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Charlie Harper tote

by Linda Theil

9.5 x 9.5 x 5-inch "Forever Shopper-small" tote in "Purple Finch"
fabric from "Best of Charlie Harper collection by Birch Fabrics


For Christmas 2019, Alisa gave me a selection of fat quarters based on the art of Charlie Harper. While each fabric is incredibly beautiful, the designs didn't harmonize in any way that I could work into a quilt, so the Charlie Harpers have been stewing in my stash all these months. I had just finished making my second Diane Spencer Ogg "Forever Shopper", and had returned to the Charlie Harper conundrum when I realized I could use a single Charlie Harper fat quarter as part of a two-toned tote in the small-sized "Forever Shopper" pattern.

I used a fat quarter of the "Purple Finch" design from "Best of Charlie Harper" collection by Birch Fabrics to make a 9.5 x 9.5 x 5-inch tote. 


I cut the fat quarter into two 11 x 18-inch pieces and sewed the pieces to each side of a 11 x 18-inch piece of a coordinating solid fabric. Because the "Purple Finch" design is a directional fabric, I had to sew one piece to the solid-colored fabric upside-down so that when the tote was assembled each panel would appear right-side up.

Because the tote is unlined, to give the fabric body and stability I quilted the fabric to a cream colored cotton in a 1.5-inch diamond design.

The handles are cotton webbing folded and stitched through the center, leaving a flange on either end to attach to the tote.

The tote features an interior, zippered pocket.

Because I eliminated an interior slide pocket, I decided to make a coordinating pouch using the Diane Spencer-Ogg "Cosmetics Pod" pattern featured free on the Spencer-Ogg website. 

Although I've made many of these little pouches, this is the first time I tried making one with quilted fabric. I used the quilt-as-you-go method to attach pieces of the black and cream cotton fabrics used in the tote, then added some extra quilting to the piece before cutting out the pod pattern.

Spencer-Ogg Forever Shopper - Small, and
 coordinating Spencer-Ogg Cosmetics Pod

UPDATE: April 13, 2021

Full-sized "Spencer-Ogg Forever Shopper" tote made with Birch Fabrics' Charlie Harper "White-breasted Nuthatch" design. 


This is my first tote featuring riveted handles. 

Resources

Birch Organic Fabric Charlie Harper Fabrics
https://birchfabrics.com/product-category/charley-harper-fabric/

Charlie Harper fabrics
https://www.charleyharper.com/products/fabrics.html

"Mother Goose shopper" by Linda Theil on AppletonDance
http://appletondance.blogspot.com/2021/03/mother-goose-shopper.html#.YGMia7RKhMY

Diane Spencer-Ogg
https://www.spencerogg.com/

Spencer-Ogg Forever Shopper pattern
https://www.spencerogg.com/product/the-forever-shopper-pdf-bag-sewing-pattern-in-2-sizes/
Forever Shopper video introduction
https://youtu.be/WMinmWrLeSs



"Carrot Mug Rug" by Linda Theil on AppletonDance

Comments

Cathy said…
Simply beautiful and what an excellent, detailed explanation. You have a way with words! Love it!!

3/30/2021
Elisabeth Waugaman said…
Beautiful and amusing for those who know about Nuthatches, who can hang upside down! (-:
Wearable, portable art! (-:
5/13/2021
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