I have always looked for the perfect bag. Big enough to fit all my things — camera, glasses, money, moleskine — but small enough not to be bulky. The strap needs to be a certain length, the pockets a certain size and variety, etcetera. I may sound picky, but this is something I carry around with me everywhere. So, I finally gave up and made my own bag.

The upholstery store had some cheap leftover canvas. I used heavier stuff for the outside, and some thinner stuff as a liner. I also used some pretty cotton scraps my mom had lying around for an outside pocket and the flap liner. The little bunny on the corner I felted and sewed on. The whole thing is hand back-stitched.

I call it a “baby monk bag” because it’s about half the size of those vermillion bags Buddhist monks and hippies carry around. KC and I tried so very hard to find them in Dharamsala, but in vain; everyone seemed to have them except the vendors!

Did it take a long time? Yes. Was it worth the effort? Definitely! It may not be perfect, but it’s the best bag I ever had.

It took me a long time to get to sleep Saturday, for a little teddy bear had popped into my brain and demanded to be made. The next day I couldn’t stop thinking about him, how I would make him, what material I would need, etc., all during our hiking and walking around the Waitakeries and Muriwai beach. But now, after two days of construction and only a few hiccups, my second sewing project is complete. Meet Pally!

I named him Pally because just as Pallas Athena was born fully-formed from her father’s head, Pally was born from mine — and he turned out exactly how I first imagined him. Plus, you know, there’s the obvious punnery.