Customized Makeup Travel Bag

Having recently expanded my makeup and brush collection, I was left in a bit of a pickle with regards to storage for travel! Not that I have much makeup -- but still, I wanted something more than just a zippered pouch (especially for my brushes).

After browsing various bags, rolls, and other mediums of makeup storage, I came up with a design of my own. Half roll, half bag, and wholly customized. This little bag has a lot of details, so please forgive the plethora of photos!

I used a green striped cotton from my stash, accented with tan moleskin and brown corduroy. The roll is stiffened with a heavyweight Pellon fusible interfacing and fusible fleece. Sadly, the fabric is a bit wrinkly -- probably because I'm not patient enough to ensure a really good bond when I'm fusing! 

Here's what it looks like when open:

The brush flap is closed in this shot

And here's what it looks like when you unfold the brush flap.

The mirror can be removed, thanks to a velcro strip in the back

The zippered pouch went together quite nicely! It attaches to the back with two plastic snaps (looking back, it would have been better to use four -- but it's quite secure as it is). I love that I can grab just the bag if I want to. 

The pouch has a little pleated detail on the front. Just because.

The bag opens quite well whether or not it's snapped in. Here's a view inside -- it's lined with the striped cotton:

A glimpse of my makeup collection -- I'll be posting about it soon.

This project originated out of my need for brush storage, and here it is!

Yes, this is my entire brush collection (minus my concealer brush)

The brush pockets are made out of brown corduroy, with a buttoned flap to protect them. 

Half of the challenge of make this was determining positions for details like handles and snaps. They had to be attached before the piping was added and the roll was assembled, so I had to make educated guesses about their locations. Definitely the biggest downside to making up a pattern as you go along!

Fortunately,  it all came together splendidly. A thick hair tie served as the main closure loop. It's sturdy enough that I could hang the bag from a hook, if needed. I used thinner hair ties to attach the wooden toggle and to make the loop for the brush pocket flap.

The hair ties work remarkably well!

I love the texture of the moleskin, which I salvaged from a $1 thrift store skirt.

Sadly, this bag is not very practical for daily use -- I'm not patient enough to unroll, unzip, and unbutton every single day. However, the next time I take a trip, I'll be prepared! It's compact, yet roomy enough for all of my essentials.

Mission acccomplished? Oh yes!