More Charming Totes

So remember when I made up all of those adorable Charming Totes last December . . . Well, I was at it again this weekend, only this time I got to sew with my Mom!!!! The family and I headed to Salt Lake this last weekend for a fun filled time.  While the boys did a big ole hike up Kings Peak the girls had some sewing fun :)  I don't get to sew with my Mom very often, so I just loved every minute of it!!!

My mom loved the bags I made for my nieces last December, and wanted to make 2 for some of my other nieces.   So this first one is my sweet niece Audrey who is 8 and is made with a Life In the Jungle by Doohikey Designs Charm Pack from Riley Blake Designs and lined with Happy Flappers by Kelly Panacci from Riley Blake Designs.

And then for sweet little Emma, we used Vintage Market by Tasha Noel for Riley Blake Designs and it is lined it with the awesome navy stripe from the same line.

And since we were making these assembly line fashion, I decided it was high time I made my boys their own Piano Tote Bags, as their sister got hers last December.   And you just can't go wrong with Zen Chic for boys!!!  I love her awesome lines.   The first bag is for Spencer, 12, and he choose Figures and it is lined with a print from Sphere, all by Zen Chic.

And for Kristian, my fisty 8 year old, he absolutely loved Comma by Zen Chic.  And I lined this one with a print from my stash that I can't remember who did it and the selvage was gone.  So sorry about that.

And then another niece, who is 8, and was staying at my mom's while her dad hiked and her mom worked, saw us working on these totes and requested one of her own.  And of course, I just had some extra charm packs that I brought along ;)   So, we whipped up this one using Spot On by Studio for Robert Kaufman Fabrics and lined it with some Simply Colorful by Vanessa Christensen for Moda :)

And those are the bags we made.   I had so much fun sewing these up with my mom!!!!  The basic tutorial I used is here and I just changed a few of the steps that are reflected in my Reversiable Bag tutorial here.   (I just used regular batting though, these aren't reversible. )    And yes, my two youngest daughters have already requested theirs and are picking out charm packs.  Looks like I will be making more totes this Christmas as well ;)   I think I need to buy some more Charm Packs ;)

It was so much fun to get to sew with my Mom!!!  I will share more of what we worked on soon ;)

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Linking up to Quilt Story ;)

Finished Charming Totes

So those Charming Totes that I shared the start of on Friday morning, well, I finished them up on late Friday Afternoon ;)    Sometimes you just really need to happy dance for a quick finish and these little totes did the job perfectly :)  And they turned out oh so cute!!! 

First up, was the Desert Bloom tote.  The fabrics are by Sherri and Chelsi for Moda and they are just  perfect for this cool fall weather that we are getting.  I finished up with this tote and almost wanted to go rake up some leaves to jump in.  But I resisted and finished up the second tote instead ;)

I was lucky enough to have a bit of Desert Bloom yardage on hand that was left from some secret sewing, so I lined it in the happy yellow and then added some navy handles.  I just love how the yellow makes me smile, it is like a pocket of sunshine hidden in your tote ;)

And the second tote is the Manderley Tote.  The Fabrics are by Franny and Jane, and this was a special little tote for me because Jane gave me this Charm Pack at Spring Market to make something beautiful with, I think this tote totally fit in that request :)    So pretty!!!

I didn't have any Manderley Yardage though and didn't want to wait for some to ship, so I used some fun prints that went along with the beautiful charm squares for the handles and lining.  I love this gorgeous grey flower from Riley Blake that I had in my stash and it made the perfect lining and then added a pop of color with this gumdrop print from Dear Stella.  So fun!!

And while I was putting pictures on Instagram and Facebook of the process I got several questions on which pattern I was using.   The short answer is I used the Charming Handbag Tutorial by Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts.  She made it up for the Moda Bake Shop several years ago ;)

However, I do a few adjustments when I make mine - I don't cut the charms down to 4 1/2" square, I just leave them at the 5" square that they come as.   I have since made a full step by step tutorial on how to make these totes here, with Amanda's permission, that includes my alterations.   Just for your reference ;)

So because of that, when it is time to cut the lining, I cut mine at 18 1/2" x 18 1/2" square.   I also like to do my gusset corners a little differently then Amanda does.   I showed in this bag tutorial (a reversible take on this patchwork one ) how I like to do my gussets, which is what makes the bag square on the bottom ;)

They finish up at 16" high and 17" in length on the top of the bag  and 13" in length at the bottom of the bag (because of the gusset :)  and are 5" wide.  It is a perfect side tote for Library Bags, Piano Bags, and the list can go on and on :)

And those are the main alterations that I am doing that are a little different than Amanda's tutorial ;)  I should probably just make a tutorial of this tote with the alterations the next time I whip one up.  Would that help???  

Hope you are having a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Linking up to Quilt Story ;)

Christmas Charming Totes

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!!!   I tried to get on and write a special Christmas Post but it has been all family, friends, and foods the last few days, and I wouldn't have it any other way ;)  We have just loved all of the laughter and happiness, and joy.   I got a very special Christmas present too!!!!!   So excited!!!!

So now today, that things are slowing down just a bit, I thought I would start to share some of this years Homemade Christmas gifts ;)   Remember when I made up all of those adorable Charming Totes last December . . . Well, I think Christmas totes are going to be a new favorite for quite a few years :)  I love, love, love making these toes and they are just so handy!!  Perfect ;)  And I love going through my stash to find the perfect bits of leftovers to become great linings and handles.    I have now made a full step by step tutorial on how to make these totes here, Just for your reference ;) 

So, for sweet nephew #1 who is just getting into little league, I used an  All Star Charm Pack by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake Designs.   So cute!!!  I lined it with some extra backing I had from The Boat House line and the numbers are a perfect match ;)

And for sweet nephew #2 who loves all things sports especially baseball and football, I used a Charm Pack of  Varsity by Sweetwater for Moda.  I lined it with a great print from the Best Day Ever line by April Rosenthal that looks just like little baseballs and made the handles from Chic Neutrals line by Amy Ellis.   They all go so perfectly together.

And for my sweet niece  #1 who just loves a rainbow of colors, I choose a  Tula Pink's True Colors for Free Spirit Fabrics Charm Pack.  For the lining I used a great Rainbow print from Dear Stella that was the perfect compliment.   I just love all of those happy colors ;)

And finally, for my very special Sister-In-Law, who I am slowly sucking into the fabulous world of quilting, I decided on the ever so cute Charm Pack of Paper Bandana by Alexia Marcelle Abegg for Cotton + Steel Fabrics and then complimented it with the gorgeous Arrow Print also by Cotton + Steel.  I love how all of their prints coordinate ;)

And those were the 4 new Charming Totes from this Christmas ;)  I just love making these bags!!!   I did a take on a tutorial here where you can make the tote reversible, and here is the original tutorial I used from Crazy Mom Quilts ;)   I just do the corners of the bag differently, as shown in the first tutorial ;)

And then I had one last special little tote to whip up.  This one was a little more patchwork and I am so excited with how it turned out ;)   My sweet nephew just loves Minecraft so I made him a patchwork tote of what I now know is a creeper.  I loved playing with all of the different shades of green.

And on the reverse side is the Blue Sword.  There is just nothing quite as fun as simple patchwork.   So, so, so much fun!!!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and maybe can sneak in some Happy Quilting today ;)

More Charming Totes on the Way

First off, I have to say a huge Sorry.  I totally spaced picking the winner of the 100 Blocks Volume 12 magazine on Monday.   Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my Block and my Quilt!!!  You guys are the best ;)   So now, let's get that winner chosen.  The winner of is . . . . #44 . . . .Cecilia!!!   Congrats, I have emailed you ;)

And now, onto today's post ;)  This  weekend I spent a lot of time stitching and had oh so much fun!!!!  I just love this time of year, because it means Handmade Holiday Stitching!!!  You might recall these totes that I made last year, and these totes that I made for some early Christmas presents, well, you guessed it, there are more coming this year!!!!   These little totes are turning out to be quite the favorite gifts for nieces/nephews who use them for piano practice bags ;)  Yippee!!!

I just love getting to pick out a special charm pack for each person I have the tote in mind for.  It is always fun to fit someones personality to the fabric that will be just perfect for them!!!

So, for sweet nephew #1 it's All Star by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake Designs

And for sweet nephew #2 who loves all things sports it's Varsity by Sweetwater for Moda.

And for sweet niece  #1 who just loves a rainbow of colors, the perfect fit was Tula Pink's True Colors for Free Spirit Fabrics.

And finally, for a very special Sister-In-Law, who I am trying to suck into this fabulous quilting world, a special Quilting Tote made with Paper Bandana by Alexia Marcelle Abegg for Cotton = Steel Fabrics

Time to start quilting these up ;)   If you have never tried a charming tote, I would totally recommend it!!!  They are so much fun and honestly, you won't be able to make just one!!!  I did a take on a tutorial here where you can make the tote reversible, and here is the original tutorial I used from Crazy Mom Quilts ;)   I just do the corners of the bag differently, as shown in the first tutorial ;)

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Starting some Charming Totes

Tomorrow we are having a little auction to help raise funds for the Youth in our Church.  I am planning on donating a quilt, but I got up this morning and just felt like I needed a happy, fun, and fast project and maybe a little something extra that I can add to the auction.  And then it hit me, Charming Totes!!!!   The perfect, fun, fast, and wonderful gift project.   I have made lots and lots of these, and I always love them.   The only hard part of the process is deciding what Charm Pack to use!! 

In the end, I decided to go with the Manderley Charm Pack from Franny and Jane.  This collection is just hitting stores now and it is so beautiful with its rich colors and gorgeous prints!! It is just going to make up the prettiest tote ;)

And then, as I was trying to decide on a second charm pack, I remembered I had a stack of leftover 5" squares from a secret sewing project in Desert Bloom by Sherri and Chelsi and knew it would be just perfect!!!   And even though they were already cut  into 5" charms it still fills like I am busting some scraps, and that is always fun!!!

So I've got my squares all laid out and ready to sew into bags ;)    They have to be done by tomorrow, so I guess it won't be to long to share the finishes ;)   

I hope you have a very Happy Quilting (or maybe some tote making ) Weekend :)  

If you Give a Quilter a Sale

So you know that book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie . . . Well that is how today's post is going down ;)

You see, two weeks ago, Martingale Publishing had their Semi-annual Warehouse Sale,   And if you give a Quilter a book sale . . . She will have to browse through it.   I love adding to my quilting library at this sale, but this year, I didn't buy quilting books, I bought Bag books!!!   Windy City Bags by Sara Lawson and Style and Swing by Susan Dunlop to be exact and I am super excited (and scared)  I have wanted to give bag making a try for a while now, and now I think it might actually happen!  But if you give a Quilter a Structured Bag Book . . .  you are going to need some Structure :)   So off, I went to buy some Soft and Stable ;)

But while I was looking for Soft and Stable, I noticed a little banner that said Fat Quarter Shop was having their Annual Spring Cleaning Sale!!  And if you give a Quilter a Sale . . . she has to browse through it, right :)   I like to search the pre-cuts first and was so excited to find a Little Miss Sunshine Jelly Roll in the sale because I absolutely love this line and had used my layer cake in a previous project.   But if you Give a Quilter a Jelly Roll . . . She will need a project to make with it.  And  I instantly thought of the  Jelly Roll Rug Pattern.  I have loved seeing all of these on Instagram and I have so, so, so wanted to make one.  Not only are they super cute, but they would use up some of my endless batting scraps!!!   I can't wait to start this, and I have a feeling I won't be able to stop at just 1, good thing I have more Jelly Rolls stashed ;)

And I was all ready to check out, But if you Give a Quilter an Amazing Sale . . . She has to buy more than one Pre-Cut, right :)  (Please tell me you all add extra goodies in your cart just because :  You all know I love Charm Packs and I just let a good friend use my Just Another Walk in the Woods Charm Pack to make a Charming Tote and it turned out so cute, I knew I needed to make one in the same fabric.   And the Grand Canal Charm Pack, well I just love Kate Spain and hey, I could have got the layer cake too :)

So I am curious, is this how you find your quilting shopping works too??  I wouldn't be surprised because you know, If you Give a Quilter a Sale . . . 

Hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day ;) 



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