A Tote Bag Made Just for Me

Of all the store samples I've made recently made, I had to make a bag for myself.  I don't remember when I first saw this bag, somewhere on the internet, but I fell in love with its colors.     

Pattern:  Emily Belle tote bag pattern from Sewing Illustration

As I was doing my research on this tote bag, I found out that the designer is Minki Kim.  She is a fabric designer with Riley Blake, and a pattern designer with her company, Sewing Illustration.  And an added plus is that she is originally from (South?) Korea, just like my mom!  

The tote bag uses Emily Belle fabric from Liberty Fabrics.  

This pattern uses a foam stabilizer.  I love the structured result of a tote bag when using a foam stabilizer.   I used ByAnnie's Soft and Stable. 

The fabric is sewn into the foam stabilizer, creating its own unit.

The straps are sewn into the foam stabilizer as well.

With the past tote bags that I've made, I've created them with an outer shell with a liner.  In this bag, it is created using binding, to attach the front and back panels, with the bottom panel.  It is sewn on, just like you would with a quilt.  In this bag, I used a narrower binding.  It made it more difficult to hand sew the backside of the binding because of the bulk of the foam stabilizer.  

The construction of this bag went together very smoothly but didn't like that it didn't hold its own shape.  Even when it was stood up on the floor, it still had a flat appearance.

I added a straight stitch along the sides of the bag, to create a side gusset.  I opened the crease in the bottom panel and stitched it along the binding to keep it open.

Now, I have a bag of my own!

Till next time,

- - - - Jane - - - - 

Fourth of July Fabric Contest

I have decided to participate in a contest, and it's been a long time since my last quilt related contest.    Laundry Basket Quilts is currently having a Fourth of July fabric contest.  The participants are to create a Fourth of July project using their red or blue star panel.

Star panel:  https://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/online-store/4th-of-July-Challenge-Half-Yard-Panel-p636067791

The project piece can be no smaller than 20 inches square and no bigger than 80 inches square.  That could mean something as large as a quilt or as small as a tote bag.  I decided to make a pillow.  

My pillow ended up measuring 22 inches x 22 inches.  The design was based in a table runner on my to-do list.  A 22-inch square pillow is a very large pillow, in my option.  Based on the size of the stars in the panel, this was the smallest I could create within the rules.

The last day to submit the entries is July 1, 2024, and the winners will be announced July 4, 2024.    

Wish me luck!!

Till next time,

- - - - Jane - - - -

Birthday Mystery Quilt - Block 24

This week's block brings us a Grandmother's Garden block. 

  My block 23

 From Laundry Basket Quilts blog

This block uses eight different prints!  

Something I really loved about this block was that it consisted of handwork.  I enjoyed the hand-piecing of the hexagons and hand-appliqueing them to the background - a lot of slow sewing.  Ironically, I completed this block faster than the other blocks.

Till next time,

- - - - Jane - - - -

Birthday Mystery Quilt - Block 23

I love the triangles!!  And this the most fabrics I've seen in a Birthday block.  This one has seven different prints.

 My block 23

 From Laundry Basket Quilts blog

This is another block that I had to be careful with my cutting, because of the vertical lines.  It's becoming a lot easier to remember because I've had to be aware of how the fabrics are aligned the last few weeks.

I also love how this block has a bit of a gradated look to it.  At the top left of the block, it is a light blue and cream in coloration.  As you move toward the bottom right corner, we move toward a dark blue hue.  I'm hoping to see more blocks like this one.

Till next time,

- - - - Jane - - - -

Birthday Mystery Quilt - Block 22

This week's block was fairly simple, but it took me a while to get it completed.

 My block 22

 From Laundry Basket Quilts blog

It seemed like I had a lot of appointments this week, one being long distance, that it took me a while to get into my routine of sewing.

This block was very easy to sew together.  I only had to concentrate on the vertical line, of the outer half-square triangles, being straight throughout the block.  I wish I had moved that line a little bit towards the edge, like the block made by Laundry Basket Quilts.  

TIl next time,

- - - - Jane  - - - -