Totes & Baskets

Two posts in one week? Wow, must be summer. Yay!

First, I finished my first tote bag. I have been wanting to make one for a while now, and then I saw this fabric bundle, and it really spoke to me. Even so, the pieces sat around for a bit, waiting for their turn in the project line. I am very pleased with how it came out, and I've already got plans for others in the works. I think being able to do variations on embellishment and features (like pockets) is going to help spark creativity.

happy to finish my tote bag!

Even though it is finished, I will probably go back and add another line of stitching around the top. I find with the baskets that it helps with structural integrity. It also helps hold all the layers in place.

Speaking of baskets, Those were on the agenda yesterday and today. There weren't many scraps from the fat quarters I used to make my tote. Here's what happened to them...

baskets for guys

I was really pleased with how the one on the right came out with the fold-over of the lining fabric. I also added a couple extra lines of stitching around the basket, as it finally occurs to me that what it needs is basically quilting to hold the layers together somewhat. That is the last basket I made, of course. I hope the taller basket is useful. Again, it was an experiment in using the pieces I had left.

When my niece was here last week, I did some sewing for her, and she got to pick out a fat quarter when we went shopping. I put this basket together for her, with the leftovers from the top I made her as the lining.

butterflies and dragonflies!

The handles turned out to be a little long, I think (I actually trimmed several inches off - they WERE even longer!). They remind me a little of rabbit ears... but in a cute way. I hope she will like her basket.

So, between baskets and tote bags, I think I can get Christmas pretty well sewn up... (see what I did there?)