An Army of 241 Totes.

I feel like I'm building an army of 241 totes. Slowly, the count rises, and each addition is near and dear to my heart. Then I send them off into the world, and...that's where this analogy crashes and burns.

(But I like the idea of a 241 army, so I'm sticking with it.)

This is the latest version, made for one of my favorite quilty bloggy people, Michelle. (Isn't she just fabulous?) She sent me a lovely zippy bag a while back--I honestly can't remember the name of the bag, but it has four total zippers and is apparently a pain in the tuhkis to assemble?--and I knew I wanted to make her a 241, but then I arrived upon the conundrum. What fabric was good enough to use for my friend?

The problem bothered me for weeks, until I pulled this print (Edelweiss by Juliana Horner) to use as backing for a baby quilt. After that was decided, it took me about thirty seconds to pull the other fabrics. The pink and white print on the outside pockets is by Sarah Watt for Blend Fabrics, and the charcoal is either Kona or Bella, I didn't mark it. The inside pink and white is Bonnie and Camille--maybe from their Ruby line? (I'm not really in the know on B&C lines.)

I used plain ol' white Aurifil thread for my topstitching, but I liked the contrast. I made this one similarly to my other 241 totes, but I lengthened the handle a bit and didn't make an adjustable strap. I wasn't pleased with the way my hardware worked on the last one, and I need to find some better hardware before attempting another.

I did finally find a magnetic snap with which I was pleased. On my first 241, I used a magnetic snap that was too large and too aggressive--if an inanimate object can be aggressive--that has managed to tear the fabric because it put too much stress on the fabric. I made a few without the closure, then found some snaps randomly on amazon. They are smaller and work much, much better.

I also used flusible fleece instead of a thick interfacing on this one, and man, I LOVE the result. I will definitely be doing that again, because yes! That's right! I have another 241 in the works.

In other news, THIS is my current view, and let me tell you, I'm none too pleased. I LOATHE snow with all of my being, and while I will admit it can be kinda pretty to view from a window, at the end of the day, I still hate that white stuff with a serious passion. Whine whine whine. I'm done. (For now.)