Contrary

I was asked by Daughter No.1 if I could make a 'cool flag cushion' for a birthday party she is going to tomorrow.

So I made a bag instead.

The thought of which made her anxious as I wouldn't let her see it until I'd finished it.

'But what if I don't like it or I think XXXXX won't like it? Will I have to pretend to like it because I know how much time you spent on it but secretly I'll be wishing you'd listened to me in the first place?'

'I mean no offence Mum or anything but your idea of 'cool' is not quite the same as mine, let's face it.'

'I mean, a cushion would be sooo much cooler.'

'Wow, Mum, that is cool!'

Things I learnt:

• Using the quilt as you go method as describe here means you are highly unlikely to finish the bag with the same needle in the machine that you started with. The combined layers of cotton duck canvas (I bought mine here), batting, regular cotton as well as laminate fabric was heavy going at times. It does make for a lovely sturdy bag at the end though 

• In an ideal world I would like to have used 2" wide webbing for the handles but all I had to hand was 1 1/2" and I felt it was a bit flimsy in comparison to the robustness of the bag. I therefore strengthened it by sewing some tape measure webbing to it and in the process, I hope, made the handles a bit more interesting

• Clover Wonder Clips (bought mine here) really are the solution to working with laminate fabric in place of pins

• That it's still possible to wing it on the amount of fabric needed for the lining and yet make the two fabrics used look like an intentional design choice

• That sometimes it's OK to be contrary

• That I can still gauge what 'cool' is

• Just.