Another Reveal- Quilted Tote Bag

Okay, breathing big sigh of relief that huge family gathering has come and gone. Everything went well, and it was great to see everyone. My aunt and cousin Lisa recently relocated from Alaska back to Virginia, and they were able to join us this year. My kids all stayed the whole weekend. I gave the second of my Great Big Tote Bags to my sister Katy.

For all my blogging friends who alter/dye/paint fabric, I used a piece of color-discharged fabric on the back of this bag. I think I must have used a Clorox bleach pen, because I had drawn some designs on the fabric. I can't remember, because I discharged a lot of fabric years ago after seeing an article on different techniques in American Quilter. I quilted in some big loopy flowers.

This tote is a bound quilt that is folded in half and seamed up the sides by hand. Then you sew across the bottom corners to form a bottom of the bag, and I added a covered bottom piece attached with Velcro.

Do you remember the dreaded double-knit polyester quilt? I spent many hours sewing up or patching over the parts that had dry-rotted during its decades in a plastic bag. It was bound and delivered to my sister-in-law, who was very happy with it despite it being kind of stretchy and lumpy. It has great sentimental value for her since her grandma made it.

Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the weekend. The family patriarch once again volunteered to carve the turkey. Actually, two turkeys, deep-fried!

My niece Melinda (on the right) and her brother's wife Robin are both expecting. A third niece, Rachel, is due at the same time as Melinda, but she lives in Tennessee and could not make it to the party. We should have lots of babies to pass around next year. :)

And there were lots of little ones running around this year. My dad gave my granddaughter Lily a sketch pad and some washable markers, and she had a mini-art lesson at the lap of the expert.

He asked what she wanted him to draw, and she quickly replied "A Mermaid." So she scored a nice Pete Turner original to take home.

My father is staying with me until Wednesday, when he will travel to my sister's near Greensboro. He lived in nearby Cary for forty years until relocating to the North Carolina mountains, so he is enjoying some visits with former neighbors and friends today. And I am going to try to get my Christmas cards ready to mail.

And enjoy a quiet day. :)