the retro duffel bag

i've been wanting to make this bag for a long time - it's the kids size retro duffel bag. i found the tutorial over on saltwater-kids http://www.saltwater-kids.com/2008/10/retro-duffel-bag-tutorial.html other than the prepping of the fabric (washing and ironing and buying) this bag literally took me a few hours to put together. it's so cute and the perfect size for a kid - although i think too small to hold a soccer ball, but i haven't tested that yet. the tutorial gives you measurements of what pieces to cut which was really easy and i had the perfect sized plate for the end pieces which made the circles really easy. it's really just sewing a glorified tube with a zipper. i added some sporty initials on the bag to personalize it - i ironed those on after cutting the pieces but before sewing. the only step i skipped was sewing the tops of the handles to make them easier for little hands to hold - my sewing machine was mad at me and acting up so it's in the shop getting cleaned right now - i will probably fix the handles once i have my machine back. i was thinking this would be a good swim gear bag, but alex wants to use it for toys of course - we'll see who wins out on that one. i recommend making one or several of these bags, so easy and cute.