Upcycled Chalk Bag Progress Update

For my upcycling project I will be making a chalk bag for climbing in the earthy neutral aesthetic. I will be upcycling some scrap fabric I already own, and acquiring more materials to implement into my upcycle. My chalk bag will also have a magnetic closure top to prevent chalk from spilling out without the need for a manual drawstring closure. 

Thus far I have only acquired the fabric for the outside of the chalk bag. I plan on obtaining the fabric for the interior of the bag from Art Parts later this week. I am looking for a green fleece material for the interior to stay in theme with my earthy neutrals aesthetic for this chalk bag. I have already checked on campus for fabric like this and have not had any luck. If I cannot find a fabric that works at Art Parts I will try a thrift store. I am also looking for fabric for the trim of the chalk bag, but this requires minimal fabric that I can probably find in my house somewhere. I am TBD on the color I would like for the trim. I have had no luck finding magnets in the Idea Forge or ITLL to use for the magnetic closure top. I am hoping Art Parts would have some magnets as well. 

I plan to acquire all of my materials by Friday, February 7th so I can begin fabricating my chalk bag next week. I have consulted many websites for instructions on how to make a chalk bag. I enjoy following paper patterns, so I have begun creating my own pattern based on the measurements of my current chalk bags. I will be sure to have some excess fabric in case of mistakes or incorrect measurements. 

I will be making my chalk bag using the sewing machines in the Idea Forge. I will have several layers of thick fabric, and I know that the Idea Forge sewing machines are strong enough to handle this. I have used these sewing machines before so I don’t anticipate any major hiccups, but I will consult with Idea Forge staff if I run into any issues. 

I plan to have the magnetic closure top close in a straight line, as my research has shown these closures are preferable over the x shape magnetic closures. If I cannot get the magnetic closure to work as I planned, I can always pivot to making a normal drawstring chalk bag. However, I think as long as I get strong enough magnets it should work out. 

**Update as of 2/11**

I have now acquired all materials except for magnets. I was able to gather the remaining fabric needed for the bag from Art Parts. I will continue to hunt for magnets secondhand, but unfortunately at this point it looks like I may need to buy them new.

Sources: 

https://www.instructables.com/Make-a-Chalk-Bag/

https://weareexplorers.co/how-to-make-a-chalk-bag/

https://www.stitchbackgear.com/patterns/stitchback-chalk-bag-patternxl