Cassie Barden Totes #1 & #2 (A Blog A Day #1)

It only seems fitting that my first real blog post would be dedicated to the project that kicked off my current love, sewing.  I have a friend who sews all the time ("C"), and my other friends and I were jealous of her skills.  Finally, she invited us all over for a sewing day, and said she had picked out a pattern that she thought she could walk us all through in an evening, and we'd all end up with a tote to take home.  She even let us pick fabric from her stash to use, we just had to bring the thread and webbing for the straps!

The tote we all made was designed by Cassie Barden, in her book The New Handmade.  It's called the Dinner Party Grocery Bag.  C successfully walked us through the cutting and sewing, with only a couple minor flaws (One of my seams on the lining was sewn the wrong way, and therefore is visible inside the bag, and M's pocket ended up upside down).  I'm not saying we didn't all become best friends with our respective seam rippers that night, just that I'm pretty sure those are the only flaws that stayed a part of our final products.

I had such a great time, and felt so proud when we were all done - but that visible seam was really nagging at my perfectionist mind - so I decided the very next day that I needed to try it again.  The husband (then boyfriend) and I headed out to Jo-Ann, and I purchased a rotary cutter, self-healing mat, fabric, and all the other little necessities I needed to re-make this bag. 

I did skip the bookboard bottom for the bag, so my second version is a lot floppier and more lightweight - which I prefer, most of the time.

I also added additional pockets on the inside, and a sewn-in snap, just to try it out.  In hindsight, I would have preferred the fabrics switched so that my lining was the outside of the back, and vice versa, but I use it all the time, so I guess I'm not too concerned with it.  I have modified this tote for a purse (coming up in a week or two), and I have plans for a knitting tote that will have a lot more bells and whistles, but be based on this basic design.  I love that once you know this basic shape, you can adjust it and end up with many different bag styles!