In order to make this process (hah!) faster, I’m gang sewing 8 totes all at once in my own personal sweatshop. I timed this process once and learned that it takes between 4 & 5 hours to complete a tote, when I’m doing several at once! But when the construction is being done in dribs and drabs between everything else a Mom does when she’s got 2 kids home for summer vacation, that 40 hours of bag construction time seems like FOREVER!
One of the upsides, I came across a new way to add structure to the bottom of my bags just in time to do it to these 8. Usually I made a bag base by fusing 2 layers of peltex between 2 layers of canvas, zigzigging the whole sandwhich and inserting into the bottom of the bag after it’s completed. Now, I do it this way (Nicholle Mallalieu’s bag base tutorial) using 2 layers of fusible Peltex instead of her suggested Fast2Fuse so the bag bottom structure is built into the bag, and no more zigzigging!
Now I’m almost done!
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omg – HOW do you do this? Once, about 35 years ago, I was making one-of-a-kind totes. i brought them to a fine craft gallery and they wanted 3 dozen. I told them no. The idea of doing production would drive me over the edge! Kudos to you – these are really cool and you are a hero for doing it!
P.S. – I will post kitchenpix when I leave here.