one 241 tote

for starters, yes. i know i need to learn to take some pics with my new camera with a different setting ;) someone please stage an intervention.

also, i need to warn you that i'm going to geek out for a moment. if you're not interested in my crafty crushes, you should probably just scroll down past this next little paragraph all of the text.

first and foremost, i heart Maureen Cracknell Handmade. i mean, really, how can i not? so when i asked Maureen about making a Mr. Fox pillow last week and she proposed a trade, i was a little bit in shock. holy cow, me? make something for Maureen? yes, please! so what do i make? well, we settled on a 241 tote, which i was totally excited about. Nick had bought me the pattern for christmas (after i fell in love with these totes from Hoosier Toni) and i've been wanting to get started on one.

a few fabrics just came together for me on this one... i got some prints from Rashida Coleman Hale's washi collection on saturday, along with this wedge geo print from Maude Asbury's Kitchy Kitchen collection. then i happened to find that the new Denyse Schmidt collection, Aunt Edna, had arrived at my local joann's when i stopped in on the very same day. as i wanted to use gray and orange and teal, this combination of prints was just perfection.

i finished the bag yesterday and sent off the link to Maureen and *phew* she loves it!! so, yeah, i might have done a bit of a gigantic happy dance about that one. 

i did find the topstitching around the bottom curve of the side panels to be a bit of a challenge, but i'm generally a bit challenged by the whole curved thing anyway so that's probably to be expected. have you made this bag? any tips or tricks? i already have a second one cut out... i'm thinking that i certainly need a new bag for myself.

for the interior pouch pocket (based on the tutorial here), i used some scraps of washi petals and leaves in grey and cream. and, of course, one of my lovely tags from Remember Wynn (love them!).

in case you're somehow not already a big noodlehead fan, you really should check out Anna's blog. she has an amazing tutorials section and some adorable patterns. the 241 tote pattern is incredibly well-written, and i think i'll try the go anywhere bag next. i've been eyeing that one for a while too and saw some lovely versions last night while perusing  the noodlehead tutorials and patterns group on flickr.

i also just happen to know that the lovely Rashida has set up a new flickr group, I ♥ Washi!... and, as my husband can attest, i was over the moon when she invited me to add pics of this bag to her group. let's not even talk about how excited i was when she commented about how much she loves the bag! gah!! and then i wake up this morning to find a sweet comment from Anna as well. yeah, i'm a little in crafty crush heaven at the moment ;)

linking up to {sew} modern monday at canoe ridge creations.

and (belatedly) linking up to Handmade 52 (week 5 already??) at Raising Oranges.

happy monday :)