I had the pleasure recently of making some fun tote bags for the sweetest woman. We ‘met’ through one of the Facebook groups in my community and she contacted me asking me to make these as Christmas gifts for her daughters. They had lost their beloved grandpa in early 2020, and just from talking to her, I could tell how amazing this man was. It was such an honor to turn his overalls and bandanas into keepsakes for his granddaughters.

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The job started with a consultation where Marta brought the overalls and an inspiration photo and we discussed our ideas for the bags. The overalls were cut and appliquéd to the bag exterior pieces before sewing everything together. I used Decor-bond on both the interior and exterior panels for a very structured bag. The interior has a double pocket using the featured fabric as well as a back pocket from the overalls. I wanted the bandanas to be removable, but secure while being used, so they are attached to the front pocket interiors with some hidden Velcro. Lastly, I added the patches to represent his military service.

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I was so happy to help this vision come to life! I got to make a new friend, and she even sent me a picture of her daughters with their bags on Christmas morning! The smiles on their faces really made my day.

Happy Sewing, ~L⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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