…this BIG “Rainbow Totebag” is the treasure at the end of the rainbow. We’ve had a lot of rain in Alabama–no local flooding so far, thank goodness–but our usual summer thunderstorms. The other day I saw a beautiful rainbow while driving home and got the urge to design this tote. I was thinking “beach bag” for summer, but truly I found it’s good for many other things as well. I made it deep and roomy with very useful pockets. I always like a zippered pocked for security, a pocket sized for phone or sunglasses, and this time I added one for a bottle holder. They take just a little more time, but the basic bargello-style quilt piecing is really easy, and the quilting is optional. I added metallic thread “rain” on mine and have already gotten compliments.
To make your own, click here for the pattern, on sale for $3.50 until the end of the month.
If I had good photos of rainbows, I’d add them, but I never seem to have my camera at the right time. What I WILL do is give some tips on sewing with metallic thread. It doesn’t have the same “stretch” as normal thread and will tend to break easily and all too often. However, you can tame it:
- Lower the tension on your sewing machine down a LOT.
- Use a special embroidery or metallic thread needle, which has a bigger eye and gives more “play” to the thread.
- Sew SLOWLY, and watch carefully to make sure the thread is flowing well from the spool. If it catches on something, it’ll break!
…and who wants “breaking rain”-just NOT logical. I used little pointed ovals and circles for raindrops. I think it’d be just fine to use a pretty rayon or polyester embroidery thread as well–blue, green, gray, white–whatever you have or want. Make it rain, quilter style!