Wavy Tote

I have enjoyed making this bag/purse/tote several times the past couple of years.  The original pattern is apparently out of print.  Laura Denison Designs is the designer - and created the pattern.  I purchased it in a quilt shop.  I have searched my sewing room for the original pattern with no success.  (Perhaps a reorganization of the sewing room is in order ...)    

My first "Wavy Purse/Tote"

Above you see my first "making" from this pattern.  I liked it.  

I don't remember what came next - but I think it was my friend Sally Honse coming to me with a couple of yards of fabric she purchased in Africa.  She and her son have gone to Africa and Haiti several times with a medical mission group Project Helping Hands. She was hoping I could make something to sell at an auction to raise funds for their next trip.  I went a little crazy (I've been known to go overboard)  I made about six bags using this pattern.  The pattern has two sizes. A large tote size and the smaller purse size -- the two pictures are both the larger tote size.  

The next one I made for my niece Paige.  She was starting her student teaching and wanted a bag for her "stuff."  She was traveling the MAX each day, and needed something she could put everything from her water bottle to books.

This is the smaller sized "purse." But still a good size (about 14 inches tall) The photo makes it look more cone shaped than it is. The sides are really straight. After making this, both my mom and sister-in-law put in requests for their purses.  I neglected to take pictures of either of those projects.

I was getting ready to travel for two weeks to Pennsylvania to visit my nephews. Ray lives near Philadelphia with his wife Missy and their three boys Jonathan, James and Cole. (The fourth one is due in June 1913!). Karl and his wife Janet live in Pittsburgh with their two sons Liam and Ethan.  I decided two days before the trip that I HAD to have one of these for my travels. It was perfect.  As you can see from the picture to the left,  I could fit my iPad and Kindle (yeah, I needed BOTH). Plus room for other various travel necessities. 

The picture below is with Karl, Ethan and Liam on the Duquesne Incline Plane in Pittsburgh (holding the purse). Truly the only flaw this bag has as the perfect travel purse is that it doesn't have zippers to close it.  If you've done any amount of traveling you know how necessary having zipped compartments can be. 

Karl, Ethan, Marianne, Liam, Sita (Karl's mother)

While visiting in Pennsylvania, Missy also put in her request for the purse - so when I got home I made one for her.

Jenny Beyer pattern and kit.

Summer of 2012 was a summer of "waiting" for me -- all the Teacher-Librarian positions had been eliminated from Beaverton School District. I was waiting to hear for my teaching assignment.  I didn't learn that I would be a 5th grade teacher at Kinnaman Elementary until the end of July.  One of my good teacher friends, Louise, told me I need to make a new "Teacher" bag for myself.  I found the following kit, full of beautiful fabrics - and knew I wanted to adapt it using my faithful "Wavy Tote" pattern. The fabric was from the fabric designer, Jinny Beyer.  She is famous for her richly colored fabrics.

This purse turned out SO WELL.  It is beautiful.  The picture doesn't do it justice.