Maureen Cracknell Handmade: A Tule Patchwork Bag : :

In time to bring along on our Saturday day-trip, I stitched up this quick & easy tote bag making use of the Tule patchwork strips I had leftover from my Sunset quilt top. The outside and straps are made up of my scrappy strips and pieced together using the same Herringbone Quilt method that I just shared this past Monday. This time I sewed my rectangle panels together off-set just enough so this scrappy pattern looks more like a braid rather than the "V" herringbone design. I like it!

I used all but just a few of my scraps, so even though my bag construction is about as simple as it gets, I'm happy! I do enjoy making bags, but for me -- simple is very good!

It's lined with a pretty AGF Pure Element in Sweet Mint, with a nice layer of cotton batting to give it weight, boxed out sides, and finished with simple, densely quilted, throw-over-the-shoulder length straps.

I tossed in just a few supplies to work on quilting it during the drive and if there was a moment for handwork throughout the day. I love my thrifted stork scissors!

There ended up being several opportunities for this project on Saturday. It was so wonderful to just sit and add my hand-quilting stitches while watching Kevin & the kids fish!

I'm especially glad I brought it along to get these pretty pictures!

I'll be adding many, many more stitches as I find the time. I'll be sure to share what it looks like finished with all that lovely hand-quilting!

Happy Sewing!! ♥ Maureen

Maureen Cracknell HandmadeOctober 3, 2013 at 10:39 AM

We live in Potter County, Pennsylvania which is gorgeous, but these pictures were taken in Allegany State Park which is less than an hour away from us. I love it here, especially this time of year!

Maureen Cracknell HandmadeOctober 3, 2013 at 12:18 PM

LOL Well, compared to the bags I admire and see everywhere -- the Go Anywhere bag, the Super Tote, etc.. this is as easy as it gets! Yes, it would be much more work if I didn't use my patchwork scraps and had to do all that piecing, but it really was as easy as sewing two rectangles together, leaving the top open! Haha :)

Maureen Cracknell HandmadeOctober 3, 2013 at 12:27 PM

I'm actually going to leave the knots exposed, I like it! I'm only quilting with two strands, so I could have gently pull the knots underneath the layers so they're hidden, but I decided not to. It's a little funky, but I think it will look pretty once it's all quilted! :)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

A Tule Patchwork Bag : :

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