Project: Travel Tote with Top Extension, adapted from Travel Gear and Gifts To Make, by Mary Mulari.
Fabric: Swap meet finds, rayon blend leftovers from some aloha shirt factory, lining-twill from stash, handles black Kona cotton from stash
I had the fabric pieces in my stash for some time and once in a fit of madness I stitched them in strips to some lining material and they slept rolled up in some tub until the Great Craft Room remodel (the tale where the room went from craft room to guest room back to craft room all in one snap of a synapse).
The plan was to make a craft bag. I like the way the colors turned out as they remind me of the quilts I had when I was small, all colorful and crazy. I rushed and my serger had forgotten how to do the 3 stitch, so the bottom turned out a bit wonky. I would have liked the bag to have more body. I basically used the dimensions in the book, but if I make another, I will make it less tall and a little wider, and make the zipper extension part a little smaller. I was so tempted to use green webbing for the handles, but that would have meant a trip to the fabric store. I was "good" instead and used fabric from the stash.
All in all this project made me Happy Along. There are more of those strips of fabric, so maybe this bag will have a sibling;)
9 comments:
That's so pretty! I sometimes wish I had an clue when it came to sewing.
Jessica
Oh this bag is gorgeous! It makes me so envious of your sewing skills. :-)
Oh, what a great bag this is - definitely perfect for the Happy Along! I so love the fabric, and it seems to have the perfect size to stuff a lot of goodies into it - perfect!
I'm sorry to hear that your arm has been bothering you lately - do give it some good rest, and I hope you'll be feeling much, much better soon!
That bag is awesome! I really should get out the poor dusty sewing machine.
what a nice looking tote! i am in the midst of making my first totoro. i am hoping he looks much better with his appropriate appendages attached.
I love it! It does remind me of the old quilts that grandma made! You are so talented! I had carpal tunnel and had to stop golfing because I couldn't hold the club. I went to the driving range and my ball kept hitting the wooden blocker! Ha! Ha! It was terrible. That was a couple of years ago and I just told my husband that I think I've regained enough strength to gold again, only now he's back to surfing and diving. Oiy.
Great bag! You are so talented, to be able to knit so well, and sew such beautiful things! My dad gave me a similar bag (although not homemade, like yours), and I love to toss my larger knitting projects in there. Aloha fabric is just so cheery.
Your mention of getting the fabric from the market made me think of all the fabrics I got last time I was at the Kam swap meet. I like that one much better than the Aloha swap.
That bag is GORGEOUS!! Then again, with that awesome DPN case you made for me with that Japanese bunny fabric, there is no surprise at your Happy Tote's beauty. I really love those bright colors.
=:8
Hi Barb! I saw a girl at my daughter's volleyball practice today with a bag made of hawaiian fabric squares and it reminded me of your bag! Hers was a simple tote. It wasn't sewn ina the diagonal pattern like yours. Another parent commented that it reminded her of the grandma quilts too!
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