Disclosure: Some links in this post are my affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Welcome back, I hope you’re enjoying the blog hop so far. See the schedule near the bottom of this post to make sure you catch up with everyone. Today I’m sharing a project from On The Go Bags, a book co-authored by Canadian Janelle MacKay. Janelle is the creative genius behind Emmaline Bags, where she designs and sells bag patterns and hardware. She also has a Craftsy class that is offered at a 50% discount for the duration of the blog hop. Plus you can enter to win a $25 store credit to Emmaline Bags; the giveaway is at the bottom of the post.
I made the Two-Bottle Tote from the book. I thought it would be a great bag for the summer, when I tend to head to the beach or go to backyard barbecues. I think it makes a great hostess gift too. The bag is generously sized to hold 2 bottles (of your favourite beverage, wine perhaps?) with a centre divider. It’s quite clever actually because you can use the divider or fold it out of the way for one large compartment. In fact, each section is big enough that you could use one for a wine bottle and the other for snacks, or even fare for a romantic picnic!
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I used a foam stabilizer and I really like the shape of the bag. This was my first time making a decorative belt and I got to put in eyelets too! I got my belt buckle from Emmaline Bags as well. I really enjoyed making the bag and found it quite simple to make by following the instructions in the book.
The book is full of great patterns, 15 in total, plus tips and techniques for a professional look to your sewing. Janelle has 3 patterns in On The Go Bags: Park Blanket, Two-Bottle Tote and Airport Sling. The other patterns in the book are from a mix of my favourites and some new-to-me designers, all coming together for a really great variety of functional bags for life “on the go.” The projects range from easy to advanced, making it a great book for beginners and experienced sewists alike. Want to grab a copy for yourself? Right now promo code CANADA will save you 20% off everything at C&T Publishing, so you can get the ebook or the book, or even both (like me) and make some great bags!
Camelot Fabrics
Did you know Canada has our very own fabric company?! I think that is just so cool! So I decided to make my project truly Canadian by using fabric from Camelot Fabrics, a Canadian company. For my Two-Bottle Tote, I chose Mama & Me, a truly adorable collection designed by Andrea Turk from Cinnamon Joe Studio. I love that it has some sophisticated prints, and some fun prints, making it a perfect line for coordinating Mama and kid items. Watch my blog later in the hop, for how I used the kid coordinates. Camelot has also contributed a FQ bundle from this collection as a prize in our giveaway. Make sure to enter every day for another chance to win.
Looking for Canadian shops that carry Camelot Fabrics? Flare Fabrics has Nordic, Bambino, and other select prints in stock; Sitka Fabrics has Heavy Metal, Mixology and several others, including licensed prints; Funky Monkey Fabrics offers a large selection of licensed Camelot prints, plus select others including Mama & Me; Stay Home Fabrics carries the Elixir collection (one of my favourites) and also has some Beyond the Backyard; Fabric Spark has a couple prints in their sale section, and Fabric Please has Elixir, Rise and Shine, and Mixology. The best part is that many of them are also offering a discount to the blog hop readers! Check the Sales Tab for all the sale details.
Canada Day 2016 Blog Hop Schedule
Be sure to visit each of these brilliant blogs this week for more on our outstanding Canadian designers and suppliers:
And, of course, to enter our giveaway for some sweet-like-maple-syrup prizes.
June 24: The Tour Starts HERE at Happy Okapi
June 25: Celine guest posts on Happy Okapi; Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
June 26: Fiona @ Tangled Blossoms Designs; Carla @ Half Dozen Daily
June 27: Sherry @ Thread Riding Hood; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 28: Nicky guest posts on Seam of my Pants
June 29: Daniela @ On the Cutting Floor; Reece @ Happy Okapi
June 30: Michelle @ Michelle’s Creations
Canada Day–June 31*: Ula @ Lulu & Celeste
July 2: Marsha @ Seam of my Pants
July 3: Keshia @ Sand Dollar Design Studio
July 4: Wrap Up @ Happy Okapi
July 6: Giveaway winners announced
* Yes, we know!
Good luck! Make sure to check in every day for another chance to win.
Wonderful tote, Reece.
Thank you for the mention and awsome review. Fantastic blog tour! Looking forward to all of the stops! Janelle
Such a beautiful way to carry around your wine!
Such a lovely way to carry some wine 😉
I’m putting the book on my buy list and the tote on my to do list! love love!
Fabulous tote Reece!
I love that tote!
And I love Camelot Fabrics. Thanks for introducing them to me.
I’ve been wanting to try a new wine bottle carrier and like the design of this one 🙂 Thank you Reece 🙂