... with added pleats

 

Day 1 with the kids back at school left me with an empty house, a mountain of work to catch up on and an uneasy feeling. So what better way to soothe yourself then a little sewing. My old tote bag which I still use a lot as it is so very handy, is beginning to look a little sad and tired, and I fancied a change. 

I really love this Nani Iro fabric with it's metallic gold spots, teamed with some Brussels Washer in charcoal for the top, handles and base (inside and out), makes a lovely combination.

I 'followed' my own tutorial as I couldn't remember how to add the base to the bag.  I say 'followed' because I looked at the pictures, didn't really pay attention and ended up having to make a considerable tweaks to my side seams after calculating the sizes of the pieces with not enough care. Still, it turned out nice in the end, and after some deliberation, I added a pleat to the top, because pleats make things better don't they?

It's a bit grey and autumnal but that's ok, as we approach autumn and hopefully it will be forgiving with chocolate stains and muddy paw prints.

I added a little Smile and Wave to brighten up the inside.

I really want to make something with this Nani Iro fabric, but am a bit nervous of messing it up and ruining some lovely fabric - does anyone else feel like that?