"Potpourri" Exchange, part II

This was a UFO from a guild exchange. (See "JHW Potpourri Exchange" under projects for more details.)

For this tote bag duo, the more colorful bag was woven by a guildmate with the intention of using the lighter beige fabric for the lining. I decided her lining fabric was too pretty to be hidden inside the bag, so I made a second bag for her, since she did such a beautiful job of combining my challenging bag of potpourri fibers into a fabric I loved.

I included the layout and tote bag lining images in this post. I had to engineer the tote bag pattern a bit beyond the given instructions. I used a craft-weight iron-in lining to give the twill fabric more stability, and accessorized the bag with a canvas bottom and handles for additional support. The handles are anchored well into the bag as you can see, not just sewn at the top/rim. (Weavers tend to load up their tote bags, don't they?)

As to the lining, I got great advice from a fellow guildmate, who warned me to choose a light-colored lining. I countered that I thought a dark one was the best choice, to hide stains that would come about with use. But she pointed out it is hard to see stuff in the bottom of a bag with a dark lining. So I opted for a leafy batik that reflected the personality of the guildmate this tote was intended for, and the pattern would hide any stains that frequent use might incur.

This was a GREAT guild exchange, and if your guild wants to try it, give us a shout and we can tell you the details-