Embroidered Sewist's Tote

So far the only thing I've made with my embroidery machine have been match games. They take quite a bit of time since each set comes with 20 game pieces plus the basket. And to think I've only made three sets! Two of the girl sets have been sold. The animal set is in my shop waiting for someone to buy it for some lucky child (hint hint).

 So, while these are fun, as I said before, they are quite time consuming. I decided for my next project I would make something that wouldn't take quite as much time. I found a pattern for a thread basket that I found on Secrets of Embroidery site. When I started making the basket, it seemed rather large and the instructions were a bit confusing as I got more involved, so I decided to just turn it into a tote. It took me most of the day, but I love how it came out.

Except for the yellow striped fabric, it is made from four fat quarters I had in my stash. I think if I make it next time, I'll not make the top section quite as tall as it makes the embroidered block look a bit off center.

Here is a close-up of the embroidery design. Can you believe it was only $1?? And how true is the saying! I did have to change a few colors so they would show up on the yellow, but I think it turned out well.

This is the back of the bag. There are three 7" x 7" blocks (back and sides) with the sewing machines and 2" strips with a coordinating fabric (thread spools) connecting the blocks. The top and bottom of the bag are also the thread spool fabric. This is the first time I've ever attempted to make anything closely resembling quilt/piecework.

As an added feature, I decided to put some pockets on the inside. There are three of them. I also added a bottom to keep the bag square when standing. This was meant for a Secret Sister swap on an online sewing group I belong to, but I may just keep it for myself and use it as a "I don't need that much at JoAnn Fabrics today" bag.