My Singer Tote Bag

My Singer Tote Bag
My Singer Tote Bag

Here is another project I can’t take total credit for, but I did make it. If you have ever been to the International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX, you know there are hundreds of vendors there with the most awesome products for sale. In recent years, they don’t allow any type of roller cart on the showroom floor. It gets so crowded and I’m sure people have tripped over the carts in the past. Therefore, you are packing all your purchases in some type of bag. You can check your purchases in for a fee, which is a good idea. However, I am so busy shopping and there is such a huge of amount of ground to cover, I don’t want to leave my path. A lot of vendors give away large bags for your purchases. One company gave away a cross-body bag made of the type of fabric most grocery store shopping bags you purchase are made from. It was a back saver, much better than a back pack. My clever friend Jeanne took hers apart and made a pattern so we could make one from fabric and wonderful Soft and Stable.

I bought this Singer fabric at the quilt show with no idea what I would use it for until Jeanne came up with the bag idea.

As with other quilted projects, I pre-washed my fabrics and cut my fabric larger than I needed. I sandwiched the outside fabric, Soft and Stable and lining fabric which is also a Singer fabric. I quilted diagonally following the design of the fabric. I used the “Jeanne” (my friend) method of quilting using a Serpentine stitch rather than a straight line. It takes the stress out of quilting. No worries about whether or not your lines are perfectly straight. I then cut out all the components of the bag and sewed it all together. All the inside seams around covered with binding. I like to sew the first side (outside) on the machine and then hand sew the inside. This is the same as when you bind a quilt.

Features:

  • Magnetic fastener for the top of the bag
  • Large inside zipper pocket
  • Large outer pocket on one side
  • Small pockets on each end of the bag
  • Adjustable strap – soft but firm strap purchased from strapworks.com
  • Cushy comfy shoulder pad
  • Firm bottom of fabric covered corrugated plastic
  • Super spacious on the inside
  • Due to the Soft and Stable from byannie.com it has body and stands up nicely

With the leftover scraps I made a little zipper bags for the small bits I buy at the quilt show. I am already for the next show. If you have never been, it is well worth the time and effort to go. You see products there you will see nowhere else. The quilts are always over the top gorgeous. Plan on staying a few days. There is way too much to see in one day. Three days are perfect.

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