It’s beginning to cost a lot like Christmas!

Don’t know about you but my mind sang that title line. As I did when I saw this design on designbundles.net It’s been a long while since I did a heat transfer vinyl (HTV) project with my Cricut and decided today was the day. Did the day cooperate? No it didn’t but finally got there in the end. 

I used to keep my spare canvas bags and sublimation bags in separate places. A while ago I decided to organise everything craft wise and put them in the same place. Then promptly forgot and dragged out so much looking for a tote bag today. After much coffee and muttering to myself I finally had a brainwave and remembered. By that time I had to go do my motherly and grandmotherly duties and had to wait until this evening to complete this tote bag 

Another bag to try not to forget when I go shopping  somehow I’m hoping the pretty shiny and sparkling parts will catch my eye and make me remember to pick it up. I’ve used standard HTV, glitter and metallic. It’s so pretty and apart from the wording it was all done with my off it’s so didn’t cost to much to make. 

Might have to make a Halloween themed bag next. I did make some trick or treat bags a few weeks ago for my granddaughters. They won’t be trick or treating but they can receive the bags with some treats from me :-) 

glitter dog and tote bag

While surfing the internet for SVG cutting files the other night I came across this beauty from Wispy Willow designs. It is apparently a dachshund dog.  Which I have no problem with whatsoever. It does, however, strike an amazing resemblance to my DIL dog who is not a dachshund. 

I cut this out on the Cricut and thanked my lucky stars I hadn't decided to go old school with a scalpel and do it by hand like when I used to do papercuts. It took a fair while to cut and as I did I patiently did something else while checking once or twice all was well with the cut.  Then came the fun part the weeding.  Dreading this part as was convinced weeding, or removing the unneeded pieces, was going to take me all day.  It didn't however. Listening to a Terry Pratchett audiobook and a break to chat with my son I had it finished in around 80 minutes.  What I thought was going to be a stressful undertaking turned out to be very calming.  It came out just fine and despite being glitter iron-on by Cricut it behaved remarkably well.

The pile of leftover and weeded pieces give a better idea of how it sparkles.  my DIL got me into glittery things a while back so this particular make had to be glittery and sparkle.

Once pressed onto a tote bag I knew I would be making at least one more at some point soon as love how this came out. 

I really thought this Zentangle style or mandala style of file would be a pain the neck to weed and use but I'm already looking at what else I could do in a similar style soon. 

Large tote bag tutorial by Sewspire

On my trip around youtube last week I saw a lovely tutorial for a large project tote bag.  On the Sewspire channel I thought at the time oo I have the perfect fabric to make one of these with the most adorable accent fabric.  Then I decided to take beds apart and start rearranging bedrooms and moving craft tools and fabrics around.  In short I put a lot of stuff where it wasn't available and made a mess.  OK No worries I then realised I had what I call my deck chair fabric that I bought from IKEA earlier in the year. So colourful and cheerful I thought.  

Andrea over on sewspire on YouTube is on a mission to teach 10,000 people how to sew I think the number was.  Yes I know i 'can' sew but strangely I still don't always know some of the basics and some of the little touches or standard ways of doing things are not how I would do them.  Andrea has a knack of making things very clear and seem very easy to achieve.  

This project bag didn't take me long.  I didn't think about doing step by step photos sorry I just wanted to get the tote bag sewn so I had a summer holiday bright beach themed deck chair tote bag. 

The above photo has the accent stripe down one side.  It is sewn on so over time the edges will fray and give it an extra design element.

To take these photos I had to stuff the bag with a large cushion as I had no one else to help me model it.

The fully lined tote features a different set of coloured stripes 

Not a fantastic photo below of my box corners, but I think these are the most even effective box corners I have ever sewn.

And then I started more hand sewing.  I won't tell you what this stag head is for but it is not for Christmas even if it could well be used for Christmas.  I am not to impressed about how uneven my blanket stitches are looking but I am getting there slowly and almost finished sewing the stag head down.  I might even get to start on the actual project tomorrow. 

Happy start to November I think, hope it is all good with you and you are recovering from Halloween fun.

Take care 

Jules