Whale and dolphin tote bag

My daughter, Erica, is a sometimes sewer. Sometimes she'll get an idea for a project and have to sew it up right away and sometimes she sews out of need, especially when it comes to making cute gifts for her friends.

This time, her friend Jacqueline is heading off for an internship in Hawaii to study dolphins and whales (how's that for an awesome internship!). It's also Jacqueline's birthday this month.

I just happened to have an old fabric panel that had a square of whales, dolphins, turtles, and manatees. The whales and dolphins were the perfect thing for the front and back of a basic tote bag. Erica was a little bit worried that it wasn't going to be young enough or hip enough with the panels. We spent a good bit of time digging through my fabric stash looking for something to add a modern touch. Once we found these dots, she knew it was going to work out just fine. She quilted the panels by outlining the major lines in each picture and adding some wavy lines.

The orange dot forms a pocket on each side of the bag. The original pocket was way too deep for a hand to fit in, so a quick line of stitching to shorten it up took care of it. The pocket is just right for a phone or sunglasses.

 

The inside is lined with a Kaffe Fassett paperweight print in a light color so it's easier to see the contents inside the bag. There's a bright yellow divided pocket on one side.

Erica doesn't have quite the passion for sewing that I do, but she certainly "gets it" and is super supportive of everything I do. It's fun to have a partner in crime from time to time, and fun to watch another creative mind turn out a fabulous project. I think Jacqueline is going to love it.