Monday, May 26, 2014

not quite as planned

With only two weeks of school left before summer break is here I decided it was time to make a large tote bag. The plan was to make it big enough to fit our towels as well as a few snacks and other necessities so I don't have to carry a gazillion bags all summer long.



I pulled out white, black, blue, green, pink and a few red and yellow scraps and made these two 27" x 21" panels. I then quilted the panels, made a lining with tons of pockets and all, and right before adding handles to my tote I realized it looked like a giant quilted pillow with handles :( I could not even bring myself to take a picture of the whole contraption.

I'm pretty sure you can guess what I did next, right? Yep, I have a new pillow to show you :)


I ripped out the tote and turned it into a double sided pillow. This is side A.


And side B. I installed invisible zipper so none of the patchwork would be lost.

So yes, I have a new pillow but no tote bag. I will definitely have to get back to that later. Also, I have a few strips of patchwork left and I'm thinking of piecing them together to make some coasters maybe. We'll see :)

Talk to you soon. Svetlana

22 comments:

  1. Hi Svetlana, I've just found your blog and am really enjoying looking at your work. This piece may not have turned out as intended but I really like it as a pillow. The colors in your fabrics work so well together and I think the way you pieced them is very visually striking.

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  2. You are a master at making wonderful pillows, and I bet you'll be really glad you ended up in that direction. Another day you'll make a tote!

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  3. LOVE this pillow! Now looking forward to seeing the bag :-)

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  4. Great pillow!! Sorry about the tote though :( I'm sure you'll create the perfect tote soon. I have a few indoor/outdoor fabrics lying out on my studio floor right now trying to figure which one to use for a pool tote but still haven't decided yet. Have you thought of laminated cottons for totes before? Cindy

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  5. At least you got a pillow out of it ; ) it's lovely

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  6. Your pillow looks great, even if it didn't start out as one. If you want a great tote, check out thr Take It All Tote on the Moda Bake Shop site. I've made three of them, and love every one. It's really large, great for a summer beach bag.

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  7. LOL! A great save! Sometimes you just have to go with the creative flow! A really lovely cushion. Jxo

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  8. Svetlanko, verim, ze tasku si brzo usijes :) A ten polstar je uzasny! :) Dobre jsi to vyvedla :) Mej krasne dny! Jola

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  9. That's so funny! And gorgeous!

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  10. Super cute and funny!
    I have the same plan, but I'm thinking of using Lotta Jansdotter's Gardening Tote pattern, because it has all kinds of pockets on the outside (for waterbottles, sunscreen, etc) and a nice, oval shaped bottom - although its meant for pots, I think it will also be great for rolled up towels.

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  11. I'm so impressed with your determination to see it through to the product you were satisfied with! I think it's a fabulous pillow, but I bet I would have liked your tote anyway! Cheers!

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  12. Its a pretty pillow and I enjoy when you tell about the projects that don't go quite as planned. I am holding out for that next Noodlehead pattern to make my summer pool tote!

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  13. I love your pillow! Wish I had a nickel for projects that seemed right in my head!

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  14. as you say you have no tote bag but instead a lovely pillow. Such a lovely selections of fabrics you have used here

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  15. Thats the beauty of patchwork ! If it doesn't work one way it can be made another way :) Nice cushion but surely there is no more room in your house for another lol :)

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  16. Svetlana, I so enjoy your blog. You make such fun and happy things. Your fabric combinations always stop me in my tracks to just gaze at and smile. Your "tote" pillow is darling. Can't wait to see the next tote attempt and what it might become instead! ;)

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  17. Well, regardlesss of the detour, the final product is beautiful!

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  18. Even your oops turns out gorgeous! What a great solution to do the zipper so the entire pillow is patchwork. Lovely!

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  19. Ha ha ha ha, awesome post. And gorgeous pillow of course. Though I would love to see a photo of you walking around with giant quilted pillow bag :)

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  20. This is too funny! I did the same thing last year while making a table runner for Halloween. Happy Jack ended up as a giant trick-or-treat bag. Sometimes our projects dictate to us what they will ultimately become! Your new pillow is lovely!!

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  21. Loving all the new makes, including the cushion that was a bag!

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  22. This is my kind of cushion. xx

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