I have had a couple more customers send me wonderful pictures of tote bags that they have made with my patterns and I wanted to share them with you.
Pat wanted another copy of the labels to make a Professional Tote and sent me these pictures of this amazing Professional Tote she previously made. Which reminds me, if you ever need another copy of any of the labels that are included in my patterns, just send me a note and I am happy to send you a new set at no charge. Laura@thecreativethimble.com.
Pat said: “I am ready to start my fourth tote in the last five years. I made my first tote as a trial run before I made the second as a Christmas gift for the young lady who is now my daughter-in-law. She was preparing to student teach (music) and I thought this bag would be perfect for her. I’ve attached a few photos of the bag. She loved it and I certainly earned some points as “future mother-in-law”. We’ve loved and used our bags so much that we were ready for me to get out the pattern again. I finished her new bag in time for school to start this fall. Best Regards, Pat Meyer”
I told Pat that I have a soft spot for music especially the brass instruments in the lining. I am a former (very former) high school trumpet player. I was the only girl trumpet player in my entire town for the whole 9 years that I played. What I didn’t tell Pat was that my father encouraged me to play the trumpet because it would make me a good kisser. True story, I was in 4th grade at the time and it made an impression on me. I’ll have to ask my daughter who was also a trumpet player in school if I mentioned that to her when she started playing the trumpet. LOL! BTW, my husband of 37 years says it worked!!
Frances Sienkiewicz sent me this comment about her Mini Professional Tote that she made. “This one was a challenge with the directional striped fabric but I love it. Definitely so much better and more functional than a Vera Bradley. I taught this bag as a class and they all loved it and complimented you on the directions.”
Wow, to be mentioned in the same sentence as Vera Bradley is an honor, thank you! Frances, you did a fantastic job using the striped fabric and what a great way to use that fabric. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to use one of those beautiful striped fabrics, I think you just showed us how!
Yes, you definitely told me about the “good kisser” thing. I like to think it worked, too!
How can I send a photo of my professional tote. I am really happy with how it looks. I wanted to show it to you.
Wanda,
I would love to see your finished tote, please send it to Laura@thecreativethimble.com
Hi,
In your As You Like It purse pattern, on P.12 you mention to go to your website to see possible alternatives for buttonholes….I do want to be daring and try them occasionally, but haven’t had the best of luck…just curious what might be possible.
Thanks, and I loved making this bag, and am using up all kinds of ‘dog blocks’ for flaps!
Jeanette
Here are two additional options for attaching the flap.
Sew one half of 3 large (approx. ¾”) snaps onto the back of the purse. Sew the other side of the snaps onto the flap, aligning them with the snap on the bag. Note: Sew 2 male snaps and 1 female snap onto the purse, and then sew the opposite parts on the flap. When you use both parts of a snap it will help conserve snaps if you make multiple flaps.
Velcro is another option. It will be easier to sew the Velcro onto the outside of the purse before you put the lining or binding in. Sew the Velcro onto the flap lining before attaching it to the flap front.
Note: If you use these methods, you will not be able to make the flap reversible.