Turning an old windbreaker into the perfect yoga bag

I love my yoga mat. It's extra thick, purple (my favorite color), and still smells nice, even after hundreds of downward dogs. But I've never found a good way to carry it. I've squeezed it under my arm, stuffed it into a duffle bag, folded it (a yoga no-no) into a tote. Yoga bags made specifically for mats are usually too small for mine. 

The wet, wet Northwest winter gave me an idea -- I could transform the sleeve from an old raincoat or jacket into a weather-proof bag. At a local thrift store I found this well-made (but stained) jacket, originally from the Gap.
Gap windbreaker
A bonus was the pocket on the left sleeve -- just the right size for my cell phone. My first step was too cut off the sleeve and see if my bulky mat would actually fit inside.
cutting off the sleeve
Surprise! I hadn't noticed this at the store, but the sleeve was tapered and smaller in diameter at the cuff end. Too small for the mat. I realized I'd need to use both sleeves. The wide end was angled (I cut off each sleeve where it met the jacket bodice), so I lined the ends up so that the short side of one sleeve met the long edge of the other.
lining up the sleeve ends
Then I put one sleeve inside the other, wrong sides together, and sewed.
sewing the sleeve ends together
To cover the exposed seam, I found a wide black ribbed strip in my stash and sewed it on top. 
covering the seam with ribbed strap
I think the diagonal line looks more dynamic than the horizontal one that would have resulted if I'd cut the sleeves straight across. (Or maybe I'm just rationalizing?)
covering the seam with ribbed strap
Next, I turned to the top and bottom. When I pushed my mat inside, I had trouble getting it past the top opening. So I ripped open the side seam about 3 inches down, widening the diameter. To finish the opening, I folded over the top about 1 1/2" and made a casing. I threaded the cord from the original jacket through the casing and added a closure.
casing for top opening
I wasn't sure what to do at the bottom. If I simply sewed it closed, the end would be too narrow for the mat. Instead, I sewed a cuff back on. It isn't pretty, but it works. 

The last step was adding a carrying strap. I used 2 straps from the neck of the original jacket and some black plastic hooks I had on hand.
hooks
I sewed them to the bag about 6" from each end. In my stash I found an nylon strap from an old camera bag and attached it to the hooks. Voila!
finished upcycled bag for my yoga mat
The bag is easy to carry and fairly fashionable. Only one thing bothers me -- the reverse side of nylon fabric is tacky and tends go stick to the mat. The last thing I need after a yoga class is an angry struggle with my bag! I may try again, this time with a very slick fabric.