The Queen Mothers of Totes

In the last few months I have conceived and designed a line of bags I call "CharmTotes" I think they rock and so do other people who have been buying them as quickly as I make them.

They are called CharmTotes because they are made from Charm squares and well, come on.. They are charming!

I wish I had time to make tons and sell tons but I have so many other things to make. (not to mention this job I have watching these kids and taking care of the home of a very handsome soldier)

Last week, I decided to finish a couple charm totes to take to the Hickam Craft Fair. I started stitching them up and had the bodies with straps stitched on Tuesday.

I made these with 6.5 inch squares made from the FreshCut line by Heather Baliley. I decided to do a blue/green theme and a peachy theme. As the bodies came together, they were HUGE! (I don't use a pattern for this. I wait and the fabric speaks to me. I have talked to other sewers and so I know I am not crazy. Fabric talks.)

I told my oldest daughter "These are huge! They are the BigMamas! They are the Queen Mothers!" Then it hit me! And they received their names.

The lovely blue/green tote is named Tamra after my mother in law. She loves green and would love this bag. My kids agreed this one was Tamra.

The lovely peachy is named Judy after my mom. When I was little I remember she liked peach and orange. (I thought it was weird to have orange as a fabric color. Noone I knew liked orange.) This bag came out so beautifully.

I had a million things go on throughout the week and didn't get back to Judy and Tamra until about 10PM on Friday night. I stayed up until 2 AM finishing, tagging, pricing, inventory and final pack.

I was so tired Saturday morning with only 3 hours of sleep (I took a shower at 2 AM and found a 3 year old in my bed who had just peed! AAHHH!!!! The last thing I needed at that hour!)

I could hardly make decisions. I knew if I could sell one of those bags that day, it would all be worth staying up late. If they didn't sell, I knew Etsy would call them home.

Toward the end of the day, both bags sold. Tamra went to a fellow craft fair seller who had stared at it all day. Check out her goods here at TDWives Very cute handpainted signs!

Judy went home as I was packing up, to the sweetest little lady who is a Hawaiian quilter. Have you seen Hawaiian quilts? She showed me pictures and I am in awe of her talent. I love Hawaiian quilts but don't have the patience for such handwork and don't like the look of a machine done Hawaiian quilt. She stroked my confidence by proclaiming the stitching on Judy top notch and purchased her!

I love these bags. I loved making them and I love the women I named them for. I loved meeting these women who fell in love with these bags and it was one more reason I love to make things. I love seeing the look in people's eyes. Just writing this makes me feel so pumped!

So here are the bags. They each have long straps, stand on their own, magnet snaps and 3 inside pockets. Keep watching for smaller versions. These are certainly one of a kind bags. I don't expect to make exactly the same kind. That's boring. But Mini Judy and Mini Tamra may happen as well as variations. Keep watching!