Quilters Tote Bag

I've spent the weekend making two bags. The first one is something I've been thinking about doing ever since I started accumulating quilting and patchwork paraphernalia. Everything was in a big plastic bag, and we all know what that's like - a big jumble of stuff that doesn't fit nicely anywhere you want to store it. I'd seen a few tutorials on the net for quilters bags, but they weren't quite what I wanted, so I decided to do my own thing. I needed a bag big enough to keep my cutting mat, two quilters rulers, assorted plastic templates, and rotary cutters. A few years ago, the local Riot Art & Craft shop had a selection of plain calico bags, ready for embroidery or fabric painting projects. I bought two or three different sizes, including a library bag which I still hadn't done anything with. Perfect size - big enough to accomodate a larger cutting mat if I needed to buy one at a later stage! The first job was to make some pockets for the inside, to put my things in. The mat didn't need a pocket, but the quilting rulers, Dresden templates, and rotary cutters did. I cut out and hemmed three pieces of calico to suit, and machined them inside the library bag (it was a bit difficult, as my machine doesn't have one of those extra long bits where you can machine sleeves etc. on garments, but I managed it) Drawstring tops are okay for library bags, but I needed handles, so I made them from two strips of calico. Finally, thinking it looked a bit plain (and wanting to cover up the area where I had machined the pockets to the inside), I found a piece of furnishing fabric someone had given me, that was exactly the right size. So I used fusible webbing to attach it, and stitched running stitch around the edges. Voila!