Skinny little carryalls getting you down? Then it's time to go big and bold with today's jumbo tote! With its 6" base and sides, you can fill it with lots o' stuff. Throw it over your shoulder to transport your latest project wherever you need to go. When you're back home, it's pretty enough to sit next to your favorite chair and hold all your in-progress supplies. We made ours to hold knitting, but it would be equally wonderful for any jumbo job. As with all the projects this week, our bag is made in Malka Dubrawsky's gorgeous Simple Marks collection for Moda Fabrics. We chose a large motif with a bit of a random pattern and didn't want to make any unecessary cuts through it that would chop up the design. So, we came up with unique wrap-around sides. Rather than the seams going directly down the sides, the main body of the bag joins in the front and back with inset panels. This allows the sides to be single beautiful pieces that really showcase the motif.

When the weather outside is frightful during the holiday season, chances are you simply can't spend all your time sitting in front of a fire that's so delightful. You have things to do, places to go, and people to see. You need a roomy shopping tote that can stand up to whatever the weather throws your way. Welcome to a new week of our Happy Holidays series with FreeSpirit and Rowan and a new designer collection: the amazing Amy Butler and her brand new Alchemy collection. Today's All-Weather Tote, features soft cotton laminate to whisk away the weather. We even used a weather-resistant zipper for the outside pocket. The inside is pretty cotton with a laminate facing. And with 5" boxed corners, this tote opens wide enough to handle a full load of last-minute power shopping. Beautiful cotton laminate is just one of the many substrates Alchemy offers and with which we'll be working over the next two weeks.

Whenever we design a little zippered bag here on Sew4Home, we get a huge response. Everyone loves cute little bags. And who can blame us? We all have stuff that needs to live in its own carrying case: make-up stuff, sewing stuff, snack stuff, money stuff, even secret stuff. Today's winning bags feature amazing zippers in rainbow colors (yes - we have a link to where we found them) and a luxurious tri-color tassel you can make yourself. But, what really makes these pretty pouches pop are the bold colors and patterns of Ty Pennington's 2012 Fall Collection. Finishing at just 6" x 7½", the bags are the perfect size to drop into a larger tote, but the fabric combinations are so beautiful, they really deserve to be out in the open and on their own! To add a subtle dash of handmade style, we used the same thick floss running stitch across the bottom panel of the bag as we featured on our Ty Pennington Holiday Placemats.

If you're heading out for holiday shopping, you need a bag that makes maneuvering the season's crowded stores and stalls easier, and looks great doing it. We had a few "musts" on our shopping list for this shopping bag: 1) It must be big enough to hold a wallet and essentials as well as smaller purchases, leaving your hands free to browse the racks and bins; Solution: a taller bag with 2" side and bottom panels. 2) The opening must have a cover, but no zippers, buckles or clasps that take two hands to operate; Solution: a longer flap weighted with batting. 3) The strap must be adjustable, allowing you to quickly shorten it as the booty within the bag builds; Solution: short and long shoulder ties. 4) It must be cute, because that's all we allow at Sew4Home; Solution: Amelie's Attic by Melissa White for Rowan Fabrics.