Droop.

What do people think of elasticised pockets on the ends of big gym bags? I think it makes them a bit too nappy-bagish, but this is the bag of pockets, so I figured I should give them a go. With the funky side zipper and magnetic clasped pockets I figure the end ones may well never be used, so just for the sake of it I have split them into two halves. I thought the flat end pockets on the first gym bag were too wide and shallow, and even thought these wont really be any deeper, I'm hoping the elastic top, the gathered bottom and the fact that they're half as wide will make me feel like whatever is in them is a bit more secure.

But back to a bag with, essentially, only one pocket. A bag I'm pretty sure even a quilter who's terrified of bags could make. The stripped down, essentials only version of the gym bag. In Casey's preferred fabric, so I suppose it will be more of a netball/BnS bag. I've had to stuff pillows in it, because it's very floppy, but I also learned it has a bonus feature.

Comfortably fits 2 standard size pillows without much squish

One of which was red, making for a slightly confusing picture, since the pull tabs at the ends of the zippers are also red, to match the straps.

When you take out the pillows it deflates

So you roll it up, wrap the straps around it and it can be handily packed away.

This bag is essentially a quilt with some straps and a zipper stuck to two sides, with a couple of bits chopped out of it and the zipperless sides sewn together. I set my zip in, but there's no reason you couldn't just make the quilt and sew it on afterwards. It would make it even easier still.

Of course, I pretty much used a single piece, with 3 joins - one for the handles on each side (tucking them into the seam is the easiest way I know of to get a neat end) and one at the base because it's a directional print. But you could piece and quilt it fully, or, if you were confident in your handle attaching abilities (or had bought ones with nice neat ends and sewing holes) you could just buy a 105 by 72cm bit of pre-quilted fabric and use that.

But the complexity of the many-pocketed bag is keeping me very entertained. The outside is all finished so tomorrow is lining day. I'm not sure how many pockets it should have on the inside - it has 7 on the outside now so I don't think it needs very many, but I'll probably put a few in anyway.