Getting Ready

I am really looking forward to the Mid-Atlantic Mod quilting retreat the first weekend of April. It is going to be so much fun, very excited to meet fellow quilters and spend a weekend surrounded by quilty inspiration.

I am participating in a couple of events/swaps at the meet, one of them being the tote bag swap. We were provided a yard of Robert Kaufman Essex Linen in blue or black to come up with a tote bag for our swap partner. I picked black and this is what I came up with.

I did not follow a pattern but modeled it after a very handy tote I had picked up from Target a few years ago. I added a panel of my favorite Echino Safari Animals in Acacia and quilted it with black thread 1/4" apart. The tote has a lot of structure and stands on its own. I added a little touch of Echino to the handle as well along with some padding. 

For the inside I used Madrona Road Wild Carrot - Straw by Violet Craft and added a zippered pocket.

Other details include, an attached key lanyard and a little key chain. I have one just like that in my current office bag and it is the most handy thing ever. You can always find your car/house keys, even in the dark!

Of course no tote is complete without a customized fabric button closure!

You can check out other great totes on Instagram #midatlanticmod #totebagswap

Linking upto: Fabric Frenzy Friday, Fabric Tuesday, WIP Wednesday