The Brenda Tote...

Happy Saturday!  Hope you all are enjoying the warm weather and taking advantage of it!  Only a few more weekends until my kids start school so we're going to take a drive somewhere.  I should be working on the garage sale I planned waaaay back in June, but I'm kind of over it.  I'd rather sew!

My latest project is this new tote for my friend, Brenda.  She liked my last version of Amy Butler's Cosmo Bag and wanted a smaller version for herself.  So, I got out my ruler and shrunk down the pattern.  The results?  Super cute!!!!  I'd like to pretend some modesty or humility, but really I totally rocked this bag.  I'm the schiznit.  I'm going to make another for myself.  Usually I carry the "reject" bags that I can't sell.  But now, I'm going to treat myself to something nice!

I have a real problem with making duplicate bags.  I truly want my customers to have a unique-one-of-a-kind bag.  So, I strove to give Brenda the "feel" of the original Cosmo she liked, but I didn't want a mini-me version of it.

Besides the obvious difference in size, I chose a rich wool-blend teal for the reverse applique.  The flower motif was inspired by a google image search.  I do this all the time for ideas.  I typed in "flowers" and narrowed it down to "line drawings" and that eliminated all the photos and detailed pictures. 

I'm particularly pleased with the welted pocket I placed on the back.  The corduroy buttons and silk pocket-lining are special touches you just don't see everywhere.  Plus, it kinda looks like mouth with button eyes, don't you think?  Even more cuteness....

A whimsical print on the inside and two patch pockets complete the Brenda Tote.  Should I have added a closure of some kind?  magnetic snap?  tab and button?  Would you want one?

 Here they are together, little sister and big mama!

Thanks for reading and double thanks for following!

Coming soon: a totally new tutorial and after that.....my first guest post at a bigtime blog!  Yay!

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Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,