My friend Holly just showed her first fabric collection, Brush Strokes (Cloud9 Fabrics), a few weeks ago at Spring Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was super excited to make a little project for her booth and this Bucket Bag (pattern from my book) was just the ticket. I was so excited to see how her booth came together, her watercolor paintings translated to such a beautiful fabric collection.

Because the main fabrics were quilting cotton I did line them all with cotton canvas. I still used SF101 on all the pieces as instructed, but then basted the canvas on after. I really like the feel of the bag with the canvas in between. I think this bag is definitely fun for someone wanting to try out a few new techniques. The grommets are so fun and easier to install than you might think.

I also used a scrap of leather for the closure, but instead of sewing the middle seam, I used a rivet which worked equally as well.

I did manage to make my way down to the park to get pictures before shipping it off to Holly. Of course getting pictures is a high priority! Keep an eye out for Holly’s fabric which should be arriving in shops very soon!

Pattern: Bucket Bag (pattern from Handmade Style)
Fabric: Brush Strokes by Holly Degroot and Cirrus Solid (Shadow) from Cloud9 Fabrics
Zippers: Zipit on etsy
Grommets: Dritz

Today I’m sharing the Maker’s Tote I made for Alison Glass’ Handcrafted Patchwork lookbook. You can read more about her lookbook in my last post.

I really enjoyed working with these fabrics. The colors are so bold and compliment the designs so well. It makes it fun to combine fabrics and use them in projects like this. This Maker’s Tote was fun to sew up, I really do enjoy the challenge of getting the binding just right. Although nothing is ever perfect, I do like putting in a good effort to produce the final tote. In hindsight I wish I would have added a layer of SF101 behind the main exterior pieces, but otherwise it was a fun make.

I can imagine this one being loaded up with art supplies! I am teaching this tote at my local quilt shop, Olive Juice Quilts in a few short weeks. It’s always fun to be in a group of people all sewing up the same project. Seeing something come together from just pieces of fabric and interfacing is so exciting. Each person’s take is different and beautifully unique. If you’re interested, here’s the class info.

I’m also excited because Quilt Market is this week! I won’t be attending, but the buzz on Instagram is always fun to watch. It seems like I can hardly keep up with each new fabric line out there, but it’s always fun to see the amazing booths and new projects that sprout up. I know the designers put so much time and effort and creativity into all they do.

Lastly, I was wondering if anyone was up for a small sew along using the women’s tunic pattern in my book? I’ve been meaning to sew one up for ages, and now that it’s finally warm enough here to actually wear one without all the layers of sweaters, I thought I’d ask. If you’re interested let me know in the comments.

Pattern: Maker’s Tote (large size)
Fabric: Alison Glass Handcrafted Patchwork
Zipper: Wawak.com