Tula Pink Prince Charming Tote

When my niece was home for Easter today, we whipped up a quick tote back in Tula Pink's Prince charming fabrics.  We only had about 40 minutes and we had to work fast.  She seemed pleased with the results, but the perfectionist in me is not happy.

 

We guessed at the measurements and I feel that the tote is too long (the picture does not show the whole length).  I did not have time to show her how to box the bottom corners and I feel like that is where things went wrong.  If we would have had time to do that it would have cut about 3 inches of the length and about 3 inches off each size of the width.  It would have also given the bag a flat bottom and a more professional finish. 

I already have a plan.  Next time she is home, I am going to pull the lining out and cut an inch off the bottom of the lining and the outside of the bag.  I will then sew across each and leave a few inches on the lining for turning.  I will box the corners, and put the bag back together and that should fix it!

Mickey Mouse Tote

I made this tote last summer before we went to Disney.  It has a layer of fusible fleece and a layer of insulbrite (like you would put in a potholder).  I wanted a thicker liner to keep bottles of water cooler longer.  It worked ok, but it was just so darn hot when we were there.  It also has a magnetic closure and the pink and orange Mickey on the front is a pocket.

I wasn't blogging at the time I made this and I gave it to my niece when I got home.  When I saw her for Easter today, I thought I would snap a picture for the old blog!  I received a lot of compliments on it when we were at Disney.  My niece and I whipped up another quick tote when she was here today.  It will be an upcoming post. 

Starbuck's Coffee Upcycled Tote

I have had so many requests for a tutorial on this bag that I am going to work on that this weekend. I hope to have it up on the blog by late Sunday!

Tote Adapted From Pink Penguin Tutorial

This tote bag was adapted from the Pink Penguin Lunch Bag Tutorial. Last week I made that exact lunch bag and I also adapted the pattern and made a larger lunch bag. My niece liked her bag but wanted a larger version to haul stuff around in. This is what I came up with. We are the Kane Wolves and our school colors are red and blue, so I thought this material would make a good bag for her! The blue material was 17x20 inches, the red border was 17x3 and the handles were 3x32. I think I would go either 26 or 28 inches next time because the straps are a little long. Other than that, I am very happy with how it turned out! Let me know what you think.

Big Lunch Bag Adapted from the Pink Penguin Tutorial

I just dropped the peace symbol bag from the previous post off at my niece's and she loved it, or so she said! After making it for her I really want one too but realized I needed a much bigger bag. So I adapted the size of the bag from a great tutorial at the Pink Penguin.




The picture above shows both of our bags together. Now if you are wondering how big of an eater I really am, let me explain. I am a teacher and we don't have easy access to a fridge during the day. We are not permitted to have mini fridges in our rooms and the faculty room is on another floor and quite a distance from my classroom. Therefore, I take several drinks with me each day and attempt to keep them cold.



The last picture shows the size tupperware bottle and salad container that I take every day and I also take a few smaller bottles of water. Thus the need for a bigger bag.

Below I will list the size changes that I made for the bigger bag.
Rim 3 x 15, inner and outer handles 3 x 13, outer bag and lining 12 x 15 (I actually did one big piece 24 x 15 for the lining and outer bag so there wouldn't be a seam in the bottom of the bag), cover 9 x 15. The new interfacing sizes were handles 13 x 2 3/4 and rim 15 x 3. The paw prints go along with our school's theme and I think the pink polka dots even it out and make it a little more feminine. Both of these prints are on sale at Joann's until 8-28-10. They are from the quilter's showcase line and are only $1.99 a yard. I used some stash for the liner and cover.
These size alterations make quite a big lunch bag, but it is too small for a good sized tote. If you want a tote, I would increase the sizes even more. this bag was easy and fun for someone new to sewing like me. A great big thank you to the Pink Penguin for this great, free tutorial!
let me know what you think!





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Starbuck's Coffee Drinkers Unite - This is not your Mama'a Cup of Joe!

I made a total of 32 wallets and mini totes for Earth Day from juice pouches. We gave them away to student's in school as prizes! When the art teacher saw them, she asked if I would be able to make her a bag from coffee pouches. I told her to give me some, and after Earth Day was over I would give it my best shot.

This is the bag that I came up with for her. I used 2 overlapping bags for the bottom, and 8 to make the sides, for a total of 10. The bags were open at the top, so I bound the top with the same material that I used for the straps - coffee colored none-the-less. I couldn't use the actual coffee bags for straps because they have a plastic vacuum seal on the front, in the middle and about halfway down the bag. You would never want to hit that with your needle. Plus, I think that the fabric makes for a sturdier strap.

The bag turned out cute, but I think I would make it bigger next time. Maybe 2 rows high and 4 across the front... Another friend gave me a beautiful Starbuck's bag in a gorgeous shade of amethyst. It is an anniversary edition. I would like to get my hands on as many of those as possible! Folger's and some other brands also have some decent looking bags in nice colors.

Let me know what you think!