindling post-Christmas, I thought I might try to sew up a knitting needle case. My circular needle collection, now complete to the point where I rarely have to buy new ones, lived in a cluttered box. All the needles, still in their little ziploc-bag-style packaging, were sorted by size, and shared space with crochet hooks and an out-of-favor boye interchangeable set. Getting a new needle out, while not difficult per se, was akin to digging in the back of a closet.

It turned out I had enough fabric on hand to make a whole gamut of new storage vessels for knitting things. Why just have a circular needle holder when there could also be a case for crochet hooks, douple-pointed needles, notions, and of course, projects in progress? Matching of course. I love matching. When there is a choice between matching and not, matching is the way to go.

The main fabric is this blue print from Ikea, a single yard originally purchased as a contender for the wedding photo booth backdrop. Ikea has a decent fabric selection, if on the bold and bright side, and upholstery-weight prints like this one go for only $5/yard. I paired it with some solids in various yardages - blues to blend in, and yellows for contrast. I also had a decent selection of yellow zippers and some yellow buttons. All in all, didn't have to leave the house for supplies. Always a plus when its freezing cold out.

the three needle cases

circular needle case

dpn case

crochet hook roll

box bags, large and small, and a drawstring pouch

They are quite a beachy group. Its quite possible I'll get tired of seeing the same print all around, but for now I like the idea of visual consistency. Instead of the mismatched red, navy, brown and yellow bags I use now, they all share this blue and yellow beachy theme.. hello 2010.