oh. so. scrappy patchwork tote

Happy Monday, friends!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was a lot of fun, lots of sewing on Saturday, trip to Chicago on Sunday. Not bad at all.

I started off Saturday thinking I'd make some new pillows for our bed and maybe even start cutting fabric for my son's quilt. And then, as I was thinking about our trip to Chicago, I decided I NEEDED a new tote bag. Ok, so I really did not need one, I have tons of bags in my closet, but I was still going to make one. A scrappy, patchworky, colorful bag that screams "fabric love". I was totally inspired by this bag, and this one.

I had no pattern to base my bag on, so my "plan" was to make it up as I went. I started off by making 2 patchwork rectangles for the front and the back.

I decided not to quilt them, just stabilize them using pretty strong interfacing. I used black and white home decor weight fabric for the bottom of the bag, as well as the lining to make it more sturdy.

I know by now that the only bags I use on a regular basis are the ones that have zipper closures as well as zipper pockets on the inside. I used blue and orange zippers and they brighten black and white interior so well.

I was going to use webbing for the handles, it would have been so much easier and faster, but both of my daughters kept saying it did not match the bag, and they were right. I then made patchwork handles using most of the leftover scraps.

It turned out to be quite a large bag, a perfect size for my camera, a few books, and snacks for the kids. I had the girls model it for me while we waited for our train to arrive.

I love how it turned out. It's just the way I wanted it - bright, happy, summery.

What have you been working on lately? I'd love to know.

Svetlana

Linking up to Finish it up Friday,