Appleton Dance

by Linda Theil I sewed my second "Clever Core Tote" designed by Diane Spencer-Ogg this weekend. I made this one for my sister-in-law, Susan, who loves a good tote! I used fabrics from the "Slow Stroll" collection designed by Stephanie Sliwinski of Fancy That Design House for Moda in 2022. For this tote I followed the pattern's two-tone layout using two color iterations of the same print from the collection. S-O "Clever Core Tote" crafted by L. Theil in "Slow Stroll" by Moda I added a decorative strip of fabric and D-ring on the front of the tote, omitted from the back. The "Clever Core" design features an integrated, zippered pouch; and a full-sized, zippered-pocket inside. The bag is roomy at 13x11x4-inches, well-designed, and very sturdy in its construction. For the strap I used 1.5-inch wide, cotton webbing from Penny Supplies. I preferred the tan webbing, but Susan chose the jauntier blue! Update: August 25, 2026 I made a bag c...

by Linda Theil I recently learned that the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild's 2027 quilt show will have an entry category for accessories, so I thought I might make a bag to enter in the show. I had a quilted landscape that I'd made in Karen Eckmeier's "Accidental Landscapes" workshop; and I thought that UFO might make a nice panel for a tote. The workshop was a lot of fun. For those interested in pursuing her technique, Karen Eckmeier has produced an "Accidental Landscapes Magic" YouTube video and an Accidental Landscapes (Quilted Lizard, 2008) book available from Amazon. For my quilted panel, I had used fabrics from Sarah Sczepanski's  "Rust & Bloom"  collection of monoprints published by Free Spirit Fabrics in 2023. I had purchased a half-yard bundle of the collection, so I had several fabric choices to use in the construction of my new tote. British designer Diane Spencer-Ogg just released a new, small-tote pattern, the "Cleve...