Evolving from necessity into an addiction, these lovely tote bags are becoming my new crafty obsession.

ooh they're so crafty

Made from the brilliant morsbags pattern, these two latest additions to my morsbag collection were created when I started my latest knitting project. I discovered that my usual knitting project bag (a cath kidston box bag) that I take to knit and knatter, was not big enough to hold my current pattern book and materials for the project. I had already made a couple of morsbag totes, 1 as a present for my sister’s birthday last year and 1 for myself that I keep folded in my handbag for whenever I go shopping. Knowing that they were quick and simple to make I decided they would make perfect craft project bags.

The bags are made from the offcuts from my living room curtains. I had had no idea what to use these sizeable offcuts for (being Ikea curtains, they were just cut to length, leaving me with quite a bit of fabric left over), they had just been folded in my fabric stash for about 3 years! Well, it turns out, they are pretty much the perfect fabric for whipping up these tote bags.

I made one, it was a pleasure to sew with a fabric that my sewing machine actually likes for once and a pattern that just worked. I was pleased, but it looked a bit plain, just plain blue you know? So I looked through my embroidery patterns for something crafty, I came across this free sublime stitching pattern. I love the sublime stitching patterns, so I copied this design using some carbon paper onto some scrap white fabric and stitched her up.

an embroidery of a girl doing some erm... emboridery, wouldn't it be good if she was embroidering a girl doing some embroidery of a girl and so on like infinite cat?

I cut her out and then came my first attempt at trying to applique using some bondaweb. It didn’t really stick very well until I turned my iron all the way up to the hottest steam setting (which the instructions tell you NOT to use, but hey it WASN’T sticking!) so there are a few wrinkles in it
I then blanket stitched around her, really not trusting this bondaweb stuff. Note to self, apply all design before sewing up tote bag, it will just be easier that way. Still, I love her, but it got me to thinking, there must be some craft embroidery patterns out there surely? As I’m creating a knitting bag, I would really like maybe a knitting themed embroidery pattern. To Google!

Google led me to Urban Threads. Wow, just wow. I created an account, I know have a favourite list a mile long, I went off to have a think about these wonderful patterns I had just discovered, a couple of days later I selected 3 designs to purchase, aware that yes, they were excellent value, but I only have so much time in the world and I can’t stitch everything all at one, I’m sure the website would still be there in a month or two and I could go back and purchase more. As it was, how was I going to stitch three at a time anyway?

So, I had one crafty tote bag that I loved, I had some new funky embroidery patterns and curtains come in pairs, so I had another offcut of curtain that I knew would make an excellent tote bag! May I present to you the second of my crafty pair of tote bags!

yes, I feel that strongly about making stuff!

This time, I cut out the pattern pieces, but did not go straight to the sewing, no siree, I can learn. Instead I traced and stitched the design onto the front piece. I know I just said I was looking for a knitting themed embroidery pattern for my knitting project bag, but I thought to myself, why should I limit my tote bags potential like that? Craft or Die pretty much says it all, and if I were brave enough to get an actual tattoo on my skin, I’d like this. So I stitched this straight onto the bag fabric and I know you won’t believe me, but the back of the embroidery isn’t awful. I have been working really hard on neatening up the back of my embroidery and it’s been made even easier since I discovered this method for starting off a stitch(look ma, no knots!)

Stitching done, it took next to no time to sew up the bag the only change made was this time I lengthened the handles a bit and voila! a second roomy tote bag.

See? They really do hold lots and lots!

All packed and ready for knit and knatter tonight, I’m on the second sleeve of that there *SPOILER ALERT* shrug, hope to be doing another blog post soon about it once I finish it. Woo!