Across The Pond Sew Along - now launching!

Here's a trick question for you:

Q:  What is more fun than sewing?

{Do you give up?}

A:  Sewing with your friends and family!

That's why my friend Amanda of The Patchsmith

and my sister Susie of Susie's Sunroom

are teaming up with more sewing buddies

{Maxine}and family members {Lea} to launch

the Across the Pond Sew Along!

Our mission is to motivate one another to sew

something every month that ties us together, 

even while we are separated by an ocean.

{No stress...lots of laughter...and support for one another.}

We don't have any sponsors...at this point...

but you still may see some giveaways over the coming months.

;)

November is our kick-off month,

and we'll all be designing our own versions of

the Anita Vacation Tote Bag,

which is a pattern I created myself!

We welcome you to join us!

Start by grabbing the button on my sidebar, if you've got a blog.

No blog?  No problem!

Join the Flickr group, and post your photos

that relate to the sew along.

Chime in on the threads, or start a new one.

If you need a pattern to get started this month,

you can find one on Craftsy...

or in my shop on Etsy, called eamylove...

or at my page on YouCanMakeThis.com.

Need a few more ideas of how this tote bag

looks made with other fabrics?

Here are some I've made in the past...

The first version was for Jennifer's wedding,

smart and sophisticated...softly tailored.

{Just like the bride and her bridesmaids!}

Martinique prints by 3 Sisters for  Moda

Later I developed the accent pleat, which I sometimes choose to ruffle!

How about this version, ready for a cruise?

Resort by Michael Miller

You know how I love Aviary fabrics from Joel Dewberry.

This one features the originally released line.

I love the sparrow prints in every colorway, but this one is so striking.

The new colorways in Aviary 2 were impossible to resist!

This fantastic line, Summer Soiree by Paula Prass

is another line I've gotten a lot of mileage from!

Once I made a custom order diaper bag, 

using Delilah by Tanya Whelan...

another one of my go-to fabric lines.

I think this one is my fave to-date...

Savannah from Michael Miller was the featured fabric.

I've been carrying this Eiffel Tower tote

for a year and a half now.

I get compliments on it everywhere I go.

Now it's time to make a fresh new tote bag for myself!

I've got my fabrics chosen and hope to have

time for sewing very soon!

As soon as my own new tote is finished, I'll share photos.

It's going to be sew much fun!