The Sewing Mom

A few months ago, I became a member of SocialSpark.com as another way to monetize my site. Of course, SocialSpark is more than a way to earn money, it’s a social community where I’ve made a number of friends, found bloggers with similar crafting interests and been introduced to new advertisers.

SocialSpark has had some very interesting opportunities, some of which I’ve posted on this blog. This is my personal blog and I want all of my posts, even those that I’m paid for, to reflect my interests. I’d love to see more crafting companies like Joann’s or Michael’s sponsor blogs like mine. Trust me, I spend enough at their stores, I sponsor them! Other companies I’d love to have sponsor me would include Viking sewing machines. I’ve spoken about them often on this blog and the sewing/embroidery machine I drool over on a regular basis is made by them.

Of course, I do other things besides sewing and would enjoy being sponsored by food product companies and, in particular, I can’t live without my Green Mountain Coffee. I’ve been a coffee club member with them for about 7 years and would feel honored to have them sponsor this blog.

Besides eating, I maintain our home and use cleaning products, do laundry, pool maintenance, and yard work. Let’s see, I believe Lysol is my most frequently used cleaning product, Tide and Downey are my laundry products of choice and we use a ton of Sears lawn products to keep our yard and shrubs under control as well as patio furnishings. Any and all of these companies would be welcomed as sponsors on this blog. Leslie’s Pool Supplies is a large supplier of all of our pool chemicals and equipment, they would also be welcomed here.

I could go on and on listing companies that I feel would be a great fit for sponsorships on this blog. I can’t forget about my family and shopping for them. We do a lot of business at Target, Home Depot and Lowe’s, all of which would be awesome sponsors.

So, if any of these companies are reading this blog, pay attention. Please consider advertising through SocialSpark.com, whether you go with a written post to create buzz or a review of a product, or a day to day sponsorship, I would be thrilled to have you sponsor my blog!

Okay, it only took me two weeks, but I’ve completed this project and I have to say, I’m very happy with it. The only reason it took me so long was that I kept procrastinating when it came to the quilting part of it. You see, I’m a sewer, but I’m not a fan of quilting, at least not when I’m the one that has to do it. I love quilts, and my mom is an expert quilter.  I’m just not comfortable with. And, because I expect all of my bags to end up perfectly, quilting can be frustrating for me. I just haven’t done enough of it to be good at it.

However, in the end, and with a lot of moral support from my mom, the quilting came out just fine. I love this bag!

This is a “medium” sized tote, approximately 8″x10″x13″. The entire bag is made from 100% quilters cotton, except for the backing of the main tote fabric which is a muslin. The muslin was only used as a quilt backing and is not visible in the bag as it is covered by the interior lining. This bag is padded with an all natural cotton batting. The larger pockets are supported with a fusible interfacing, as are the straps.

This bag is so nice and roomy inside. Besides the two exterior pockets, it also has 4 interior pockets. It is deep and wide and will carry many, many things. It’s even large enough for a laptop. I’ve added a magnetic snap closure to the top for security.

Due to the amount of fabric (almost 4 yards) and the time involved (even ignoring my procrastination), I will have to charge $48 for this beautiful tote bag.