Look Ma! No Pattern: Sewing a Yoga Mat Bag

So my ideal isn't a reality quite yet, but any serenity in my current life is thanks either to ice chocolate, happy hour, or yoga. But man, carrying those yoga mats is a drag. Personally, I feel like enough of a pack mule on the range carrying the day's necessities; the last thing I want to lug is a cumbersome and unwieldy yoga mat. When I looked into buying a bag for my mat, the options were either ugly and expensive, or really ugly and really expensive. I'm no Betsy Ross, but I figured I could save myself some money and the humiliation of carrying a prefab bag by running one up myself.

I cannot sing loudly enough the praises of Hancock Fabrics. They have great prices, a dazzling array of fabrics, and my shipment arrived in a jiffy. I am still learning how to sew, so it's a Girl Scout's honor when I say that this project is simple (and gratifying!) enough for a beginning sewer. It could also easily be accomplished by hand if you have a rainy afternoon and When Harry Met Sally is on TBS. And as if you needed a bonus, this is a two for one special: if you shrink the whole project, you've got a fine looking wine bottle sleeve for your next hostess present.