The third and last "Tote Bag" of the week.

I started making tote bags almost three years ago when I was laid off.  I had a closet full of samples and fabrics from over the years.  I always said I would resume sewing when I retired and that I would buy a new sewing machine when I retired. 

Well,  my children bought me a new sewing machine and sewing seems like a good thing to do for this week anyway. 

I am going to give the three that I have made to my three nieces who either have small children and babies or who are expecting.

This last one is out of a buttery yellow twill and I lined it with a heirloom fabric. Actually is is probably a 50's fabric intended as a bright summer cotton tablecloth or beach wear.

Anyway I liked the size, scale, and theme but it was too, too bright for my taste. But as the lining and a quilt guide it made a quite attractive concept. So again I was off.

Yesterday my quilting was to merely channel stitch the blocks through their centers. But today I was doing the entire outline of the sun, beach balls, and hats. I was glad I had chosen a thin 100% cotton batting that was easy to stitch through. 

In my quest for handle materials I was short on a yellow gross grain ribbon but pleased when I found a woven flat cording of red, blue, and yellow, the primary colors of the lining. It made handles just a little shorter that I would have liked but there was enough for it to work. 

So now it is all done and I am going to go upstairs and make a batch of chocolate cut out cookies and a batch of regular cut out cookies to set to chill in the refrigerator until this evening or in the morning whichever it turns out to be that I get them rolled and baked. I cheated and took out a large bowl of chili from the freezer so I wouldn't have to worry about supper tonight.  I am so glad.