Having a Tote-al Blast!

Well hello again!  I just looked up my most recent post and it's been since June that I posted last!  I took a small haitus to focus on time with my family this summer, especially with my college bound son who we brought to his new school in August.  Not too many tears from me, which was very unexpected, but he looked so happy and I know he is in the right place - I guess that made it easier for me to let him go.

A few weeks ago I looked around my studio and realized I have ALOT of stuff - and I mean all manner of "stuff"!  Like a lot of crafters, I save every little bit of everything with the thought that one day I might need it for a work of art (hey, it could happen).  Well my "stuff" has taken over and I made a resolution that if I couldn't find a craft to make with it, I would toss or recycle it!  First stop, my leftover fabrics...

I went online and found an easy pattern for a tote bag here:   http://www.hgtv.com/handmade/make-an-easy-to-sew-lined-tote-bag/index.html  No kidding - it is so easy and there is NO hand stitching!  Perfect for the lazy crafter like me!  I invited my sister and one of our besties over with their sewing machines for a "Stitch-N-Bitch" night, I bought wine and pizza and rented The Heat with Sandra Bullock.  Not only did we have a great night, but by the next day, I felt creatively inspired and rejuvenated!  I haven't felt like that in a while!

Here are some of the bags that I made and a clutch made by my sister Sandy.  Our friend Kimberly made curtains for her Mom and for some reason we forgot to get a photo!  Oh well, next time!



It took a few tries to make a Minnie Mouse inspired tote, but I like the final product!



The boys needed to be represented as well (plus I had a little of the sports fabric in my cache) so I made one for them.



Leftover fabric from my previous chair covers.

...and leftover fabric from my current chair covers!

This one I made for my son's girlfriend who just had knee surgery.  It was my first attempt at doing some smaller piece work, but I wanted it to have a boho flair and an extra long strap so she could use it as a spare pocket around the house while she's on crutches. 

Sandy's beautiful clutch.  She made this as a birthday gift for a friend of hers.  She had some lovely embroidered fabric and decided to showcase it on the front of the clutch.  It turned out just beautiful!

The Inside detail.

I will be hosting other "Stitch-N-Bitch" nights in the future - it was a tote-al blast!!  I will also be going through more of my "stuff" in the studio and trying to figure out what to do with it.  For now, I am still working on the totes and getting rid of my fabric scraps.  This morning, I just found a fabric basket that I'm going to try.  I'm open to suggestions if you have any other ideas!  Have a great week everyone!