Which purse for a camera bag?

I have a normal black ugly camera bag.  I take it with me along with my purse and my knitting bag on day trips or it becomes my purse when flying.  So I figured things need to change.  I looked online at fashionable camera bags.  The one I liked best was $180.  Did I really want to spend that money and not be sure that I  really liked it?  Then I saw that inserts were sold someplaces as a separate item and thought I would just buy a purse and put an insert into it.  For some reason I ended up making my own insert.

I bought 2 purses last week.  The left one is quite a bit larger than the right one.  Which one did I want?  Before I took one back I decided to make the insert and then check them out.

 Yesterday I went to the local Foam and Fabric store and bought headliner foam.  It only comes 1/4" thick so I doubled it up.

Cutting the foam

 I found fabric in my stash that I really like and probably wouldn't use for anything else.  I cut 2 large rectangles from it.  In the center I sewed seams and inserted the bottom of my bag and enclosed it.

 I sewed seams for the sides down from the corners of the bag and then realized I'd better get the velcro on before it was too late.  I did have to take one seam out on the narrow ends to put the velcro on.

 Then I realized I should miter the corners.  I had originally thought I'd velcro the corners, but they don't ever need to come apart and miters look much better.  So I ripped all the side seams out and did mitered seams.  Here's my box.  About that time I realized I could have looked online for instructions.  If there weren't any for camera bag inserts I'm sure there were some for fabric boxes.  I hand sewed along the top edge which I am sure isn't the professional way.  But I have a flashy bag.

 The inserts for the bag were very simple to make.  No hand sewing here.

 Inside the large bag.  There is lots of room for everything else along with my camera, lens, battery charger, etc.  Knitting could even fit in here.  But it is so large.

 

 Right now I decided that this is the bag I'll keep.  I snugly fits my insert, but my wallet and checkbook can go on the side.  I can fit everything I put into my purse on a regular basis.  I will still have to take my knitting bag separately.  This purse was also half the price of the other one which helped determine the choice.  One thing about an insert, you can always buy a new purse to go with it.

So this was yesterday's afternoon project.  Not to bad, eh?

Check this out and other projects on Esther's blog  ,

We Did it Wednesday
and
Thrifty Thursday