Sew Pretty Tote

After seeing some cute sewing craftiness over at Thrifty Goodness, I was inspired to purchase the book she said she used for her creations, called Sew Pretty Homestyle. I've been really inspired by sewing books lately that have simple ideas for projects - especially the ones that don't require patterns. If they start out with squares, that just makes my life easier...I'm sure patterns aren't hard, but cutting out squares is just less complicated and intimidating for me, the beginner sewer. Btw...am I the only one who thinks that the word "sewer" (as in one who sews) is too easily confused with the other word "sewer," which refers to something entirely different? Turns out that they're spelled the same, but I'm a person who sews...not something that carries off sewage...ick. But, I digress...back to the project! I've finally made something cute that I can actually use!


First, I had to pick my project. This was easy because I instantly fell in love with the tote on the front of the book, so that left me only having to pick out fabric. I didn't actually use all of these fabrics, but maybe I'll use them on my next one?



Using a dinner place to mark the curved corners



Sewing on the curve wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. After slowly going around the first one, I thought, hey...no problem. I learned, however, that I need to work on that curve thing a bit more, because I tried zipping along the second curve and it wasn't quite as on-the-line as the first...lol...oops!



Isn't turning the fabric a funny thing? For a few moments there, it just looks like a gigantic blog of nothing.



Ok, almost there...



One handle hand-sewed on...one to go...



All done...what do you think?



Hanging out on the door...get it? Hanging? Har har har...



The best part of this project is I had a purpose in mind when I made this. I finished my project just in time to use it for my first knitting class! Woohoo! I figured, if I went to the knitting class and I was terrible, I could just hold up my bag and say, hey...I may not be able to knit, but I can make something...see! I made this this weekend! lol