Toots Totes - Blog

Un nouveau sac a main (a new handbag)...

19/9/2023

My lovely French teacher is in his eighties. During the course of our lessons he often asks what we've been doing la semaine dernière (last week) and my stock answer is J'ai fait du coudre (I've been sewing!)
He purports to be a typical man but is very up to date with current thinking. However, due to his masculine world view, he has said that he is unable to buy his wife gifts as he never knows what to get. You know what's coming don't you? 😀
Yes, he had a brainwave and asked me to make her a bag for her birthday in October! Mind you he wouldn't discuss details-he said 'you're feminine, so you know what she'll like!!'
So that's my latest project. I've chosen to use a William Morris fabric, as everyone loves those designs, so fingers crossed he'll earn some gold stars in October. I'll post a pic when it's complete.

Exclusive Sneak Peek...

19/9/2023

I'm using another of Diana's fabrics! Come back later to see what it becomes.

Here's one I made earlier...

27/8/2023

I couldn't wait to get started with my new Diana Tregaskes fabrics, so here is my first make. I'm calling it Grande Rosa as it's a couple of cms bigger than my standard Rosa, so as not to waste any of that beautiful poppy design!
It measures approx 46 x 30 x 10 cms, has leather handles, interior zipped and elasticated pockets in a practical cotton ticking lining with a zip top closure.
It's a bit special, a real one-off statement piece. I haven't listed it yet other than to show it on Instagram, so if you're interested in buying, snap it up quickly! You can reach me at hello@tootstotes.com to purchase.

New and exclusive to Toots Totes-Diana Tregaskes fabrics

27/8/2023

I have been very fortunate to acquire some beautiful exclusive fabrics from a talented water colour artist, Diana Tregaskes who is based in Newton Abbott, Devon.
I first discovered her work when trawling Etsy looking for unusual greetings cards. She has a fluid flowing easy and vibrant water colour style that results in wonderful captures of small animals, birds, insects and native flowers. Do give her Etsy shop a look when you have a minute... You're welcome! :}
Anyhow, she posted a pic on Instagram showing some fabrics she'd found during a clearcut of her studio and offered them for sale to her followers. I quickly snapped up a few, as I love her work and could imagine how fabulous it would look on bags. Later on she very generously gave me the remainder that hadn't sold. Needless to say I was delighted. So now they are available to you. Once they're gone, they're gone, never to be repeated so have a browse here and see if there are any you fancy to make an real one-off item. I have added a pound coin to each picture to give you an idea of scale. Some of the pieces are only 18 x 12 inches so we'd need to discuss your bag style carefully, so make contact and we'll start from there!

Blossom, butterfly and bee

Toots Totes Website Shop

27/4/2023

An announcement!

You can now shop direct from my website. I am gradually winding down my Etsy shop, due to their fees not being viable for a small hobby based concern. So please explore "Shop" in my top menu or if you've seen anything you like on Social Media that's not there, contact me direct to purchase at hello@tootstotes.com. Thanks!
And here's a taster of what you'll find!

Stylish Toots Totes designed zip top “Rosa” tote shopper handbag in Skinny laminx fabric

£80.00

Take a closer look!

Sustainability

16/3/2023

Now SOLD
I'm trying to do my bit in the quest for more sustainable living. I seek out sad wicker baskets that I can clean up, refurbish and pretty up with a lovely lining. The latest was a little big to use as a handbag, so I decided to make it into a sewing basket.
I used some preloved William Morris "Briarwood" fabric and with padding and pockets a-plenty, I think it works quite well.
I will be taking it to the Vintage Day Out in July, but it is listed on Etsy if you'd like to purchase it first!

Blossom

16/3/2023

A perfect title for this time of year! I haven't made a Toots Totes "Blossom" for quite a while but it seemed to me to be a perfect design for the upcoming Vintage Day Out.
The first one, made with some delightful floral handles and a pretty floral lining, sold in a flash when I posted it on Facebook, so I've made another!

A vintage button of course!

The straps had to be sewn on after the bag was made as attaching them before would have made sewing the lining in impossible. Luckily they supply these extra little fobs to disguise the stitching!

Back view

The second one involved some piping around the top band. I won't be doing that again-it was soooo fiddly! But the end result is pretty but smart, don't you think? It had to have red leather handles and a red vintage button finished it off nicely!

Vintage makes

16/3/2023

I'm having great fun sourcing vintage and vintage style fabrics for the upcoming Vintage Day Out. It's the perfect excuse to buy and those of you who are fabric addicts will know what I mean!
Jacqueline Fleming, an expert and very knowledgeable vintage fabric stockist based in Woodbridge, who supplied some wonderful complementary pieces when I was working with Henry Moore designed fabrics, found these beautiful kitsch kittens for me.
I used the 1952 Vogue pattern to make a Toots Totes "Daphne" bag and I'm rather pleased with the result!
The lining is a pretty floral cotton that adds to the vintage feel and I added modern haberdashery to make it more user friendly.
I had a lovely pink leather strap, which co-ordinated well, that came from Ukraine with some others, at the beginning of the conflict. They took a while to reach me but it felt good to have gone a little way to helping support a small business to keep trading in such difficult times.

I had thought about adding a big pink bow to the flap for additional kitsch value, but a straw poll on social media quashed that idea! And I think they were right-it was a step too far.

A Vintage Day Out Essex

16/3/2023

1 JUL & 2 JUL AT 10:30 – 16.00 A Vintage Day Out Essex
Event by Helen Rollason Cancer Charity
Cressing Temple Barns and Gardens

So pleased to be selling at this event this year!
Please put the dates in your diary and come and say hello!

Tree Peony...Take Three!

14/12/2022

Yep I made another-I'll tell you a secret-I'd already cut it out for my client who ordered one for her conference (see below), but then decided it wouldn't be deep enough to hold her papers, so abandoned the pieces I'd cut out to make a bigger version.
I rather like this one now completed in its own right, with the additional cream stripe that frames the 'Tree Poppy' fabric nicely along the top, and the pretty lining that echoes the colours of the outer.
Available on Etsy or a little cheaper if you buy direct from me: hello@tootstotes.com 😉