I spoiled myself ;)

Last week I decided to make myself something special. I haven't sewn anything new from my little ole self in a long time. I decided it was high time I did something about that. I took a few days and did some hand stitching and then I started piecing fabrics together. I have been taking applique squares to work with me ... I really wanted something special to put them in. I decided to make myself a cute tote bag. I took the design idea off a blog... who's was it you ask... well I have to be honest.. I saw the idea a couple of places. All I can tell you for sure is I love loved loved their idea for a design :) I also want to thank Mistea Crafts for showing us her awesome looking purse she made very similar to this tote... She used some very fun and bright fabric strips on her bag. I loved that little bag so much. I knew I had to make one similar for myself ;)
Isn't that what blogging is all about? Getting great ideas from each other?

Here is my finished project.. I used muslin for the design panel. Then I used some wonderful fun fabrics my sweet friend Sandy W at Awtemnymf sent to me from CA. She found these lovely fabrics at a garage sale ;) Aren't the fabrics fantastic? The fabrics were already cut into strips and squares. Putting this tote together went fast and easy :) I really enjoyed making it!

The back side of my sewing tote ;)

Here is the inside of the tote filled with wonderful hand stitching goodies... Ms Nadine do you see that awesome pincushion that you made me along time ago from selvages???

Now your going to say what the heck is this? This is two very pretty place mats sewn together to make a sewing case. I had to make the button hole by hand... I didn't have a machine that made button holes when I made this. I was flying out to CA in 1986 when a lady had one of these in her lap and she was doing some hand work.. I fell in love with it and asked how she made it. As soon as I landed I had mom take me to the store so I could make one. Isn't it fun??

Here is the inside of the tote :) Look look lots of places to put your things.. I even have a pair of snips tied by a ribbon to the tote so it doesn't get lost ;) Also there is a needle case in one of the pockets. The big pocket on the left is
open so you can put a project in it ;)
The large pocket on the right has sewn sections in it.
My baby sister liked it so much I made her one for her
birthday that same year. She loved it and uses it all the time when she sews.