How do you make a ditty bag?

Answer 1

A ditty bag is a traditional type of bag, typically made of some type of canvas, that was used on sailing boats. It was typically the first project undertaken by a sailmakers apprentice and a good learning exercise as you needed to learn many of the tasks required of a sailmaker to make one; gromets, basic stitches, ropework etc. Once complete, the ditty bag was usually used to carry the apprentices tools such as a sailmakers palm, needles, thread, wax, serving mallet. A variation on the ditty bag is the riggers bag. Similar in its basic design, the riggers bag was usually larger in size and stood open on its onw by virtue of a wodden or steel hop sewn into the opening. A ditty bag is a military term for a necessities collection in a bag. For men, it would be soap, shaving equipment, toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste. Also known in the civiliam world as a shaving kit, it contains the minimum for maintaining personal cleanliness. For women it would contain soap, toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, hairbrush and lipstick.