Most everything I’m making right now is meant to be used on our 6 week trip to Europe. Because we are only traveling with carry-on bags, each piece’s attributes and and detriments seem exponentially greater.

Obsessions:  What if it shrinks in a laundromat with super hot driers (and then can’t be used as a top over leggings, for example)? What if it starts to pill and becomes scratchy? (I get welts from these types of things.) Should it be hand-washable? If it is, will it dry overnight in a damp hotel bathroom? Do I want to be doing laundry on my trip? If I do, then I need to bring scent-free detergent, and gloves to protect my hands, and a clothesline.

It’s different wearing larger sizes, too.  Need a pair of replacement leggings that got torn?  If you’re a small size, you could probably get a pair almost anywhere, but not so for larger sized people!  They might only be available in specialty stores, of which there might only be 1 or 2, even in a big city.  Even department stores that have larger sizes may not stock basics (foolishly, yes).  Forget finding anything like a technical jacket or underwear.

I could go on. I have, however, found the perfect purse, and I’m so afraid it’s going to wear out. I’ve had it over 10 years and it’s still good. I cycle through periods of using it, and then feeling silly for wearing a backpack, and then back to it again. It’s just too practical. I even lost it once and it came back to me, returned with its contents inside. It’s made by a company called Libaire. And it turns out they still make it!  It’s called the San Francisco. Yummy leather that you’d want to hug and rub.

That diagonal zipper across the back, the side that sits on your body, is the best idea ever.  It feels very secure, I never feel like anyone could reach into my bag and take something.  I plan on doing the same thing to this pack:

This one is a bit bigger and should be able to hold my jacket that I’m still working on. I should be able to mark a rectangle with the Y shape at each end and insert a zipper, right?

I finally figured out how to make the hood on my jacket with a drawstring casing that can be waterproofed.  Still obsessing on the zipper facing.