Friday, March 23, 2012

Little People Applique Tote Bag

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I have a thing for Fisher-Price Little People (they've shown up here and here). I've been planning some sort of Little People project for a while. I wasn't sure what medium it was going to be, and I've had several ideas floating around in my head, so there may be more projects to come :) My oldest just started taking an intro to ballet and jazz class through our town rec program, and she needed a little bag to carry her ballet slippers to and from class. Add to that the fact that I've been dying to try Maureen's applique tutorial. And on top of that, this month's Point of View theme is "Pinterest". All of these things started coming together, and the Little People Applique Tote Bag was born...


This project was inspired by two Pinterest pins. The applique image itself was inspired by this painting from Escape Adulthood...



The applique how-to came from Maureen of Maureen Cracknell Handmade...



I love this bag. It is seriously in the top five favorite things I have ever made. I had no idea that the image of the finished project in my head was actually going to work on fabric. And, of course, my youngest really wanted a bag after she saw her sister's, so I'll be sharing another one of these next week (with a different hairstyle :)


For the tote bag itself, I used home dec weight fabric and followed my Reusable Snack Bag with French Seams tutorial (minus the hook and loop tape, plus two straps, and enlarging the bag itself). The finished bag is about 9" wide and 10" tall (not including the straps).


The applique pieces are cotton with two layers of interfacing on each piece. I used fabric paint to create the eyes, nose, and mouth. I also added a 2" x 3" rectangle to the back of the bag with my daughter's name embroidered on it.


I absolutely love this project, and I plan on doing more applique in the future. It's so much fun. It's like putting a puzzle together. And the outlining with the black thread just makes everything pop. I love that you can use the stitching to add details like the bangs. This adds a whole new element to my sewing projects, one that I'm going to be using a lot!


Now it's your turn... Check out this month's Point of View collage and link up your past or present Pinterest projects at the Point of View Pinterest Link Party! We want to see what you've been up to!




I'm linking up...

monogramSkip To My Loukojodesigns

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

How cute! I really like French Seams especially for projects like this that could get a lot of wear and tear

Amy at Ameroonie Designs said...

Love it Gwen! The girl is so cute, and I'm sure your girls are going to use them tons! ;)
xoxo

Jeanine The Crafting Fiend said...

so cute! I'm pinning this for inspiration

Jonie Marie said...

What a darling bag! I can see why it is your favorite. I know I would love it too! I can't wait to see the other one.

Jonie

caralyn said...

I quite literally SQUEALED when I saw this bag. Recently, my mom unearthed an entire cache of Little People from when my brothers & sister & I were little and my kidlets have been obsessed with them. Love this bag. Love it!

Katie said...

OH. MY. GOSH. That bag is freakin awesome! My mom has all of my little people on a shelf in her spare room. I love them!

Tasha said...

Oh my word Gwen, it is beyond adorable!!! Seriously. That is killer cute. I cannot wait to see the other one too. What lucky daughters you have.

Ashlee Marie said...

So cute! I love little people! what a totally fun bag!

Maureen Cracknell Handmade said...

How adorable!! I love it! Thank you so much for linking up to me, I can't wait to see all the fun applique projects you'll be making!!

Unknown said...

Gwen, it is perfect! They just don't make the little people like they used to...

cgammeter said...

Hi Gwen; I'm Connie @ http://hotflashncraftn.blogspot.com/, your new GF friend, please stop by and be my friend, too.
I'm so glad I stumbled on to your blog, I love it. So many projects and ideas. You take awesome pictures, too. Thanks for sharing.

chris said...

I still have my Fisher Price dollhouse with that exact little person. My kids have loved to play with it! What a great design for your daughter. Love it!

Andi said...

I'll say it again...LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this bag!!

Heather Cartwright said...

Love this bag and might have to make one for myself.

Unknown said...

I think the little people are inspirational as well. They're just so simple and sweet. Needless to say, your bag is awesome Gwen, great job!

Kristy @ Quiet Play said...

Absolutely adorable!

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