So! I'm still having computer problems. I'm replacing the hard drive and hopefully it can all be saved but until then I'm blogging on an Apple IIC. Also playing King's Quest and writing simple BASIC programs. Heh. But I had to fire up an old computer to share a quick post with you guys because I have to show you what I made my mom for Mother's Day:
It's the
Super Tote from
Noodlehead!
Squee! The BRIGHT green fabric is vintage. It was used to make pillows for her room when she was a little kid. Seriously. My grandma still had a small piece of it it in her
amazing fabric stash and I snagged it WAY back when I made the
kids their beach robes. I always intended on making my mom a bag out of it but then I got distracted by making another grandkid.
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| HI! |
Anyways this year I decided to throw logic to the wind and take on a huge, awesome, amazing tote pattern. And having a Mother's Day deadline meant that I would make it a priority. The irony of ignoring my own children so that I could make my mom a Mother's Day present wasn't lost on me. Meh. They survived. And if felt really good to actually accomplish something, anything, that wouldn't be immediately undone by them.
The pattern was awesome. Included all sorts of amazing details like a recessed zipper and tons of pockets:
I included not only the elastic pockets the pattern calls for but an additional, smaller, cell phone pocket.
The pattern was very easy to follow and not confusing for a novice at all. If you're following me on
Instagram you know this whole thing was a bit above my skill set. There were some late nights and some cussing. But! I learned SO much making this. How to use piping! How to insert a zipper! How not to fuse interfacing to your iron! How to insert a magnetic clasp! What happens if you break a needle and have to take your entire flipping machine apart to find the piece that broke off! And that if you spend weeks making a
My Little Pony costume out of fleece you should probably take your machine apart anyways because it's FILLED WITH FUZZ. AHEM.
The other fabrics were all purchased at JoAnn with my daughter's input. The hot pink and pink polka dot are just quilting fabrics while the gray is a heavy cotton twill. I kept the back of the tote a simple gray and pink to offset the crazy neon of the front:
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| Business in the back, party in the front. |
My favorite feature of this tote, though, is the side gusset:
It's such a simple detail that adds so, SO much. Plus it add structure to the bag - it's narrower at the top and then wide at the bottom where all of your stuff is:
Anyways this was a really fun project. My mom LOVED it! And since I'm an idiot when it comes to purchasing reasonable fabric amounts I have enough to make one for myself. Yay!!!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, EVERYONE!!!
