From Pedal To Pedal

Many gardeners and cooks go on about 'fork to fork' - the digging fork producing food  for the dining fork.
I am thinking about 'pedal to pedal'.

There seem to have been a number of times when my sewing machine has been called on to produce things for the benefit of the bicycling community. 


Last weekend was a case in point...
My friend Rosey [not granddaughter Rosie] is taking her new bicycle on holiday to France. She bought a "quick release" basket which will clip on the front, but then can be removed to carry to market etc.

Rosey was concerned that she needed a cover for the basket, to stop rain [and other people's fingers ] getting in, and to keep items from blowing out as she pedals furiously down les rues de la belle France. Also, she wanted some useful pockets inside to hold purse, camera, water-bottle etc. I used some leftover fabric from the stash and came up with this idea.

The cover is a simple oval, with two strips round the edge. They fasten round the ends of the handles with Velcro tabs.
The inside is lined - sorry, the picture is none too clear - with four pockets along one side, and the other side has a large loop, into which you can stand a water bottle.
I delivered it and Rosey was very pleased. She promptly took it for a test drive. This was when we discovered the design fault - when the bike goes fast, or downhill, the wind catches the front edge of the cover and it blows out of place.
Fortunately the Velcro prevented the cover from blowing away completely.
Design modification - two little wooden toggles sewn on the front [at Bob's helpful suggestion, these were securely anchored by two button on the inside] and on the edge of the cover I sewed two elastic loops.
This neatly solves the problem.

Bonne Vacances, Rosey!