Blog Posts - Toots Totes

What? Feb already?

31/1/2022

January is often a bleak and non-productive month for makers, after the Christmas rush!
I'm happy to say my lovely clients have kept me quite busy, providing ready made and bespoke items. I've also had a sale on Etsy and MyFlair, which always drums up some interest!

Popular pink sampler fabric purse.

Emma Bridgewater Hellebore fabric purse.

The Year Ahead Now I'm looking ahead to the coming year, hoping to attend a few more fairs. I have just applied to the Braintree Textile Fair, hoping I may secure a pitch there. It's a great event and back in full force after a couple of years when events were difficult to arrange due to the unmentionable! Click on the link HERE to find out more about this year's event.

Vintage sewing pattern made with preloved fabric

Refurbished with a vibrant Marimekko fabric.

Sustainability And then there's my vow to be more sustainable. I already use eco-friendly wrapping, that can be recycled or reused, now I am looking to find some more sustainable ways of creating items. I have in the past, used preloved fabrics and woollens, so there will be a bit more of that, certainly.
Refurbishment I am also offering a free refurbishing service for Toots Totes bags you may have bought from me in the past that need a new zip or lining to make them last longer rather than you buying new. My bags are made to last with the best fabrics and threads and strong construction methods, so they'll stand up to that challenge!
Furthermore I intend to find sad and unloved wicker handbags to clean and refurbish giving them a new life. Watch this space!

Lower Waste Christmas Part 2

24/12/2021

I hate clearing up the aftermath of Christmas crackers-it's all so wasteful and the plastic nic-nacs all go into landfill. So I made my own reusable crackers this year from dupion silk! I didn't put a snap in but the velcro makes a satisfying rip! I filled them with chocolates, printed off the worst Christmas jokes I could find and made paper hats from coloured tissue. They went down a storm and the best bit is that i have them for next year too!
The immediate family also decided to give eachother consumable treats, rather than spending money on things none of us needed, only problem with that was that I then put on far too much weight!!

Dupion Silk Reusable Crackers

Chocolate Muffins for Uncle George sent by post!!

Lower waste Christmas

11/11/2021

It is estimated that in the UK we use 227,000 miles of Christmas wrapping paper a year, much of which is not re-cyclable.
Using a Wrap Sack is an easy eco-swap and can be used for years to come, so a good investment! Less paper to stuff into the waste and a pretty alternative wrapping.
These Christmas Wrap Sacks handmade by Toots Totes, in Emma Bridgewater designed cotton fabric and fully lined in a lovely coordinating spotty cotton are topped off with a burgundy ribbon and could be sitting pretty under your tree this year!

They measures about 30 or 40cms across and about 30 cms from below the ribbon gather.
£20 & £25.
Head over to MyFlair.uk to purchase or contact me via hello@tootstotes.com

Holly and Sampler can be made in other sizes-just ask!

Christmas market 4th Dec

29/10/2021

I'm pleased to say I shall be at the Made in Colchester Christmas Market this year-details below-would love it if you could come and say hello!

Update: The evidence!

MyFlair UK

25/9/2021

Just to let you know that some of my makes are now on a brand new ethical online marketplace called MyFlairUK. Check them out at www.myflair.uk. Makers are gradually adding more items so be sure to go back several times to see what's on offer during the next few months especially if you're keen to support small businesses in the UK. Thanks! x

Violet and Nigella...

15/7/2021

I wanted to make something different so looked out the sari ribbons that I'd had waiting for a special project. These are a bi-product of sari making, the silk being torn into strips and knotted together into a continuous yarn for crafters like me to use! I found my fattest knitting needles and soon had an interesting looking rectangle to fashion into a 'Violet' bag. I decided to pull all the knots to the right side for additional texture and to use a pink dupion silk as a smooth lining. I topped it off with lovely purple leather handles, and a pink button and loop fastening, which makes a great fusion of totally boho and cute chic, I think.

Whilst I'd been routing around for sari ribbons I came across another ball of soft woolly yarn, just enough to make a little 'Nigella' pocket bag. I lined it with a vibrant cotton and added a lovely red leather cross body strap and a magnetic fastener. A vintage button in just the right colours tops it off and It has Just enough room for a phone, bank card and keys (and the necessities for a dog walk if you like!!)

Knitted 'Nigella' cross body pocket.

Vibrant cotton lining.

No excuses...

15/7/2021

I make no excuses for not having visited this page for so long, but I thought it about time I gave a quick update and show you what I've made since the beginning of the year.
Two lovely ladies sadly left the team that I used to work with, however I was delighted and honoured to be asked to make a part of their leaving gifts.

Zip top 'Rosa' in William Morris Chrysanthemum fabric with leather handles.

I made an additional little purse and mask as my part of the gift

Both were made to the same pattern - my 'Rosa' design, but look what a difference the choice of fabric makes! This design has become a favourite to make and receive it seems! Let me know if you'd like one in your own choice of fabric.

Stylish 'Rosa' in Skinny laminx Flowerfields fabric with a contrast yellow stripe the highlight the yellow flower centres

Yellow cross-hatched cotton lining continues the mid-century vibe. Two interior pockets, one zipped the other elasticated.

Having ordered more fabric from my favourite designer Heather Moore at Skinny laminx, it arrived within 4 days all the way from South Africa, and I set about turning it into yet another 'Rosa'. It makes a lovely summery bag, don't you think? Still available at £80 (inc p+p within UK) Contact me if you're interested in purchasing.

'Rosa' made in Skinny laminx Orla and Flowerfields fabrics with beautiful green leather handles.

A pink spotty cotton lining to echo the pink flower centres. Complete with cute elasticated and zipped pockets.

Beaded zip pull of course!

15 x 11 x 4 inches so plenty of room for everything!

Waste not want not

2/11/2020

All now SOLD
Keen to use every scrap of Emma Bridgewater fabric I had. (All NEW fabrics here!) I've been making some cute little purses. Let me know if you'd like one: sizes and prices below the pics!

Emma Bridgewater Pomegranate fabric. Measures 9x8x1.5 inches. £19.50

Emma Bridgewater Hellebore fabric, measuring 8.5x6x1.5 inches £18.50 each or both for £30

SOLD Emma Bridgewater Dresser fabric. Message if you'd like something similar. (£17.50-£19.50 depending on size)

Sumptuous silk lining in yellow shot with red or is it red shot with yellow?

One with spotted cotton lining and the other with rich red silk lining.

Vibrant red spot cotton lining

Reclamation

2/11/2020

UPDATE: Both now SOLD
With the Emma Bridgewater fabric being oh so popular I was on a mission to find some more. Frustratingly it was very difficult to find and the smallest pieces were going for mega-bucks!
Then I chanced on a cushion cover that had used a whole width of the fabric, so a massive cushion and lots of fabric for me to re-purpose. (Who needs another cushion when you can have a unique Tansy Tote?) I checked with the seller that it was in good order and purchased it at a fair price. I was a little caught out as there were some marks along the bottom I couldn't wash out, but I cut them off and there was still plenty left to make two Tansy totes.

With a soft wadding and plastic reinforced base to give some substance, leather handles and lovely purple or pink spotted cotton lining, they were great fun to make!
The pink version has an additional feature of the design details down the side and shows no obvious signs of its previous incarnation as a cushion cover.
Please note that the purple version has some stitching lines from it’s previous incarnation as a cushion, (e.g. see pic , running from cats ear upwards, which also extends down the side to the base). It doesn't spoil the overall look of the bag and if that doesn’t bother you and you’d like to add one to your collection or tick someone off your gift list, please message me below for more pics or to purchase:

👛£60 (inc UK p+p) 👛

Click on pics to see whole picture.

Ladies of leisure

24/9/2020

With the pandemic came...retirement! I finally decided that to keep my sanity, one less stress might help! I'll miss my work colleagues, helping them problem solve and knowing what they're up to in their stalwart and very brave efforts to meet the challenges the NHS now faces, but I won't miss getting up early, sitting staring at a screen and office politics!
AND of course I now have more time for my garden and making all you lovelies out there the bags you ask for!
Another colleague made the same decision, at the same time and our team, unable to give us the usual sort of send off with 40+ people wanting to attend a farewell party, came up trumps with a lovely tea, huge bouquets, bunting and balloons and lovely gifts which they brought to my back garden! So we had just a small gathering to keep within the guidelines, but it was a very lovely afternoon, all the same! Here are a few pics to show you how it was! (Click on a pic to enlarge.)

Author

Hello, I'm Ruth Overton. My nickname as a child was 'Ruthie Toots' which is how the name
Toots Totes'
came about!
I come from a family of artists and artisans and the creative gene has resulted in a desire to make stuff. There's nothing I love more, than to sit at my old treadle machine, sewing. It was handed down to me, through the family having been bought by my Grandad for Grandma in the 1930's. (See my blogs about the machine here.)
More recently I have turned my attention to designing and creating bags and 'Toots Totes' began.
I'm going to blog about how ideas for bags come about and how things happen in the sewing room, so join me there if you want to, or bypass this to go to the store or the gallery, if you prefer - I won't mind!

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