Sheepies!!! This Maker’s Tote has a fun story behind it – or at least I think so. And I love making things that have a little story.
My friend Amanda had been planning on making a Maker’s Tote after seeing our friend Jeni’s Maker’s Tote with the sheep fabric! I was super excited that they were excited and of course I love Jeni’s version. So when we were at our little get together they were talking totes and I mentioned to Amanda that I needed to make one as a step out for a class I was teaching. Now one of the parts about teaching is that making step outs can be either fun or really boring. I try super hard to make it fun for myself otherwise I’d go a little nuts. So it’s always way more interesting (even if it is a little more work) to make a sample that I’ll use for parts to teach, but then also finish sewing it and give it to someone!
So I just had to volunteer to make it for her! It was destiny. I was super excited that she just sent me the fabric and I got to get it mostly made, use it in class, then finish up sewing the binding on outside while my girls played in the backyard. Pretty nifty.
I really love the sheep and the coordinates that Amanda picked. Of course leaving off the front pocket to showcase the sheep was definitely necessary. I did put in the back zippered pocket, but only because it actually landed on a good place – the sheep’s back!
I’m so glad to send it off to her, and I hear it’s going to be used for her sock knitting! How fun!
Pattern: Maker’s Tote (size small, front pocket omitted)
Fabric: Sheep by Ellen Luckett Baker, from her Charms collection,
Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater, Timeless Treasures Sketch
Zippers: 7″ zipper from my shop and separating zipper from wawak.com
p.s. here’s a couple sheep that live at the retreat center we go to! Couldn’t not include them!
Oh my gosh! Seriously. You are killing me!!!! I’m dying over this. I love it! What a lovely version!
you are seriously the sweetest, Anna! thank you so very much for making the sheepy tote for me! I TOTE-ally love it! hahaha! I will enjoy carrying around my sock knitting in it! I still kind of feel like I cheated, but know that I will treasure it and use it! it looks amazing! xoxoxox
Thank you for giving me a good reason to sew!!!! 🙂 And making it extra easy by picking out the fabric! excited for you to put it to use.
AH! that sheep fabric is so fun! I think I might need to make one of these for myself – I’ve also been dying to knit with Stone Wool yarn!
YAY! Now Amanda and I are matching! We’re going to need to both bring our bags to our next meet-up! 🙂
Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! It’s so cute. I wish I had more time to sew for myself, because this is really on my list of “things to make”. I wish I lived closer so I could hone in on the girls retreat. 🙂
Really cute, I am sure she will love it and get a lot of use out of it too. x
What an amazing creation using Amanda’s fabric choices. Lucky lady.
Completely adorable–and such a perfect fabric for a knitter! It’d make me smile every time I pulled out my needles 🙂
those sheep and your pattern make for an absolutely adorable tote!
What a cute idea – I love the organized inner of this bag!
Oh, I do wish my knitting was carried around in something so stylish! Such a great pattern. And I think I have wool envy…
Wow! What a great make and an amazing gift! Lucky girl!
Anna I love this bag AND the fabric is perfect! However, this sheep fabric cannot be found anywhere on the internet. I have spent a good deal of time trying to locate this fabric and it is very frustrating! Please in the future make sure that the fabric is always available!
Hi Nickie! Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately the way fabric manufacturers work is that they usually print a limited run of each fabric. I’m sorry but it’s just not possible to do that! (Especially because I made it for my friend who sent me her fabric to use.)
So cute! love the combination of fabrics. This bag is on my to do list however there’s a lot on my to do list 😉
I copied Jeni and made a small Maker’s Tote out of this fabric too, but I used the version that has mint as the background color. I used Essex linen for the gussets, and some Moda fabrics from my local quilt shop for the binding, lining and pockets. I carry sock knitting in it too, and I have gotten many compliments on it. I have some of the Cotton & Steel print with old-school rotary dial telephones on it, and want to use that to make another bag. This pattern is ingenuous, Anna!
Does anybody carry this as a purse? Just seems so perfect for a handbag.
My local fabric stores has some of this fabric in yellow which I have bought, online it has the mint and gold options. Such a cute bag.
http://www.purple-stitches.com/canvas/?sort=newest&page=1