A call came in, requesting that I do a private showing of my tote bags from a customer for a group of friends. My stock was down to six bags and having a nice selection wth variety of sizes and colors is crucial, so I spend the last week making half a dozen new totes. These gals live on the Skokomish Reservation, so I dove into my stash of Native themed fabrics.
I look for vintage and natural materials like Mother of Pearl, Abalone and wood to make the closures unique, occasionally using magnetic closures as well. Good, reasonably priced buttons can be challenging to find and I scour eBay, second hand shops and sewing expos for good buttons. A strip of velcro is attached under the flap with a matching strip sewn to the opposite side of the bag. Easy to access and close when you’re on the go.
We had fun, a group of women talking about bags and what we like them for. One gal wanted a bag for taking to conferences and carrying her knitting, one selected a tote with cats in tribute to a favorite pet and another selected two for gifts. Her Christmas shopping is well in hand!
Had to laugh: I started with 6 totes, added 6 and came home with 6. Balance.
Lennea
