The eight colors of thread inside a Dollar Tree tote bag.

Only the light blue showed on the outside. All the other colors were inside, invisible to all but the seam ripper.

     If I’ve learned anything from two weeks of Three Projects, it’s that I don’t eat near as much on the days I create. I mean, if I was hungry after I was done with a project, I could surely find something to victory-devour, but instead, I wanna write it up for you, I wanna stare at it a while, I want to share it with Beloved Hubby and Dearest Son, I just wanna steep in the feeling of making and learning and liking what I created for a while. I admit it, I love feeling good about m’self, and I’m certainly not gonna rush through the rush. 

Like today, when I decided to not wait ‘til Saturday to begin work on the last of this week’s Projects. Ended up finishing the ‘Elsa’ tote bag, took at least three hours. Probably more, but who cares ? I put off lunch ‘til nearly 4pm, and didn’t snack or eat all that time. Wasn’t hungry, either. Well, if I was, I didn’t feel it like I often do. Didn’t go near Facebook all day, either, but that’s a bonus. Can’t waste time looking at more designs and patterns when I’m busy making one ! 

This might make you laugh. Took the Dollar Tree ‘base’ tote bag apart while watching TV. Then I realized, as it lay in pieces all over the Arena, that I had no idea how it went back together. Well, I could always see how to make ‘em from scratch, from online tutorials, or just feel my way as I went. So that’s what I did. Measured and recorded the sizes in Word, as I like this size, and it’s entirely possible DTree won’t have these again any time soon. Actually, ours is already out of the solid color ones, all they have now is the same size (10” tall, 15” wide) in a tropical hibiscus print with white accents. Pretty, but not really something I’d smack an embroidery of Elsa on. Not sure they have front pockets either, but it turns out that it’s easy to add those, while you have the handles taken off. 

I had all the pieces back together, by luck or vague memory, but hadn’t sewn the side seams, when I thought I might like to add a lining. I did much the same years ago, when I converted a Barbie convention tote bag gift to a purse – at darn near the last minute, I cobbled together a lining out of some Barbie fabric I happened to have lying about. Made the handles out of the same fabric, but I really should have added some plastic canvas or firm interfacing to them. It really looked good. Still have it, although it’s a bit worn. I’m heck on purses !

Thought it might be a bit too much to use the blue Elsa-print fabric I still have – just barely enough – and the ‘Galaxies’ print didn’t look good either. So I dug around in the stash and found a pretty blue print that was an appealingly coordinating shade and sort of looked like snowflakes. I have that same print in burgundy, yellow, two shades of green, red, and a lighter blue. I think it’s fun to make doll clothes that coordinate like that. 

So, long story short (too late !), next time I have a long wait at the VA, I’ll be stylin’ my new tote bag ! Photos tomorrow, promise ! And, I’ve once again completed my Three Projects ! You’ll probably see that move to Four or even Five projects, if it helps my diet. Wanna really laugh ? Despite all this sewing and not eating, I gained  two pounds this week. (sigh)