A couple of weeks ago, the Craft: blog had a blurb on this fat quarter tote. Because one of my goals for 2009 is to learn to sew a straight line, I thought I should make this. I mean, a fat quarter is $2.50, and I can always use a tote bag. Plus, the tutorial looked comprehensive and easy to follow, even for someone who is trying to learn to sew a straight line. (I want to insert here that not only did I take Home Ec. in seventh grade, as required, but I ALSO took an elective sewing class in tenth grade. I guess I am a slow learner.)
I picked up the fabric at Hannah Johnson Fabrics, a lovely new fabric shop near my house. She has such gorgeous fabric that it was painful to have to choose just two. I just told myself that if I can get through this one tote without using too many bad words, I can make another one (or two?) with some of the other fabric I love. I am very happy with those terms.
On Friday, Nora had her very first non-relative slumber party. A little girl from school/Brownies slept at our house. They were happy to include Dana in their play, so I took the opportunity to set up my mat on the kitchen table and cut out my pieces. I only made one mistake, which only required me to buy one more fat quarter of the lining fabric. You know how they say you should measure twice and cut once? Yeah. Now I know why.
I picked up the fabric at Hannah Johnson Fabrics, a lovely new fabric shop near my house. She has such gorgeous fabric that it was painful to have to choose just two. I just told myself that if I can get through this one tote without using too many bad words, I can make another one (or two?) with some of the other fabric I love. I am very happy with those terms.
On Friday, Nora had her very first non-relative slumber party. A little girl from school/Brownies slept at our house. They were happy to include Dana in their play, so I took the opportunity to set up my mat on the kitchen table and cut out my pieces. I only made one mistake, which only required me to buy one more fat quarter of the lining fabric. You know how they say you should measure twice and cut once? Yeah. Now I know why.
I have been putting in 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there all week, and I finally finished it today! And you know what? The only curse words I said were because of the iron. (Don't tell Kevin, though, because he sort of forbid me from using the iron about four years ago, when I burned myself badly enough to leave a gross, 3-inch long scar on my forearm while attempting to iron his shirt.) The finished product is sort of tall and narrow, which will be perfect for Nora to tote her Klean Kanteen and leg warmers (I actually need to still knit those for her, but at least I have the yarn) to gymnastics.
Like most of my stuff, the pattern is pretty wild. But I like it. I would never wear a skirt or, well, any article of clothing, out of either of these fabrics, but they make a super fun, totally un-boring tote bag.
And you know what? I am coming along nicely on the straight line thing. I bought a 1/4" presser foot for my sewing machine a couple years ago and never took it out of the box. Dumb, I know. But I used it for most of this project, and you know what? It has a super handy edge on it to help you guide your fabric under it just right, so your seam is exactly 1/4". Genius! I wish my other presser feet had this feature. I will have to look into that.
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Super cute, Alissa. And the seams look straight from here!
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