Anita Vacation Tote Bag - Black, Red and Linen Version

Hello, Friends!

Are you going to be traveling this summer?

I took some business trips recently,

so I made myself a new tote bag.

Do you recognize the pattern?

It's my very own "Anita Vacation Tote Bag" design,

available as a PDF pattern here on Craftsy, or

here in my shop called eamylove on Etsy.

For this latest version,

I wanted a mostly-neutral bag that would go with

a lot of my business wear.

The main exterior fabric is a floral print

from the original Mama Said Sew line

by Sweetwater for Moda.

The contrasting fabric near the top of the bag 

is Essex Linen by Robert Kaufman,

in a color called Flax.

The interior of the bag is also made from

the Essex Linen.

I find it to be very durable, especially when interfaced with

Pellon 987F fusible fleece, as I do for all of my purses.

Inside my bag, along one edge,

I use a strip of pockets,

to keep my sunglasses and other key items handy.

How do you like that cute zippered inside pocket?

For the inside of the pocket, I used a coordinating Sweetwater print,

from Volume II. 

What about that magnetic snap closure?
If you don't know how to add those,

my pattern will teach you...it's sew easy!

Even if you're not going on a vacation,

you might want to consider making one of these totes.

They make an excellent gift for a new grad!

Come back soon...we'll chat about this sweet pouch

that I also made, to coordinate with my new Anita Vacation Tote Bag.

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Purple and Pink V and Co Tote Bag

Hello, Friends!

So...you know me pretty well,

after reading my posts and seeing photos of my projects, right?

How many times have I used purple?

Hmmm...have I ever used purple???

{Crickets...}

Do I even OWN any purple fabric?

There's a lilac print in this divided basket...maybe that counts.

I've been stitching with this junior layer cake

of Simply Colorful II by V and Co for Moda,

in the purple colorway.

{You can find lots of other colorways, too, over at Kimberly's Fabric Stash.}

There are shades of pink on the top layer,

but a lot of the fabrics inside are purple.

They are actually very purple indeed.

When I opened it, I could feel my heart racing...
uh-oh...I think I may have a touch of purplaphobia.

I have a bundle of the Ombre Basics, also by V and Co.

When I put them together with this layer cake,

I could see that the plum and magenta ombres 

went together just perfectly.

It calmed me considerably when I saw the potential!

I cut some squares from the ombres,

and some more squares from the purple and pink prints,

and I created a wild and crazy tote bag.

I really love the way it turned out.

There's plenty of room inside, with the bag

measuring about 11" wide by 10" tall.

It's a full 6" deep.

It would make a great travel tote bag.

I love the various solid shades of ombre,

interspersed with the bright prints.

Along the bottom of the bag,

I used a strip of the darkest ombre shade.

It's very difficult to photograph,

but I made a large patchwork of prints

and solids, to add interest to the interior.

I always use a large piece of yardage for the lining

of my bags, so this was another step out of my comfort zone.

Even the handles were patched from

three different layer cake prints. I love the look!

My mother doesn't read this blog...

shhhh...this tote bag is right up her alley!

Mom looks great in purple and really loves to accessorize.

I can't wait for Mother's Day, when I give it to her!

This project has been therapeutic for me.

Maybe next time I won't go into a purple panic,

when I see 50 shades of violet!

Do you have a color phobia, too?

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Some Guest Posting - Hexagons and Elementary Fabric

Maybe you've noticed already...

I've been doing a bit of guest posting

over at Bear Creek Quilting Company blog!

I just finished a 3-part blog series,

using a fat quarter bundle of Elementary

by Sweetwater for Moda.

I had been drooling over this line of fabric

since the first time I saw it...

it must be because we have so many teachers in my extended family!

In Part 1

I test-drove a new-to-me specialty ruler,

called the Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool.

I can only begin to describe how FUN this tool is to use.

You can make such a variety of hexagons,

each one using similar simple steps.

There's a video here, that I referred to for lots of ideas.
Sometimes the simplest designs are really stunning.

These hexagons are a lot like snowflakes...
each one unique, and also beautiful.

{Oooooh! I just inspired myself...I think I'll have to try making some in wintery fabrics!}

In Part 2

those hexagons were put to use

when I created Textagon Mug Rugs.

Each of these would make a great gift

for a teacher or a student,

don't you think???

For Part 3

I decided to design a Library Book Bag,

featuring hexagon blocks on the front and the back.

Like it???

You can follow the tutorial to make your own

Library Book Bag.

I've got some leftovers from my fat quarter bundle,
just begging to be made into gifts
for teachers and students.

Stop back soon to see what I'm going to make
with this A+ Elementary fabric. 

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Doggy Beach Bag - Lessons in Large Scale Prints

Our Florida friends have a little dog Dunkin

who goes with them everywhere,

including the beach.

There's even a Doggy Beach near their home!

That's what inspired me to make this...

Doggy Beach Bag!

I had fun designing my own tote,

using ideas from lots of other

purse and bag patterns I've made before.

It is a really large and sturdy bag...
about 16" wide by 19" tall...

Dunkin could fit inside comfortably!

{This is my little dog, Ginger...and she's not going inside that bag!}

I started with these fun prints from Terry's Fabrics, 
in duckegg blue, gray, cream, and brown.

I love to use stripes and circle dots,

to set off a focal fabric.

Clockwise from top:

Right Lines, Great Spot and Man's Best Friend, 
all in the duckegg colorway.

These curtain weight fabrics are sturdier than the
quilter's cotton I normally use.
I lined the outer bag pieces with Pellon 101SF
fusible interfacing, to add stability,
but it was not really necessary.

One great thing about working with
the high quality prints from Terry's Fabrics 
is that they do not tend to fray.
I've had that issue in the past with some other home dec fabrics.
It's so nice to make a project without a sense of dread!

I'd like to share some tips for working with large prints:

1. Choose larger projects for larger prints.
This just makes sense, right?

{There are exceptions, of course, but the bigger prints are shown off best this way.}

I really love the way those big giant spots
look on the back of the bag!

2.  Select three different prints to allow for great design opportunities.
Using only 2 prints, or more than 3, is fine...just more complicated.

I chose one print for the outer pocket,
and a different fabric for the bag body.
The third print, the stripe, was brought in for the lining
and some other detail work.

The three prints are varied in scale and value,
and they just look great together.

3. Directional prints, including stripes, need special consideration.

When cutting stripes, be extra careful to keep them straight.
Also note placement of pieces,
so they will not end up sideways or even upside-down.

4. Feature favorite parts of the large print, where they will be noticed.

Keep in mind which areas will be hidden
on the bottom or within seams, during construction.

{Here's a sweet little face that I wanted to be sure to include.}

5. Partner the fabrics to show good contrast and interest.

Try using "opposite" prints for outer and inner bags.


For the outer pocket on this tote,
I chose the striped lining fabric for the pocket accent.
It's a nice and neat finish, and it shows up well
against both of the other fabrics.

On the inside of the bag, 
I used the spotted exterior fabric to make the interior pocket.

6. Try something different!
Even an old dog can learn new tricks.

This stripe was actually printed horizontally across the bolt,
which is very unusual!
I love striped handles, and this time I tried
using the stripe lengthwise...and I love the way it looks!

I hope this post will encourage you to try some
large prints in your projects.
It's a whole new world of fabrics to choose from,
and you'll be rewarded with great looking results!

{I think Ginger would love a nice new doggy pillow.}

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