Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Poolside Tote


Hi there! I'm sure your world has been turned upside down by Covid-19, just as mine has here in Florida. It is wild how quickly things can change...in a matter of days our house went from being so busy, shuttling kids here and there, to now, we have absolutely nothing on our schedule! It's been very nice to have a forced break, however I know that it is coming at a huge cost.

Seven months ago, my dad passed away in a bicycling accident. Losing someone so quickly and unexpectedly is incredibly hard; that grief has been a tremendous weight that I carry around each day. If I can help prevent someone from having to lose their loved one to Covid-19, I will! Our family has taken the social distancing that the United States has implemented very seriously so that we can help alleviate the demand that has been placed on the hospitals and the medical industry. All that to say, I write this sewing post today, completely aware that there are serious, life altering current events happening worldwide right now and my heart goes out to each and every one of you who is struggling with the changes that our world is facing!


Switching gears completely, let me share a little bit of the sewing that I have been doing in my new found free time. This is the poolside tote by Anna Graham, a pattern that I have sewn numerous times, but never have I sewn one for myself!


When I was shopping for fabric, I originally looked for some linen that I could wax with otterwax and make my bag waterproof. Once I sewed the bag up, though, I loved the way it looked without anything added to it. I love that the bag is very neutral and will go with anything I have on!


The fabric that I used is all out of stock...however peek around Fabric Mart and I'm sure you'll find something similar. Here's a link to their linen page and the accent and lining fabric I used was a cotton chambray The metal zipper I used was also from Fabric Mart.


I'm sure that I will get asked, the Flower Map of the United States that you see behind the bag is from an artist in Saint Augustine, Jenna Alexander.



I hope that you are doing well as we are all hunkering down and doing our best to help get through these ever changing times!

Teresa Behr @dandeliondrift

P.S. Thank you so much Fabric Mart for the great materials to make this bag!

Comments

  1. Great post. What a wonderful idea to get started on a bag for Summer fun. I looked at Teresa's pics from her IG acct. I am yearning her beautiful borderprint sleeveless shirt.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so sorry to hear about your father, Teresa. Thank you for sharing your experience and your concerns.
    Your bag is beautiful. I love that you kept it simple- it looks very elegant. Take care!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Celebrating warm weather with Spring sewing!

Hi sewing friends! I don’t know about you but boy, was winter cold and dreary this year! The weather here in the Philadelphia area has been slowly improving, but Spring sure did take her sweet old time to arrive. So by April, I was definitely in the headspace of needing to sew up things that were either bright and cheery or meant for the warmer weather I am very much craving right now. I recently purchased a few SewBexx Patterns so I took them on a test run to create some Spring makes. First on my list was to make a top using this absolutely gorgeous ITY fabric I picked up last year. I had two yards which was enough for a long sleeve shirt. I chose the Olivia top, which is oversized with a drop shoulder, has multiple lengths and a split hem. I think the pattern is intended for heavier fabrics but I was envisioning how lovely this top would look with the drape of ITY knit fabric, and it did not disappoint. It came together for me quickly and was a straight forward sew…and I love the br...

Made By A Fabricista | Chasing Time: My White Rabbit-Inspired Look for Atlanta Frocktails

For this year’s Atlanta Frocktails, I found myself captivated by a character who’s been quietly tugging at my imagination for years—the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. There’s something so relatable about his frantic energy, always checking the time, always running late. While he’s worried about being on time, I’m usually calculating how late I can be and still technically arrive on time. Spoiler: I’m often wrong. It’s a cycle of procrastination and anxiety that I know all too well. So when I imagined my look for Frocktails, I thought—why not honor the White Rabbit? After all, time has been chasing me too. But this look isn’t just about Wonderland whimsy. It’s also deeply inspired by this year’s Met Gala theme, Tailored for You, which includes a focus on Black Dandyism—a celebration of Black elegance, intellect, and expressive style. I’ve been obsessed with this theme since it was announced. As a Black creative, I find it powerful and moving to see style used as a way to reclaim...

Made By A Fabricista: Getting into the Spirit of Summer

I'm not gonna lie y'all, I had a completely different project I wanted to do, but that's gonna take more time, and I wanted something cute, comfy and fun to wear for my birthday on the 19th. When I saw this goldenrod & off white linen jacquard , I thought it looked a bit like the design on a Koroks body, especially Makar from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker! I started with the bodice from the free Elderberry dress pattern from Mood, but deviated for the skirt, it felt a little plain of a design, and I had scraps of a Korok fabric that I knew would be a nice accent with some cut out pockets. I've made these pockets once before, deciding the cut out was based on aligning with the seam on the bodice for how far in, and as for how low depended on where I wanted the pouch of the pocket to start. From there I cut the visible part of the pocket, making sure to match the curve of the waist and following the line of the side seams of the skirt, as well as cutting a facing to...