A New Sewing Tote

I've been on vacation the past couple of weeks so the blog has been on hold.  I went to my Empty Spools quilt retreat in Asilomar, CA (www.emptyspoolsseminars.com)  and then on to Yosemite.  It was wonderful to be away from TV, the news, cell phones (almost no cell coverage in Yosemite) and minimal Internet and email.  I really felt refreshed after this vacation.

I returned in time to buy fabric, quilt it and go to my monthly sew day.  Our project this month was the On the Go Tote, pattern by Wirligig (www.whirligigdesigns.com).  The pattern was bought at a local quilt shop.  It does require quite a bit of fabric and quilting the outside and straps took about 10 hours!  I probably should have quilted the outer pockets too, but I'm fine with this look.  The tote measures 20" X 26" X 4" and is every on the go quilter's dream!

I had a time deciding on my fabric.  I just love bright, vintage, retro (think Amy Butler, Jennifer Pagalini, Aunt Grace) but chose a classic black and white mixed with polka dots (one of my all time favorite patterns) and some stripes and other geometric designs.

Here is a close up of the machine quilting -- I really got some free motion practice in!

I'm not sure how well the quilting shows in these pictures.  Believe me, it's there!

I just love all these fabrics.  And the pockets are fabulous.  I can's wait to fill it up with all my quilting supplies to take to my next class or sewing trip.  I'll try to remember to post another picture when the tote is packed. 

This was labor intensive,  probably took 10-15 hours to make.  It was worth it!  The pattern directions left some things to chance, especially the directions for the straps.  We worked through them as a group and our sewing experience helped a lot.