luggage tag

I'm back, and back with a snappy post title too.  That was a bit of an unexpected break, I think that's the longest I've ever been between posts.  Without wanting to go into detail, things have been difficult lately, it may be reflected in my lack of making and lack of posting.

Anyway!  I went to Tunisia last week for work - no major disasters, if you don't count the panic attack I had on the plane on the way home.  Seriously, the engine was broken, why noone else could hear that there was a problem, I do not know.  Add that to some pretty hefty turbulence and lightening outside the window and you get a pretty freaked out (i.e. hysterically screaming) Wendy.  Embarrassing?  At the time no, we were all about to die, I didn't care.  Afterwards, yep, pretty embarrassing.  Major thanks to the bloke in the seat in front who talked me down...

I've gone off on a tangent... Before I left,i wanted to make a luggage tag.  I have one of those little black wheelie suitcases.  Like 95% of people who fly.  I can't identify it in a line up.  I have had to take cases off the carousel and open them to see what's inside to find my case in the past.  Let me tell you, people don't like it when you do that to their case...  I clearly needed a luggage tag.  I found a tutorial at Sew Christine which I followed, except for the ribbon to hold it in place, I used a long thin piece of fabric for that.  I also couldn't be bothered to wait for the glue to dry, so top-stitched the front panel.

Once again I used the fabric left over from my Weekender and my back pack (tutorial still to come!) so I do look quite matching when I've got my Weekender (which I use as a carry-on bag, I don't do packing light and certainly couldn't pack for a weekend in my Weekender!)

The strap I made is just a loop which I feed the tag through.  Clearly that is not my suitcase in the picture, it's just my Accordian bag which happened to be close by!  Despite the fact I forgot to write out my address details to put in the window, I did manage to identify my bag without rummaging round in anyone else's dirty pants, so it did the trick.  However, after 4 flights it's not looking so healthy, part of the stitching has come undone, the corners are poking out and it's all dirty (seriously, what do they DO with out bags??) so I feel another one coming on...