Tote bags

I have my partner for the second Secret Tote Bag Swap. I know her likes and her dislikes and what she would like. As much as possible I will try to accommodate. I decided to make the Noodlehead 241 bag for her but thought it best to "test drive" the pattern first. I needed to make a bag to hold knitting for someone special. I showed her the 241 bag and she liked so hers is the test bag. Please excuse the mess on my sewing table! I used a large graphic print on a grey background. I made sure to fussy cut the flowers for the centre panels.

Side A

Side B

The bag has a magnetic closure; this is something I've never done before but it was easy. It made a little pocket for the inside and I used the fabric from the centre panel to make it but I lined the pocket with the lime green.

Inside with pocket

All in all I am very pleased with how this bag finished. It isn't a large bag but it is nice and I wouldn't mind making one for myself but that will have to wait. The pattern is very well written with lots of pictures and it is surprisingly simple to make! For now I have to get the swap bag started!

These are the fabrics I chose for the tote.

I've decided the centre panel and strap will be made of the green zebra print. The outside pockets will be made of the same green fabric as the finished bag shown above and the side panels and lining will be the lovely paisley print.

All the parts are cut out and ready for marking and sewing. I'll do the embellishing with embroidery and applique before I sew the bag together.

Here is a close-up of the lovely paisley print for the lining! I think this fabric is so pretty and very Bohemian. I want to put a zippered pocket on the inside but realized that my zippers are all too large so I'll have to make a trip to the store for a smaller zipper!

The lining



Yesterday I wrote about my quilt Bed Bugs and some of the "bugs" in its making! Hilda left me a lovely comment about my tree block with the mistake. She thought it was very Amish and she is absolutely correct. I've been told that the Amish will intentionally create a mistake in their quilt because no one and nothing is perfect. You can see one of the triangles is going the wrong way. This was not intentional on my part and by the time I discovered the mistake it was too late to fix it.

I told Hilda that sometimes I would intentionally create "mistakes" like the turquoise patch in my star quilt. It is what I call a "thinking patch" and the idea was to make people think "was that a mistake or was that intentional"?

I told Hilda that with years of intensive practice I have now perfected the "mistake" technique so that now I can make mistakes naturally without any effort on my part...they just happen! I say "mistakes add charm" and makes a quilt special! How do you feel about mistakes in quilts - intentional or unintentional? I doubt l'll ever make a quilt for a juried show so I'm good with mistakes!

The goldenrod is in full bloom now and the bees and wasps are overjoyed with the bounty!

Until I post again, happy sewing!