Welcome to 2012! After the whirlwind of the holidays, we thought it was time for a little R&R. Not the traditional “Rest & Relaxation” but even better: “Re-imagine & Renovate.” We reached back into the S4H archives and found eight popular projects, then we re-did each of them with brand new fabrics, trims and notions. It’s our way to show you how easy it is to put a new spin on a fave design. We kick off the series with our original Mother’s Day Market Tote from 2011, which we turned into a sleek and stylish bag that makes a dramatic fashion statement.
Welcome to 2012! After the whirlwind of the holidays, we thought it was time for a little R&R. Not the traditional “Rest & Relaxation” but even better: “Re-imagine & Renovate.” We reached back into the S4H archives and found eight popular projects, then we re-did each of them with brand new fabrics, trims and notions. It’s our way to show you how easy it is to put a new spin on a fave design. We kick off the series with our original Mother’s Day Market Tote from 2011, which we turned into a sleek and stylish bag that makes a dramatic fashion statement.
A big thanks to our friends, and Shopping Directory retailer, Contemporary Cloth for co-sponsoring the series and providing all the fabric for today’s “Re-imagine & Renovate” project. Contemporary Cloth is a great place for modern, unique fabrics. Owner and working artist, Sondra Borrie reminded us the Yuwa Japanese fabrics are in stock, as well as Lotta Jansdotter’s Echo.
Our bag’s eye-popping main fabric is from Alexander Henry’s Matisse collection – Vie en rose floral dove in Tea. The base fabric is a Kona Cotton in deep espresso. And, the closure is a simple 7/8″ grosgrain ribbon in a matching deep brown. Lightweight batting provides the structure.
Every fabric has its own beauty and its own personality, and how you use it in a project can transform cute and quirky into sleek and stylish. It can even flip girlie-girl flirty and floral into masculine bold and modern. It’s why we are so in love with fabric here at Sew4Home; we know what a difference it makes to the end result of a project. Add a little R&R to your list of New Year’s resolutions. If you are new to the world of mixing and matching, take a look at these four tutorials:
How to Create A Fabric Palette
Mixing & Matching Colors, Patterns & Textures
Making the Right Fabric Choice
And check out our monthly Love That Fabric features for our latest picks, such as Kokka.
To “Re-imagine & Renovate” your own cool tote bag, go to our original tutorial. The only change to these instructions was our decision to skip the ribbon trim on the handles.
Happy Mother’s Day: Market Tote With Ruffly Ribbon Handles & Ties