A Tote Bag for a Giantess

QuiltCon 2025 has come and gone.  Many of my quilty buddies went to Phoenix. And before you feel sorry for me that I didn’t go, I made a conscious decision to not go.  My current life’s rhythm has changed.   The ones I attended were heaven on earth.  And this year I am watching several of the lectures on line.  Best of all, quilty Holly - with assistance from Sarah S and Eileen - shopped for me.  There’s a terrific piece of fabric from Sarah Bond.  And some very pretty zippers and strapping for handles.

These are the best purse zippers - look at the double zipper pulls.  And the colors!  AND they are 30”.  Think about the top of a bag you carry that has a zipper.  I bet it is 14” long, maybe 16”.  It’s really a challenge to use a 30” zipper!  

And you know I buy zipper tape by the yard, right?  Look below. So many colors.  So many zipper pulls.  The last bag I made was Sara Lawson’s Dot Dash Dot bag - it had SIX zippers.  But this current challenge was how to use a beautiful 30” zipper.

I took a pile of my favorite current scraps and made a panel that is 32” x 22.” And of course I had to make a back panel.

This bag is perfect for carrying a quilt.  Or a pillow.  Or maybe both.  The bottom of the bag has boxed corners.  And the top corners are slightly boxed.  Look at the zipper! And the finished product.  Such a fun way to play! 

Quilted Presents

 My granddaughter Nikki is getting married in June, and her bridal shower is coming up.  Working with Nikki's colors and some wonderful fabrics by Seth Apter, here is her quilt.  Of course I hand quilted it in an off-center spiral and backed it with an Art Gallery cotton.  With the wool batting, this quilt is wonderfully soft and will provide a lifetime of cuddling. 

And while not a necessity, of course I made a matching tote bag which really allows two of the feature fabrics to shine.  

And while working on Nikki's quilt, I also started one for great niece Cassidy who is also getting married this summer.  Cassidy's color choices are totally different from Nikki's.  The outer borders are quilted and it is now bound.  But I can't decide whether to quilt it by machine or by hand.  Since this shower isn't until July, I have plenty of time to ponder!

The three quilts above are currently at the Benton house in LaGrange.  We lived in that house from 1986 until 2021.  And I can't even begin to count how many quilts I made in that house.  The current owner doesn't have a quilt.  So I dropped these three off for her two choose one.  Still waiting to hear which one of these three appeals!  All I know is that there must be a quilt in that house.  

Whole Lot of Sewin' Goin' On...

Using scraps for a tote bag, I am testing out some vinyl covered fabric.  I used this vinyl previously but gave the bag away and I need to see how this product actually wears.

The pattern for this bag is the one I'm using for the bag above.  I made this bag before but created by own color palette.  And clearly this was before I discovered my deep and abiding love for Soft and Stable.  So this kit will allow me to make the bag properly.  Besides the kit was on sale.  Magic words...

This is a free download pattern for a cross-body purse.  Go to Sew Powerful.  This organization's goal is to provide purses for young African girls so that they don't have to miss a week of school each month.  What a great idea!  However, this purse pattern looks fiddly.  So I want to do one before I start to strongarm some of my fellow guildsters.  Here's a better picture of the final product.

Two totes from one set of sale fabric.  I made some modifications on the left one, including a too-short purse zipper, side pockets, and zipper tabs.  I like these bags, but the size is wrong - just a bit too small for what I was intending to make.

This kit is calling out to me gently.  Maybe Saturday...

Meanwhile I am sashiko-ing this quilt of Marcia Derse fabrics on the front and a fabulous Art Gallery backing AND - wait it get even better - wool batting.  Can you tell from the picture below that about 3/4's of the quilt has been quilted?

And of course the Molly Market tote.  I definitely want to crank a couple of these out.

The backing fabric came in for what's on the design wall.

And of course key wristlets.  

I blog for many reasons.  The prime one is usually just to get out of my head what I need to without annoying my husband.  He's good for listening but only for so long.  A great secondary reason is that I have a record of what I have done over the years.  But the most immediate reason today is that when I am in a frenetic sewing stage, getting projects down on e-paper helps me priortize and calms me down.

Much better.  We are heading to my aunt Marjorie Long's funeral.  She's the reason I went to college and into teaching.  What a great role model.  John and I would run into her at the Goodman Theatre until she stopped going, maybe 6 years ago.  And I just had a flashback of her reupholstering her furniture.  Like my parents' deaths, Marge's was peaceful.  I hope her children are as at peace as my sibs and I are.

Weekend Bounty - and an uh-oh...

I'm really getting into these little zippered pouches. There's a nice aura of thrift in the studio since I'm using scraps for both the outside of the bags and the linings. The new tote is from fabrics I bought at a sale at Modern Quilt's Oak Park studio.

I'm out of black 18" separating zippers and am just getting these bags all ready for when they arrive. Meanwhile, I've misplaced my open-toed free motion foot. I know what you're thinking: Why can't she just use her close-toed free motion foot. Why indeed... I think this is a sign to do some picking up and putting away.

Zipperliciousness

 These little pouches have something in common - besides being made from beautiful batiks.  Both have  recycled zippers, ones that were removed from old skirts. 

As frugal as I am with buying fabrics through sales and using coupons,  zippers are just never one sale.  And I've really been using a lot of zippers.  A fellow guild member - in fact, the youngest member, Emily B, our new secretary - turned me on to a zipper resource:  Zipit at etsy

These 25 zippers came in the mail today.   The price was fabulous.  Now of course I need to order more.  I've been using 18" separating zippers in the totes, and Jennifer at zipit is ordering me some.  With this order she included a zipper pull.  Something tells me I'm going to be ordering some of these, too.

Speaking of totes with zippers, this one is complete and goes into the finished pile.

This little zippered pouch and this little zippered box are two reasons why I'm running through zippers.  Just little somethings for a birthday present.

Therapeutic Totes

 Last week Ann L, a workout buddy, came over and played fabrics with me.  She helped me put together fabric combinations for more totes.  And I happily got started.  I'm sorry the brown bag on the right doesn't photograph better - the fabric is a lovely brown gradated one with the lighter part used as the lining.  You can see a bit of this from the zipper flap and tote.  This greeen/grey print is pretty and parts of a green gradated fabric provide the bands and lining.  The little zippered pouch is one I made for me because I keep giving them away.

I've had this brown/turquoise batik for a while and have paired it with other batiks for contrast strips and lining.   This evening before dinner I worked on this tote - it's all set to be assembled.

And this morning before I left the house to spend most of the day with my parents, I had to make the accompanying zippered pouch. 

As I said, therapeutic sewing...

Working and Planning

When I am dithering and trying to decide what to do, sometimes quick short projects are useful.  Here are two Mors bags using fabric given to me by one of John's cousins.  And two little zippered pouches made from leftovers of tote bag fabrics.

Here are two more tote bags, almost completed.  I love constructing these bags on a foundation of Soft and Stable byannie.com. I've got piles of fabric all over the studio for tote bags I want to work on in April

And I know I'm going to do more of these over-the-shoulder totes and already have the fabric picked out. The outgoing president of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild Beth is getting one of the black-and-white ones, and I'm curious to see how this blue-white striped fabric works with this pattern.

Having finally decided on what to work one at the retreat, I'm getting ready. Here is my inspiration piece, Peace and Comfort, by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio. More of this project later as it gets under way!

Angst Reduction

I've joked about needlepointing "Get your head out of your ass." Unfortunately that's truer than I care to admit. I haven't decided what I want to do next. But I did make a present this afternoon for one of John's jazz friends who turns 60 next month. Focusing one someone else is a great angst reducer, isn't it?

This zippered tote went together neatly - I love using these fabrics. And I think the birthday girl will like this.

A Tale of Two Totes

Following a pattern is like following a recipe. Sometimes I have to follow a pattern or recipe exactly so I can then know in which direction to modify it. The first bag, the one following directions exactly, is the one on the right. As I was working on this first one, I knew the top band was too narrow. I wanted to use a bold lining but then wimped out and used a plain white solid. As I was applying the zipper and pocket, I knew I wanted to use a different technique to make a more genuine and sturdy pocket. But did I? No. I followed the directions except for making the straps longer.  I like this bag on the right.

But I LOVE the bag on the left. I doubled the width of the top band and decided to go with a solid black batik for both the band and the straps. There's a scarlet batik for the inner band, which contrasts wonderfully with the lining, a great print of pattern pieces. There's a lime green zipper to match the lining. And the lined pocked uses the last of a lime green gingham. Once this bag was almost finished, I realized I could still attach some magnets to hold the top band together. One thing both totes have are scarlet pulls so that the zipper tabs are easily located.

The bag on the left is going to niece Jen Peters who dances for the Jennifer Mueller/The Works and teaches Pilates in Manhattan. She's always carrying a change of clothes or two. Jen's going to pilot this bag and let me know whether this tote is practical for this kind of application.

Any takers for my practice bag, the one of the right?

A New Bag

 As I was making this bag from the pattern in this book, I knew I should modify the bag.  Doesn't it look huge on the cover of the book?  And now I'm a little sorry I didn't make this cute this bag a bit bigger.  The model on the book cover must be a midget - the bag really isn't that big.

So, with the next bag, I will make it a bit bigger, be bolder with the band and the handles, make the quilting more visual, and do something fun with the lining. 

This one still has pins in it - once it's finished I'll show the interior.  I did however finish the home dec totes.  Pretty cute, huh?

Synthesis

 Synthesis is taking what you learned and applying that knowledge to something new.  Quilting + totes + little zippered pouches + zippered opening in tote + home dec fabric + hardware to attached little pouch to tote + Soft and Stable foam batting = one pretty terrific set. 

There are still two more to be assembled, but all the parts are there ready to go!

In Process

One bag is complete, and four more are in process - straps, zippers, pockets, small zippered pouches to go with the totes. These are what I'm thinking of selling at an AAUW fundraiser in May. I am definitely going to use more of the home dec fabrics - they are perfect for these totes.

And I must organize the studio - it's out of control...again. Not one of the fabric cabinet doors is closed, there are project piles all over, the little box of zippers and magnets is spread out, and some things just need to be put away.

Tote Bag - Quilted, of course

 My QFF Wayne's son Andrew is getting married tomorrow in San Diego.  And his daughter Emily who does mission work in South Africa is in for the wedding.  Wayne wants to send Emily back with a new quilted tote, and here it is. 

He asked for something sturdy, so I used a Home Dec fabric, and I like the results a lot.  This tote stands up on its own because I used Soft and Stable by byannie.com .
He also asked for a zipper.  The picture below show this effort.  Each end of the zipper has a tab which can be tucked down into the bag.  Each interior side has pockets.  Best of all:  I have enough fabric to make two more of these!

For My Physical Therapist Chandra

For the past 6 weeks I've been seeing Chandra, a physical therapist at the Paulson Rehab Center, LaGrange Hospital. She's a charming woman and an excellent therapist. We're now fine-tuning my walk and working on increasing my range of motion. She's already given me a script of exercises to do on the ship so that I can continue to improve. I'm hoping that after the next knee in April I can continue to work with her.

If you're thinking this Amazing Technicolor Dream Tote is similar to the one I just gave Oralee a few days ago, you're right. But since Chandra is a small woman, I took out one of the vertical strips and also shortened the handles. This bag is boxed and has a plastic bottom.

Physical therapy hasn't been easy or fun. However, spending this time with someone who is so outgoing and generous has made the therapy almost fun. Almost.

The Elves Have Left the Building!

The big push is over. These three bags are completed. Lynita is purchasing 2 of them, the nicely organized vertical stripes. The scrap tote is for my surgeon's wife - someone who knows her Bible and will appreciate the spirit behind this Amazing Technicolor Dream Tote. I have a couple of projects laid out and ready to go as soon as I can get back to the studio. Of course I wanted to make another 20 or 30 various Christmas gifts - maybe they can be gifts for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Day!