Men's Toiletry Bag - Chair Cushions - Meditation Cushion - Face Masks - Creations for Donations - Bow Tie - Improv Crossbody Bag -
I think I know how to make ANY kind of tote bag now. I've made so many different kinds for the past 4 years that I know the pitfalls and which type of stabilizer to use or how to upcycle clothing into bags.
Covid-19 swept the world and by March, we in the New York area had to practice social distancing. I made masks for friends, relatives and even EMT workers. Go HERE for Face Mask instructions.
This is a super fun cross body bag with improv quilting. I love that the outer pocket is quilted with scraps and has a magnetic snap closure.
Go HERE for more colors and the video tutorial.
I used this video to learn how to make an inside divider pocket. I've always wanted to learn how to make a divider pocket with a zipper so I finally did it! I made this bag larger than Yoan's dimensions but it doesn't really work too well larger since the top opening is quite large and only one magnetic closure doesn't really seal it up much. The zipper pocket divider will be great for valuables and the rest of the bag will be useful to store all sorts of items.The cute side pockets that have gathers can hold water bottles.
My bag differs from the bag in the video because I made it larger, I didn't make the outer zipper pocket (there are already 4 outer pockets) so I left one side (the back) without any pockets, just 13 inches wide by 12 inches high. I put slip pockets on only one of the inner lining panels and I gathered the bottom of the outer side pockets instead of cutting them narrow. I made the strap 2 inches wide instead of narrow handles.
My first project of 2020 was this tote which features a deep water bottle pocket. I bought the "Parisian Scene" fabric at Pennington Quilts Works in December, my birthday month and got 20% off. I had lots of purple twill in my stash that someone had given me and it was a good complement to the multi-colored fabric.
This tote is made with a front panel and does not have boxed corners so is good for notebooks or music books. Cut the back 16 1/2 wide and 14 1/2 high. The front has two panels that are 14 1/2 by 6 1/2 and the center panel is only 4 1/2 wide. Make the pocket 6 1/2 by 11 1/2 with same for lining it.
I finished this project in 2019 but Jesse's baby shower was in January 2020. Here is the quilt and fabric basket I made for her and my nephew Jeffrey.
I had trouble quilting the quilt - it kept buckling and I wasn't patient so the end result was sloppy. I think I need to use a "topstitch" needle in my machine next time I try to quilt thick layers. I will certainly try one.
The fabric basket came out really well and I use cork fabric for the bottom. I just made up the design by using a circular placemat as a template - It was about 15 inches in diameter. I used a string to measure the perimeter and had to make a few adjustments but it came out really well and the yellow top edge and Winnie the Pooh fabric on the inside looked great!
Canvas Tote with Webbing Straps
It's great to just use webbing instead of having to make straps for every bag you make. I made this tote for my cello student, Michelle who likes red. I followed this video but added a pocket.