Nan's Tote

I hope you all had a great weekend and that included at least a bit of sewing.
Mine certainly did, as well as a super-fun camping trip, so I'm ready to go with today's post. As promised, I'm going to announce the winners of the pattern giveaway.
They are:

Bailey said...
I love the choice of colors

and

Antoinette said...
Pinterest really does have some fantastic inspiration! Buried among the 12,000 mason jar craft projects...

Congratulations, you two! Please email me at malka@stitchindye.com and I will reply with an email that includes the PDFs of the instructions and templates.

One of the things that I think about when I design a block is how I can use it in different objects. I mean, I love quilts as much as the next gal, but I like to make all sorts of stuff. Truth be told, I also like to design with the idea of enlarging the block and distorting the colors and components to create  different effects, but, that has nothing to do with today's post or the project I'm featuring, so pretend like I never said that.
Back to today's featured item:

As I mentioned in Friday's post, I planned to use the Pieces of 8 block to make a special gift for a special person. And I did.

My friend, Nan, is a person with a wonderful, creative spirit and an infectious enthusiasm. We've had a lot of amazing experiences together including being in Boston together on that fateful day back in April. Fate seems to have interceded on both our behalves and we came home safe and sound, but not without a sense of how lucky we are and a bond that only comes through having shared a powerful experience.
Anyway, Nan and her husband are off on another adventure soon and I wanted to give her something to carry a few of her memories/treasures in. 

I really like have a large, roomy tote, so this tote measures about 16" x 20". I hate, hate, hate however having to dig in that large tote for my keys or phone, so I also included a zippered pocket in the lining.

I also decided to bind the edges of the webbing I used for the handles because it gave me an opportunity to add a little bit of color in an unexpected place. It has the added benefit of keeping the edges of the webbing from fraying or being scratchy against a bare arm. It is summertime, you know.
Both the front and back are lightly quilted to give the tote strength and form.

For those of you who are curious, the outdoor pictures of Nan's tote were taken in her backyard. She and her husband have an amazing place that they renovated. They're also the builders, designers, and proprietors of a wonderful vacation space on their property called Art Alley Lofts. If you're visiting Austin and looking for an authentic and beautiful place to stay in the heart of South Congress, you can't find a better place.