My third in the “navy blue, bright green, hot pink, botanicals” collection, I just finished this quilted tote bag last night.  It’s ultimately going to be our library book bag but my push to finish it was so that I could enter it into the state fair.  I’m attempting to dominate the “quilted tote” category by winning a second blue ribbon.  Wish me luck!

I used the “Market Bag” pattern from Handmade Style, by Anna Graham (author of the Noodle-Head blog).  The whole book is lovely and I decided to buy it when I saw this version of the Market Bag (knowing it would be perfect for our library books).

front – with the addition of the “Post Office Box” block from Patchwork City

back – with a purposely non-interfaced white band so the background can peek through

The pattern has a fun drop pocket, something I’ve never sewn before.

When you first look in, you say, “hmmm, that’s a lot of green” and then surprise! A hot pink bottom!

In this picture, the dark pink definitely looks red but don’t tell Ellie that because she is INSISTING that’s it’s red, not pink.  “Actually Mama, it’s red!”

I had fun featuring the beetle on the bottom (and the pocket).

The handles are supposed to be leather but I made them from heavily interfaced fabric instead.

handles sewn on the outside for a fun change. I also finished the top by binding it like a quilt (rather than as the directions recommended).  I didn’t mind a bit of hand sewing for a cleaner finish.

The tote is quite large, perfect for our very large library hauls (thanks to our lovely librarians and their hold service.) Hooray for a new bag!

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A few notes on the construction of the bag –

• I used Soft and Stable (as directed) for the first time when sewing on this bag.  I am super impressed with how sturdy the bag is.  As you can see, it definitely stands up by itself.  I’m less impressed with how the seam allowance is poking the lining inward.  In the future, I’ll probably grade the Soft and Stable so that there’s less of it to cause that problem.

• I’d say this bag is in the intermediate sewing range, simply because sewing the curved bottom was a bit tricky.  All my curve sewing practice from the color books (tutorial here) came in handy.
• I found that the bias tape cutting dimensions needed to be about 1/2-inch wider in order to function as directed.

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Along with the state fair, this bag is also my entry into the Sew Mama Sew Super Online Sewing Community Match.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following the contest this summer and because the contestants sewed a bag (also a pattern by Noodle-head!), I’m eligible to enter this bag.  Here’s hoping I win a prize!

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Here’s the first and here’s the second in my series of themed bags.