WiP Wednesday: the one with a bag

Not even one day into the new year and I am all atwitter with my new project: A bag! Yes people, I am taking the plunge and making something with stuff like "stay seams", "facing" and zippers!(I have no idea what a stay seam is!).  I have been wanting to make Elizabeth Hartman's Sewing Circle Tote for quite awhile now, but lacked the courage to start.

The supplies! Finally cutting into my stack of Shelburne Falls

However, in January the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild is starting monthly sew-ins. I for sure need a new bag to tote around my quilting projects/supplies. So I talked my quilty friend Jennifer from A Quarter Inch from the Edge, into making one with me. I was trying to be sneaky about the whole thing, but in the end told Jenn that I just needed her to do this. I don't have the sewing skills to tackle a project like this, and Jenn does! So we get a couple Stitch and Bitch(s) in AND we both have fancy new bags. Win. Win.

One page of cutting instructions. Everything gets a letter classification in my world. I know, Geek is the word.

So on Saturday we started. We started cutting. Cutting and Cutting. Four hours of ruler and rotary cutter later, we had all of the pieces ready to go.

Jenn tackling cutting

I will admit that I was getting more and more anxious about putting the pieces together as I cut, but the directions were very clear, and now that all of that leg work is done, I think putting the components together will be smooth. Wow, that fake confidence sounds good right!?

First came the straps. If the straps are any indication, this bag is going to be sturdy! The we got into doing some Quilt As You Go piecing for the outside pockets.

So far so good. I am loving the Essex Linen with the prints. Oh and pleasant surprise, when I pulled out the stack of Sheburne Falls from my stash, I thought they were fat quarters. But when I opened them up, they were 1/2 yard cuts. Merry Christmas to me!!!

We are both anxious to keep working on this, so Jenn will be back on Saturday to keep at it. I am likely a bit delusional, but hoping we can finish this weekend!

So what are you working on this week? I have seen such amazing "wrap up" and resolution posts today. So great to see all of the amazing accomplishments for the year and have a chance to get excited about the new!
Adrienne

ps - must include a photo of our helper

Penny loves a good scrap bin,and apparently the Christmas lights which I just caught her trying to eat in this pic. She looks guilty doesn't she!

pps
I am inspired by these words I saw today:
“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.”
― T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets