Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 6 - Mission Complete!

The tote liner turned out FANTASTIC!  And yes, though I'm guilty of dragging out my postings, I did complete it and send it to my friend _before_ her baby debuted.  Gorgeous little K.T. joined us Jan 14, and I'm so pleased this reached her loving momma in time.  :)

So, are you ready to see the final step?

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 5 - Homestretch! Liner Construction

 
We're almost there! All that's left is to construct the liner using the parts and pieces we've prepared -- what we're going to do today -- and then to attach it to the bag.  Let's get this puppy together!

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 4 - Attach and Divide the Pockets

Hiya!  Well, after a few days away, I thought we might jump back into making the lining for our Thirty-One Utility Tote.  If you have one of these totes, you know that the outsides are usually beautiful and covered in lots of practical pockets.  From a quality of construction standpoint, they hold up really well to extensive abuse.  The only real problem for me is that the inside is a bare, plain white.  No lining, no pockets.  Here's one that was given to me a couple of years ago: 

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 3 - Organizing Pocket Prep

Our tote liner's coming along fantastic!  If you're just jumping on board, be sure to check out the first and second postings in this series.  Thanks for joining me!

For this posting, I'm going to prep the pockets.  When you're first learning to sew, it may seem like the bag structure should come first and the pockets be an afterthought.  But the pockets actually have to be sewn and inserted before you sew any of the bag sides together --you can't insert them later.  Bags, like many garments, have to be constructed in a certain order for various features like pockets, linings, dividers and zippers to be incorporated.  That's why you should always sit down and really plan your bag on paper before you start cutting and sewing...at least, if you want to have any organizing features.

Remember how I told you not to fuse the pocket pieces along with the other bag parts?  I have something special in mind for these.  Read on to find out what!  :)

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along Part 2 - Cutting and Interfacing

Welcome back to the Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along!  For the next step, let's focus on cutting and stabilizing our fabric.  If you're just joining us, welcome! ...and be sure to check out this posting to catch up.

Thirty-One Utility Tote Liner Sew Along - Planning and Fabric Prep

Another year gone? Really?  I don't know about you, but 2012 took my family for quite a ride!  In all the excitement, I didn't get a few things on the blog that I had promised, and even more that I had planned.  So here's a look at a few of the projects that were completed, and the tutorials will make it to the stage in 2013:

Today's Photo Journal: An Unhappy Winner

A fellow artist from nearby Pensacola, (the lovely and talented Amy from Amy Pinney Photography who took the awesome family photos featured in this posting), won the giveaway.  So, kismet!  I got to deliver the prize locally and visit with a friend in the process.  I hadn't really seen her since the family photos in April, so I was delighted to meet up for coffee to catch up.

Contest Winner: A Big (Boy) Responsibility

Big Boy accepted the honor of pulling the name for our big contest winner.  Before the big moment, I carefully printed out multiple strips for every one who entered the contest.

My Brief Soapbox and Step 3 of the GIVEAWAY!!

I think we're all WORN OUT from the election!  Regardless of your candidate of choice, I bet you're as sick of politics as the next person.  I'm always torn between my pride in the process -- our political system is, after all, the baseline evidence of American vision and ingenuity --

Big News, Bundles of Joy and a GIVEAWAY!

Holy Moley, what a week!  So, I know I totally promised to have a tutorial out on the Toothless costume by now, but I didn't anticipate the domestic and military craziness that would take over my life.  At least I got a few baby gifts ready to send.  (I love all these fun flannels, but the Chinese lanterns are secretly my favorite.) 

Okay, so I've been chomping at the bit to share some very big news: