Tutorial Throwback Thursday - Charming Tote

I am so excited that this week the library has been opened again, and my kiddo's have been able to start up their piano lessons as well.   This is huge with summer being in full swing as I love having a set time for reading and a set time for practicing piano each day.  It helps to fill up those wonderfully long summer days ;) And that also means, my kids are using their Charming Totes again, so I thought it would be great for today's Throwback Thursday!!!! 

These Charming Totes are so much fun to make and super simple as well.   And you can use them for everything from piano totes, to library totes, to church totes, and I have even had a friend text me that she uses hers for a grocery tote!!!   They finish at 18" x 16" x 4" so they really are a great size for toting just about whatever needs to be toted ;)  And all you need is 1 Charm Pack and 2/3 of coordinating fabric to whip one up ;)   And wouldn't it be fun to make a Charming Tote to tote around your Charming Baby Quilts!!!   Eeek, I just love Charm Packs!!!   

And truly, you can't make just one Charming Tote!!!   They are actually super fast to make assembly line, and make for wonderful birthday and Christmas gifts ;)    I have made so many over the years.  Here are links to totes I made in 2014, and some in early 2015 and late 2015, and some in 2016 and one in early 2018 and then some in late 2018.  Like I said, you can't just make one!!!!    And these are perfect for beginners and experts alike.  In fact, in 2017, I taught all of the amazing young women in my church how to make their own Charming Totes !!!   For a lot of them, this was their first time making a project on a sewing machine.  I was so proud of them and they all made such beautiful totes!!!     

And speaking of church, I just got word that we get to go back to a "social distance" style church in a week!!!  I am so excited, and it means I get to take my Church Charming Tote along with me ;)  And I even added key rings and pockets in the lining of this bag so it is super functional for me!!!   I just love it!!!   You can totally customize this tote any way that works great for you!!!  

And that is my Charming Tote!!!     I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday as much as I have!!!      To make your own Charming Tote  just click on any of the project name links for the free step by step tutorial.    And when you are done,  I would love to see your Totes!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc  :)   I can't wait to see your Charming Totes!!

Thanks for popping in today and sharing this throwback with me!!! 

  I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!!

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 ;)

Charming Totes from Charming Young Women

I am so excited to share these finishes today and you'll see why in a minute ;)    I am so very blessed to get to work with the Young Women in our church. They are incredible girls and oh so much fun to hang out with.    One night a month, for a good portion of this year, I have been teaching them how to make Charming Totes.  I let each girl pick out a charm pack from my stash and it was super fun to see which fabrics each girl gravitated towards.   Then came the cutting, stitching, and quilting!!   This was a huge project for a lot of them who weren't really familiar with sewing machines, but they jumped in with both feet and even tried out the long arm for their quilting!!!

I wish I would have recorded some of the nights so you could all see the "organized chaos" that was each night at the quilt house.  Think 10 machines running, 15 or so girls sewing/laughing, "a bit" of unpicking and a whole lot of fun :)  So ya, there is a whole lot to smile about in these awesome finishes ;)  And I want to give each girl her moment in the spotlight, so here they are!!!!

Cooper used Ava Rose by Deanna Rutter for Riley Blake Designs

Nicole used Shimmer by  Jennifer Sampou for Robert Kaufman

Bailee used You and Me for Adorn It

Jessica (that's my daughter :) used Eden by Tula Pink for Free Spirit Fabrics

Atlanta used Cotton + Steel Basics for Cotton + Steel

Emily used Mormor by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics

Katelyn used Spot on for Robert Kaufman

Ellyce used Ashton Road by Valori Wells for Robert Kaufman

Hannah E. used Desert Bloom by Amanda Herring for Riley Blake Designs

Hannah B. used Offshore by Deanna Rutter for Riley Blake Designs 

Natalie used Sundrops by Corey Yoder for Moda

Lindsey also used Desert Bloom by Amanda Herring for Riley Blake Designs

Chole used a line that I just can't remember.  I think it might be a Sandy Gervais??  Anyone??

Serenity used Varsity by Sweetwater for Moda

Zoe F. used Simply Colorful II by Vanessa Christenson for Moda

Breanna also used Ava Rose by Deanna Rutter for Riley Blake Designs

and Zoe A. used Curiosities by Amanda Herring for Riley Blake Designs

And aren't they all just great!!!  I am so very proud of each one of them, and am so glad they they just love their finished totes!!!!  I see them using them and it just makes me smile :)    Way to go girls!!!

And just FYI,  if you want to make your own Charming Tote, I have a free Step by Step tutorial right over here ;)  You just need a Charm Pack and 2/3 yard of fabric to start!!  They are so much fun to make and are wonderful Christmas presents.  But I am warning you, you can't stop at making just 1 :)  

Thanks for popping in today and sharing these amazing finishes from these amazing Young Women!!!   I can't even begin to express how much I loved working on these totes with them ;)  What a wonderful experience that I will treasure!!!

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Linking up these finishes to Amanda's, Sarah's, and Myra's ;) 

3 New Charming Totes

So along with the quilt that was auctioned off for a church fundraiser that I shared back here, I decided to make a few new Charming Totes as well to help in the cause.  These are so much fun to make and are the perfect size tote for just about everything.  The only hard part was deciding on which Charm packs to use ;) 

The first tote I decided on a Flower Mill Charm Pack by Corey Yoder for Moda Fabrics.   I love these happy prints and beautiful colors and I opted for a little more free motion quilting on the totes this time around and did a lovely loose feather.  I love the little extra it adds to the tote ;)  I also decided to fold the lining over just slightly on the top to add a little "faux binding" on the top of the bag.  I like it, but it did make the handles a bit shorter as they had to be stitched down as well.  So if I did that again, I would add an inch to the handles ;)

For the second tote for auction, I used an Into the Garden Pack by Amanda Herring for Riley Blake Designs.   I have been saving this one for a bit, and it was just perfect for this little tote.   And I added some more flower whimsy with a feathered swirl free motion quilting design.   Both totes were a big hit at the auction and I have already seen them being toted along with the ladies who won them.  Which, of course,  just makes me smile ;)

And while I was in the tote making assembly line process, I decided that I needed a new tote for Church as well.  And I was so excited to find that Deanna Rutter's Heart and Soul Charm Pack for Riley Blake Designs had a text print that listed the Young Women values.  Since I work with the Young Women each week, it couldn't have been more perfect!!!

And this tote got a little extra love, since I was so needing these little extra features in my old tote.   Padded Handles, Pockets, and most importantly, key rings!!!!  No more digging around in the bottom of my bag to find where my keys have gone ;)   So loving it!!!

And if you find yourself needing a Charming Tote, you can find the tutorial to make your own right over here.   They really are so much fun to make, and trust me, you won't be able to make just one.   But I am telling you, the hardest part is just picking which Charm Pack to use ;)

Happy Quilting!!!

** This post contains affiliate links. 

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 ;)

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 ;)

2 Charming Totes for Christmas!!

 Charming Tote's just make the cutest Christmas Presents!!!   So excited to get these 2 totes in the mail for two very special people :)   I just love whipping up these totes, and have totally lost track of how many I have made to this point.  If you haven't made one yet, you can pop over here for the free step by step tutorial to whip one up yourself ;)  All you need is a Charm Pack and 2/3 Yard of a coordinating print.  But seriously, grab a few charms, because you can't make just one ;)  

The first  Charming Tote is in Gingham Foundry by My Mind's Eye for my Twin Sister.   When she was last visiting she mentioned how handy my tote was, so of course, I instantly figured I needed to make her one.   And I love the sophistication of this line, making it perfect for work for her.  

The second  Charming Tote is for my Mom ;)    I choose to make it in Notting Hill by Amy Smart, because she was born in England and lived there as a young child.  So of course, the cabbage roses, vintage drawings of English landmarks, and tiny British flags are just perfect for her!!   

And since these are for "super special people", I made them Deluxe :)  I added in some pockets in the lining, a small key chain holder, and put a strip of batting in the handles for extra comfort.  It only takes a second to add in these little features and I know they will be so super helpful to them both :)  

Now to get these in the mail :)   Homemade Merry Christmas is always so fun!!!

So do you have someone special you want to make a Charming Tote for??  Pop over here for the free step by step tutorial 

I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting (and Merry and Charming) Weekend!!!