"Social Tote"

I saw a cute little tote on Facebook and decided I just HAD to make one.  I bought the pattern, by Carolyn Friedlander, collected some fabrics and got to it.  Now, you have to understand that making totes and bags is NOT my forte...  I usually have trouble with anything three dimensional... I'm much better working in two dimensions, which is maybe why I'm a quilter and not, say, a sculptor?  Anyway... I did manage to make sense of the directions and made this adorable little tote for my hand sewing projects.  In fact, the little hexagon tote I made (see the link to tutorial at the top of this page, it's the 'English paper piecing travel kit') fits perfectly in the Social Tote, so I can take it anywhere.  (By the way, I didn't DESIGN the hexagon tote, I just made one and posted the link to the site I got the pattern from).

Anyway - here are some pics of my little "social tote."  It even included a pattern for a matching pincushion, so I made that too... fits perfectly in one of the small pockets!

Hope you are having a lovely day - It's beautiful here in So. Calif. today - comfortably cool and 'autumn-y".  Leaves are green (since we don't have much of a seasonal change here), but it still feels like fall.  Tomorrow is Halloween and we might even get some rain!

I am getting ready for my guild's biannual retreat to Saylor's Sandcastle at the beach.  SO looking forward to 4 days with fellow quilters.  Prepping for the stay is always a busy time here at serial quilter headquarters.  I am dithering between which projects to take with me.  Not that I lack for UFOs, just a question of which ones to bring.  I am planning on bringing a lot of applique projects, and doing all the edge-stitching on them, as well as one quilting project and a saturday sampler block if I feel the need to do some piecing.  My problem?  - Will those be enough, or should I bring more?  I don't want to end up twiddling my thumbs the last day or two, while projects languish at home.  Otoh, I don't want to overwhelm myself with projects packed in the car and never needing to be unpacked even.  Where is that balance of 'just right?'  Well, I have one week to figure it out...

WAYWO?