Tote Hoard

This could be a problem.

I swear I wasn't into sewing before.

But now I can't seem to stop myself. I think a big part of the problem was that I inhibited myself with my unwillingness to follow directions and do things properly, but now that I have experienced the satisfaction of finishing a project correctly executed, I'm hooked. I find myself eying the sheets and tablecloths in my closet and thinking about what I could make out of them. The lining of this tote is actually from an old(but expensive) sheet I bought at a thrift store for $5. I've gotten a lot of use out it; it's the same sheet I used to line my kitchen curtains with. I've discovered through my recent sewing projects that I have a major thing for pockets. Squares have always been my favorite shape, and I find the symmetry and cleanliness of a well-made pocket incredibly satisfying. So I have decided that there is a shocking lack of tote bags in the world and it is my responsibility to fill the void. I don't think I'm even a tote bag kind of person, strictly speaking, but that was before I made my own tote. It's completely different when you make it yourself, although I fear the danger may be that I will fall in love with every one of my projects but when I give them as gifts the recipient, not having participated in the thrill of pressing the seams and seeing a corner come out neat and square, may not find it as cute. I feel very strongly that my totes need loving homes and a strong sense of purpose; they are not only incredibly cute, but these kids are STURDY. I made them out of upholstery fabric, and in the case of my brown and blue one, OUTDOOR upholstery fabric. These are not some flash-in-the-pan, look good in the morning but fall apart the minute you try to carry a book in them kind of tote; these totes are in it for the long-haul. They mean business. Cute, square, pockety business.