Handmade Tote/Grocery Bags

 About a year ago, I picked up some indoor-outdoor fabrics from Joann's.  I had this great idea that I was going to make my own bags to take to the grocery store.  So I bought a lot of various fabrics for both the outside and the linings of the bags, yards of fusible fleece and interfacing for the inside lining, and many yards of handle webbing for the handles.  When I added up the total, I think each bag would cost about $50 to make!

But being a crafter, why buy bags from the store that cost $1-$2 when you can make them for $50, right?

So this week I drew up a pattern and began working on my bags.  I didn't want to make them too big or too small, and I fussed with the dimensions.  All in all, I like the size that they turned out.  

On this first bag, which is sort of a prototype, I didn't quilt either the bag or the lining.  Although I like the overall look of it, it seems a bit flimsy to me, or I call it too loosey-goosey for a tote.  

So I went back to the sewing table and made another one, this time with a quilted top and inside.

This bag turned out much stiffer and held its shape better, so I think I like this one with the quilting on it more than the first one.

I wanted to add some buttons to the bag, so I picked out some old Stampin Up buttons.  Luckily I have a few packs of those lying around and ready to be used on a project.  

For my next bag, I may add some pockets either to the outside or the inside to give it even more shape.  I'm still working on the perfect pattern.  :)

While out on my travels I found some plastic canvas that I thought would be great for the bottom of the bag to keep it square.  Now if I can just find where I put it, I'll add that to the inside, covered with the leftover fabric scraps.

I'll keep you posted on the bag making project!

Everyday Details

This past week I made some cards using the stamp set, Everyday Details in the mini catalog.  I loved the set right away when I saw it in the catalog and decided to make some cards using the set.

I love the little tea cup stamp and put it on my card with some papers from the Softly Stippled designer papers, one of the offerings during Sale-a-bration.  The background for all of my cards this week is Pebbled Path.  The gray matched some of the papers in the designer pack and for the first card, I chose the flowered teal background.  

Here is the same card made only using a soft coral color.  I didn't color in the tea cup for this card and love the look of it.  I also used Everyday Details dies for the focal point and accent piece.  I added a little doily cut out from the designer papers, too, to add some interest.  

For the nest card, I used the stippled flower paper as the background and added a gray strip across the front of the card, cut out with one of the dies.  I stamped the speckled dots on the eggs but didn't really like how it came out.  I think just using a blend or marker dots would look better, for the next time I use the little nest image.

The vase image with the flowers is so sweet and I love how it looks with the outer border raised just a bit.  I let the ladies who come to my stamp class pick which designer papers that they wanted for their cards.  I tend to use a lot of the same colors in my projects so it was nice to have some variety for them.  I got the idea for this card from Ange McKay on Youtube.  

I would definitely use this set again.  I'd like to try some brighter designer papers to pair it with.  What colors have you used with it?  Maybe I'll find a little bird to put with the nest.