Fold and Go Market Bag Tutorial {or I'm smitten with this fabric}

This post was originally shared over at The Ribbon Retreat. They kindly provided me with the fabric used for this project in exchange for the tutorial. I love working with the Ribbon Retreat and would not recommend them to you without thinking they are a wonderful place to shop for all your sewing needs! 

I'm a big fan of reusable bags for grocery shopping. They hold a ton and don't break on me like plastic and paper tend to. But they're also big, clumsy, and annoying to carry around. Therefore, I don't tend to take them with me when I'm running smaller errands.

That's where this little bag comes in. It's lightweight and folds up to fit easily into your already too full purse {or diaper bag}. It's also roomy enough to hold a normal haul from the drug store or even clothes shopping!

What you'll need:
1/2 yd of main fabric {I used Floral Bloom in Aqua from Happy Go Lucky}
Fat Quarter of lining fabric {I used Jump in Multi from Happy Go Lucky}
Fat Quarter of pocket fabric {I used Jump in Lime from Happy Go Lucky}
6 inches of elastic cording
1 coordinating button {I used 1/2 inch covered button kit}
Thread {I used Pearl}
Sewing machine, rotary cutter, etc.
Pattern

Start by cutting out and assembling your pattern. You'll match up A to A, B to B, etc. You'll create a pattern for the main bag and the lining.

Cut out two of the main bag and two of the lining on the fold. Be sure you watch out for directional patterns on your fabric. Also, cut out an 8.75 inch by 5.5 inch square for your pocket.

Let's start by assembling your pocket. Finish the top of your pocket by folding the edge down 1/4 inch {wrong sides together} and pressing. Then fold down again 1/4 inch, press, and pin. Sew close to the edge of the fold.

Press the rest of the three sides in 1/4 inch {wrong sides together}.

Tie a knot in your elastic cord, making a small loop.

No for pocket placement. Use the corner of the cut out notch on the bottom, left side of the bag as your measuring start point. Measure up 2.5 inches and in 4 inches from that corner. Pin well. Insert the elastic cord loop at the middle of the right side of your rectangle. Sew the three sides of your pocket to the bag, leaving the top open. Sew close to the edge of the pocket. Be careful and go slow when sewing over the cord. It's a lot for your machine to take!

Finish the bottom of your lining by folding up 1/4 inch, pressing, folding up another 1/4 inch and sewing.

Place one of your linings on top of one of the main bag pieces, right sides together and pin. Sew along the outside of the handle and the mouth of the bag {the curved parts}. Do no sew the top of the straps {the straight parts}. Repeat with the second bag and lining pieces.

Either clip the curves close to the seam allowance {careful not to clip the seam itself} or use pinking shears to trim seam allowance. Don't skip this step. It will really help the curve lay nicely.

Flip one of your two bag pieces right side out. Press well.

Insert the handles of the right side out bag into the handles of the inside out bag. It can take some fussing to get them shoved in there and fitting nicely.

Line up the tops of the handles and pin.

Sew the handles, going over them two or three times. This will reinforce the seam and give your bag added strength to take on heavy loads.

Now, pull your inside out bag right side out. Press well. Top stitch along the outsides of the handles and the inside circle.

Now it's time to finish the sides and the bottom of your bag. You'll use french seams for added strength and gussets to make your bag nice and roomy.

Start by lining up the edges and bottom of your bag, wrong sides touching. Pin along the sides and bottom, leaving the cut out squares be.

Sew using a 1/4 inch seam allowance down the sides and across the bottom of the bag. Do not sew along the squares.

Turn bag inside out. Press side and bottom seams well. Sew along these seams, using a presser foot seam allowance.

Now its time to tackle the gussets. You'll be making these into french seams as well. Pull the two sides of the fabric apart and then line up the side seams. This will leave you with the bottom seams meeting in the middle of the sides you just lined up. Pin. Clear as mud? Good! Check out the picture for some clarification.

Sew using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Carefully clip corners. Turn bag inside out. Press seams well. Sew, using a presser foot seam allowance.

If using covered button, follow the instructions on your kit. Then, sew button onto the main fabric, just to the left of your pocket.

Ta-da! You now have a cute little market bag fold up and throw in your purse.

Wondering just how to fold up your bag? Here's a visual!

Come party with me! C.R.A.F.T, Mommy By Day, Crafter By Night, Shwin & Shwin, Tip Junkie, Southern Lovely, Uncommon Designs, Somewhat Simple, Yesterday on Tuesday, House of Hempworths, 52 Mantels, The CSI Project, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, Family Ever After, The Grant Life, Positively Splendid, I {Heart} Nap Time, It's Overflowing

First Time Children's Consignment Sale Shopper Tips

This post is brought to you by Just Between Friends Fort Worth. The love it professes is all my own. Please check out my Disclosures page if you have any questions!

*Giveaway Closed*

By now, I'm sure you are all getting used to by biannual love letter to Just Between Friends Fort Worth. What can I say? I'm smitten with this sale!

For those of you who might be new around here, JBF Fort Worth is the largest in Texas consignment sale for kids clothes and gear and maternity item. Held at the Will Roger's Center, this sale is giant. It's like a Costco filled with just gently used kid's clothes, toys, and gear.

The enormity of it all can be daunting. I've heard people say they don't shop JBF Fort Worth because its just too overwhelming for them. The sheer size of the sale is what I love about it. More stuff = a better selection. It allows me to get everything I could need for my daughter for the season for 60% {or more} off of retail.

I've been shopping JBF Fort Worth since before my daughter was born {over three years now}. So, I want to give first time shoppers some hints, tips, and tricks that I've picked up over the years. {Thinking of consigning for the first time? Check out this post!}

1. Come prepared!

Take inventory of your kiddo's closet. What are they going to need for the upcoming season? Are there any special outfits {holidays, birthday} that you should be keeping an eye out for? Speaking of birthdays, are there presents for your kiddos or friends you should be looking for? Going in with a list of needed items helps reduce the "holy cow there's a ton of stuff here" feeling. It also helps me make sure I don't walk out with a ton of stuff I don't need.

2. Bring something to haul your goods in!

I always bring a white plastic laundry basket to load up with my goods. I just kick down the aisle with me as I browse. Keep in mind, this is just shopping for one toddler and I normally get very little toys/gear. Scale accordingly. Lots of shoppers bring large laundry baskets, trash cans on wheels {used just for sales} or garment racks. Making a list should help you know how big of a hauling device you should plan to bring.

3. Use the hold section and sold tags!

If you're planing on shopping for larger items, the hold section and sale tags will be your friends. You can snag hold tags from the tables just outside the sale. These little gems will help you not have to haul around a whole crib with you while shopping for clothes. You can also take advantage of the hold area at the back of the sale. I use the hold section for larger items that I'm debating about while I do the rest of my shopping.

4. Look for high desired items first!

Wagons are the holy grail of this sale. Especially during the spring sale! Oh for the want of a good quality, great price wagon! What I wouldn't give {as long as it's less than $40} for a great wagon! It you're looking for wagons, pack and plays, and other larger item that every parent needs for a new kiddo, go there first thing. Then, use the sold tags or hold section.

5. Shop early!

There are a host of ways to get into the sale early. One amazing opportunity to get in early for soon to be or first time parents {including adoptive parents} is to register as a First Time Parent. By registering online by February 27, you and a guest get in between 3pm and 8pm on March 1st. That's before the general public. You can also Volunteer or Consign to get in before everyone else. Not an option for you? Try shopping after the mid-sale drop off. I am a firm believer that the early bird gets the worm at this sale! Check out the full calendar here!

Are you excited to shop? Well JBF Fort Worth is giving one lucky reader $15 to get their shopping spree off to a great start. I'm serious...$15 at JBF goes such a long way! Enter using the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As a side note, I'm now on Instagram! Be sure to follow along for a live Instagraming session on March 1st at 8am {ish. Let's face it...It's a Saturday morning. Sometimes getting out of bed and off somewhere kiddo free doesn't always go as planed.}. I'll be sharing my finds as well as some other great deals as I shop at JBF Fort Worth!

Giving back through Operation Smile

This post was sponsored by CampusBookRentals. They're a company I trust or I wouldn't work with them. All opinions are my own. 

I have been doing a prolonged happy dance lately. Right before Christmas, I finished up my last {real} class of my Master's in Social Work. Now all that stands between me and my degree is an awesome nine month field placement. I'm going back to my roots, working with kids with developmental differences. I cannot put into words how excited I am.

During my massive class spree, I did a ton of textbook renting. Often, I rented through CampusBookRentals. After the fact, I found out that with each rental, CampusBookRentals donates to Operation Smile. This little fact made CampusBookRentals my rental company of choice. It allowed me to spend my money a little more responsibly. 

Operation Smile is an amazing organization dedicated to changing the lives of children born with cleft conditions. What speaks to me most about Operation Smile is their work towards sustainability. Their work focuses on empowering local communities to meet the needs of their own communities. Many of their medical missions are now being planned, staffed, and volunteered by the home country. This makes the development geek in me thrilled. 

Want to learn more about the amazing work of Operation Smile? You can check out their website. Are you like me and have a stack of textbooks you're looking to make money off of? Check out Rent Back.

I'm always looking for ways to spend my money more responsibly. What companies have you found that allow you to spend money and give back at the same time?

 

Three Ingredient Mint Hot Coco for Two

I'm from California. I was raised in San Diego and still think of the Sacramento area as home. I love the snow. But I firmly believe that if there's snow on the ground, I better be in Tahoe with skis trapped to my feet.

Three days after we moved to North Texas, we had the worst snow storm in a century. I felt it was a sign that we should move back home. My husband reminded me about the paycheck in Texas so I begrudgingly decided to stay. The day we moved into our house it was in the 30s, I was five months pregnant, and we had no working heater. Very, very begrudgingly...

Since then, the weather has mostly behaved. We had a small amount of snow last year. It melted by mid day. Well, the weather stopped behaving Thursday. And I'm annoyed. 

Those of you who live in actual cold weather are probably laughing at me. But I'm going to be stuck inside for at least four days with a hard layer of snow, sleet, and ice covering everything. Thankfully I had enough sense to stock up the morning before the storm hit. But my toddler is going totally and completely crazy being stuck inside.

So, the moment I put her down for her nap, I knew I needed a little treat. It's freakishly cold outside {I think 16 is too darn cold!} and I didn't think to buy any decaf tea. I was also out of the wonderful Trader Joe's mint coco mix. 

Well, I improvised. And I'll never make coco another way again!

All you need for two wonderful cups of mint hot coco is:

8 Andes mints

3/4 cup chocolate chips {I used semisweet because it's what I had on hand}

2 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp milk, divided

In a small saucepan, melt Andes mints, chocolate chips, and 1 Tbsp milk over medium heat. Stir frequently.

Once chocolate is melted and smooth, add milk 1/2 cup at a time. I found a whisk was the best way to combine everything {I switched to a whisk right after taking this picture}.

Warm to desired temperature.

Serve with giant marshmallows or whip cream.

This creamy mint hot coco takes only five minutes to make and only uses one pan. It's the prefect cold night treat for after you tuck your kiddos in {I'm thinking some peppermint schnapps might be in order}. Trust me, you'll never want to use a mix packet again!  

I know most the country is under ice and snow. I hope you all stay safe and enjoy your "snow" days!

Come party with me!

Tip Junkie, Southern Lovely, Uncommon Designs, Somewhat Simple, Yesterday on Tuesday, House of Hempworths, 52 Mantels, The CSI Project, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, Family Ever After, The Grant Life, Positively Splendid, I {Heart} Nap Time, It's Overflowing

Sharing at The Ribbon Retreat

Hey guys! I'm super excited to be at The Ribbon Retreat today. I'm sharing Emma's new quilt. Thankfully she's still happy in her crib. But soon she'll be moving up to a toddler bed. We're now ready with a momma made Ruffled Strip Quilt! Stop by and check out lots more pictures and a tutorial!