Keeping It Simple – Narrow Holiday Runner

Do you have unfinished projects from past years?  I do.  I am always inspired at the beginning of the holidays and have lots of ideas.  Then it seems the season always gets hectic and some of the things I start just do not get finished.  So, this year I decided to finish those it... [More]

I've Got You Covered

     Have you ever wanted to cover a ring binder or album?  As an example, here is a 3-ringbinder that I covered to use as a photo album.  (Keep reading for more information aboutpages for the binder.)     When I open the binder, you can see how neat... [More]

If You Really Want to Know . . .

I asked you all to let me know what you’d like me to tell you. Haven’t heard from anyone except Pat, so I’ll answer her questions. Maybe that will help you think of some more things you’d like me to write about. Pat asked: I would LOVE to know what types of embroidery do you... [More]

Quilting with Embroidery

My eldest favorite daughter (I also have a youngest favorite daughter) decided she wanted to make a rag quilt. They are shabby chic, typically created with muted colors, fringed all around and stitched with ragged edges showing on one side. The more they are washed, the more comfortable they become.... [More]

Napkin Ring Project For This Holiday Season

We have some great ideas on how to accessorize your holiday table with embroidery. One way is to create your very own decorative napkin rings. They are quick and easy and will take no time at all to finish. Then you can also embroider wonderful placemats, napkins, table cloths, towels, curtains, etc... [More]

Adding Sparkle to Embroidery

In the words of the late Andy Williams, "It's the most wonderful time of the year," and it's never been easier to add sparkle to embroidery designs than with hot-fix crystals. Christmas embroidery begs for embellishment. Crystals are easy to apply with a heat tool like the DalWan... [More]

Monogrammed Napkins Tutorial

Monogram a napkin for every guest at your next dinner party. It’s the perfect way to personalize a seat and makes a great party favor. MonogramIt! from Amazing Designs has numerous fonts to choose from so you can customize every napkin to match each guest’s style... [More]

What’s with Lower Case Monograms?

We are excited to have Eileen Roche, Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery share this content with you, which was originally posted on Eileen’s Machine Embroidery Blog: You see it everywhere today – lower case monograms catch your eye and make you wonder if it really is a ... [More]

What’s in a name?

If you remember from my last blog post, the AnnTheGran web site got its name from my AOL sign-in. I promised to tell you the story of how annthegran became my AOL sign-in. Like most stories like this it’s pretty simple and fairly silly. The year was 1994. My daughter, son-in-law and three ... [More]

AlphaTricks Tricks!

All we can say is “WOW!” We have been completely overwhelmed with everyone’s  enthusiastic response to the announcement and release of AlphaTricks! As we’ve worked with users, we’ve uncovered some common questions, as well as tips that it seems everyone would like... [More]

Keeping It Simple - Bricks and Banners

It's here again.  Already!  Halloween, apple picking, pinecones and colored leaves.  The season's fly by so quickly I can hardly keep up.  We took a trip out to the Old Town main street the other day to pick up our fall and winter spices.  It is an all cobblestone st... [More]

Learn Basic Applique

Applique has become one of my favorite techniques in machine embroidery. Designs are now so inclusive, that even the least experienced among us can easily create beautiful applique their first time out. I created a Basic Applique video showing just how easy it is using the Applique Quilting Hearts ... [More]

Tall and Skinny

     What's "Tall and Skinny"?  It's the name of my new embroidery alphabet [More]

Hello All I'm Back

Last night I was watching the Million Second Quiz on television. One of the questions, which the contestant missed by the way, was which one of several brands was not named for an actual person. The answer was Betty Crocker. That got me to wondering if AnnTheGran had been one of the choices, how man... [More]

Get Variegated!

Much like pigments of the master painters, threads create pallettes for machine embro [More]

Polka-dots, Stipple Blocks and Creativity, Oh my! Part 2

We are excited to have Eileen Roche, Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery share this content with you, which was originally posted on Eileen’s Machine Embroidery Blog :  If you missed Part 1, click here. I was making excellent progress this afternoon—stitching block... [More]

New Site Features

Hi All, I hope you all had a nice summer  and are perhaps looking forward to the slightly colder months. This is my favorite time of the year, not so hot and not so cold. The last time I blogged there were a few complaints about the new site, so this time round I thought that I'... [More]

Design Organizing Basics

  With so many embroidery designs available digitally, and countless free designs offered online, it helps to have a plan when it comes to organizing them all. The task can seem daunting, but getting started is really the hardest part.  Make a Structure Remember when you had to create a... [More]

Please Tie Me

     I have added a third design for the Please Tie Me page of my baby activitybook.  Someone emailed to ask whether it would be okay for her to stitcheyelets instead of setting metal eyelets in the shoe quarter.  I thought it wouldbe easier to embroider the eyelets as ... [More]
Keeping It Simple - The Big Tote It

Keeping It Simple - The Big Tote It

You can never have too many bags.  We use bags for everything from storing tiny toys to carrying our groceries in "green" bags.  But last week my daughter decided she needed a huge bag. She teaches science two days a week at a local Christian school.  But since she shares the job (someone else teaches the other two days in the same classroom) she has to haul many of her supplies back and forth.  She has 60 students in all so she needs 60 clear bottles, 60 apples, 60 whatever.  She had a really big bag that worked pretty well. It was, however, made of the same stuff as those reusable $1 bags at the grocery stores.  After only four weeks of school it ripped down one side.  So, she came over to search through my fabric stash so we could make one.  She chose some home décor fabric that someone had given to me a couple of years ago.   Here is what we made:

The finished tote measures 8"deep. 17" tall and 18" wide.  We made the handles go all the way around to give them more strength.  Of course we had to put some embroidery on it.

What you need:

Fabric for outside:  2 rectangles 18" tall by 27" wide

Fabric for lining:  2 rectangles 18" tall by 27' wide

Handles:   2 strips 4" wide by 54" long

Sturdy bottom piece (measure your finished bottom for exact size)

Coordinating sewing thread

Embroidery design, stabilizer and embroidery thread (optional)

What you do:

Optional embroidery

1.  Fold fabric in half widthwise and finger press to make a temporary crease.  Measure down that crease from top about 7" and Mark this as the center for your embroidery.

2.  Hoop stabilizer and fabric with mark (Or printed template pinned in place over mark*).

3. Embroider your design (Make sure it is in the hoop correctly for you design.  Ours was rotated in the hoop.)

4.  Remove the hoop.  Tear or cut away stabilizer.

We used this design.

Make the Bag

1.  With wrong sides together fold the long strip in half and press so it is 2"x54".  Open and press the raw edges to the center then fold back in half and press again.  It should be 1"X54"

2.  Sew about down both long sides about 1/8" in from edge to make the handle.

3.  Lay the outside front of you bag on a flat surface.  Measure in 6" from top and bottom right edge and mark.  Repeat for the left side.  You can draw a line from the bottom to the top if you need to.

4.  Begin by matching the bottom raw edge of the strip to the bottom of the fabric where marked.   Pin all the way up.  Repeat for the left side using the other end of the strip.  Make sure your front handle is not twisted.

5.  Sew from top to bottom on both the right and left sides of the pinned strip.

6.  Repeat using the outside back and the other strip.

7.  Place bag outside rectangles right sides together (make sure you embroidery and handle loops are at the top.  Pin the sides and bottom.  Using 1/2" seam sew around the sides and bottom.

8.  Place bag lining rectangles right sides together.  Pin sides and bottom.  Using 1/2" seam sew around the sides and bottom but leave about a 6" opening at the bottom.

9.  Clip the bottom corners of both outside and lining.

10.  To make the flat bottom lay the bottom seam of the lining bag (still inside out)on table and pull the corner out aligning the side seam over top of the bottom one.  Measure in  4" from the point and draw a line across.  Sew along the line. 

11. Fold the point onto the bottom seam line and tack down. (On smaller bags I would cut this off 1/2" from the seam I sewed but this bag needs to have a strong bottom.)

12.  Repeat for the other side of the lining and for both sides of the outside bag.

13.  Turn the outside bag right side out and insert into the inside bag.  Tuck the handles between on each side.  Using 1/2" seam sew all the way around the top of the bag being careful not to catch those handle loops in the seam.

14.  Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the lining bag.  Sew the opening closed and push the lining down inside the bag. 

15.  Press and top stitch around the top of the bag.

16.  Measure the bottom of your bag.  Make a sturdy bottom if desired.  We used a strong, thin plastic from the hardware store.  Many hardware stores will cut these to size for you and you can make several from one sheet of the plastic.  Thin plywood or heavy Timtex will work as well.  You can cover  the bottom with a fabric sleeve too if you like.  Our plastic was smooth and this was utilitarian so we did not.

*Catalog Xpress will print templates for placement of embroidery.

For more tote projects you can go to these Keeping It Simple projects:

Designer Grocery Bags (but we use these for just about everything.)

 

Quick Sunday Bag

Little snack bags

Bags and totes make easy gifts and there is one that is just right for everyone.

Take care,

DB

 

Comments (2) -

Thank you for sharing this wonderfully simple but very helpful project.


Cathy


thecomputerist 10/9/2010 2:48:02 PM

I love Toile!  It is elegant and tells a story at the same time.  


I must have made 150 totes over the years, and still, I see something new - the snacks are a great idea!


Pat


Please login to comment