totes

What do you get when you combine MiMi tote bags and Fiskars tools? A truly fabulous customized tote, that's what!

Designer: Kendra McCracken

This Mimi laptop bag, designed with both digital and hybrid scrappers in mind, was awesome right out of the package. It has a micro-suede finish.
It has pockets and compartments galore. It even has a padded shoulder strap for more comfortable carrying. But you know how we crafters are.
We want even our awesome things to be unique, to reflect our personality!  So I carried it to the quilt shop with me, picked out a stack of contrasting fat quarters, and headed home with visions of a bag decked out in a whole lot of fabric yo-yos.

If you do an Internet search for fabric yo-yos, you'll find plenty of tutorials on how to make them. They all suggest searching for a lid or something round to trace around to make a pattern for you yo yos. When completed, a yo you will be about 1/2 the size of the circle you started with. Rather than searching all over the house for the an object that was close to the size I needed, I used my Fiskars Circle Cutter to cut the pattern to exactly the size I needed. The pattern was cut from chipboard, traced onto fabric, and cut using my very favorite scissors, the No. 8 Razor Edged Scissors. I love the crisp feel and sound of these scissors cutting through fabric! The Razor Edged claim is no exaggeration.

After finishing my yo yos, I decided I also wanted to add a little appliqued bird to the front of the bag. I recently found the books written by Tone Finnanger and she has brilliant tips for making the basics of sewing so, well, basic! Her projects are gorgeous so between the tips and the beautiful photos, I was inspired by her to create my appliqued bird as she does. It's lightly stuffed. And I decided to add one of my yo yos as a wing!

To create the strap, I used a double layer of fabric (for added durability against wear) with right-sides of the fabric together to create a tube. After turning it right side out, I simply slipped it over the existing strap. The yo yos were stitched on afterward.

And what bag would be complete without a little if-lost-please-contact tag? Who says they have to be generic? With the contact number on the back of the tag, you have a whole surface for adding more personalized touches. I used the Square-A-Liscious X-Large Scalloped Squeeze Punch, some Kimberly Polson Love Letters Paper, a little Fiskars High Density Pigment Ink, and a Heidi Grace Letter Sticker from the Harvest Row line.
Quick and easy and an oh-so-cute finishing detail.

Designer: Susan Weinroth
Until now, my stamping supplies were scattered around my office in different locations, bins, drawers and boxes.  Needless to say, once I received my Mimi Urban Stamping Tote I was so excited to get my stamping stash organized in just one place! 

The stamping tote has pull-out compartment type boxes (that I LOVE!) for acrylic blocks, inks, wood mounted stamps, and miscellaneous supplies like scissors and adhesive.  Then the bottom of the tote is the perfect catch-all for sheets of acrylic stamps (of which I have many!).

I decided that my super-cute pink and brown stamping tote would be EVEN cuter with some crafty-goodness in the form of an owl and monogram decorating the front flap.  And so, I selected some fabrics and felt, and crafted three appliqués for the tote.  Using brown felt as a base supports the appliqué and makes it sturdy and ready to be applied to the bag. 

I used Fiskars Pinking Shears to cut a decorative edge into the felt.  I like the way felt holds the “pinking” look and doesn’t fray. To construct similar appliqués, simply cut shapes from various patterned fabrics, layer and machine stitch onto the felt base.  I used a regular straight stitch around the edge of my patterned fabrics. 

The owl design was something that I sketched onto paper then cut out piece by piece, traced onto the wrong side of fabric and then trimmed from fabric.  Any design can be sketched and then turned into an appliqué!  If you’re not apt at sketching, try tracing things like paper punches, as I also did here, with the That’s Amore heart shaped squeeze punch!  Once the appliqués are complete, I used thermoweb’s no sew adhesive to adhere my design to the front of the bag.  There will be no mistaking my tote from someone else’s the next time I crop!

Designer: Lisa Truesdell

This was such a fun project – the MiMi totes already have a great look, so adding my own spin to it was easy.  I worked with the TravelMate tote – I LOVE this size!!  It’s not an “everything and the kitchen sink” sized tote – but it has more than enough room to hold all of my basics.  I love the paper holder that comes with it  - it’s divided, which makes it easy for me to create page kits for all of the pictures that I want to take with me.

Since I started with a very modern floral fabric, I wanted my design to have that same feel.  I ironed interfacing onto my fabric to make it easier to work with, and then traced different sizes of circles onto it using the USX circles template.

 I cut out the circles and machine stitched around the edges.  Once I had them arranged on my bag, I felt I it needed a bit more – so I used the USX template and traces circles onto brown fabric and cut them out with pinking sheers.  I zigzag stitched the brown circles onto three of the floral circles, and then added buttons. I used ThermoWeb Press and Peel No Sew Fabric Fuse to attach my circles to the bag – this stuff is amazing.

When the bag was finished, I made a tag using leftover fabric circles and a plain shipping tag.  I added my contact information to the back in case my bag and I are ever separated.  I can’t wait to get this bag packed and off to a crop!

Designer: Valerie Salmon
Why settle for a basic laptop bag when you can turn it into one that is stylish and chic. Practical doesn't have to be ordinary. Embellish it to reflect your style!

I chose to embellish this Mimi Laptop Bag because I like function & compartments. It also includes separated sections inside, as well as special places for your mouse & other items. Taking advantage of the bags exterior design, I also added an quick-access add-on pouch to hold a cell phone or an eyeglass case.

I am really loving my Fiskars rotary cutters & have been putting them to good use in my recent projects. In this project, with the straight cuts involved in the pieces, it makes the rotary cutter the perfect tool to decorate my laptop bag. For the handles, cut wide fabric strips and hand-stitch it to wrap around each handle. Use the measuring tape from the 12-in-1 sewing tool to measure 1" pleats pinned in place and double-stitched down. Use an iron to keep folds nice and crisp. Once the pleated trim is created, hand-stitch it along the top edge of the bag opening.

For extra comfort, I made a padded shoulder guard for the should strap. Sandwich thick batting in between fabric layers & create a thick interfaced coordinating fabric band loop, then slide on to the bag strap. Adding a handy cute pouch to hang on the strap buckle is a functional finishing touch. Cut a piece of fabric and matching fleece lining, sew to create the pouch, include a strap with interfacing, then trim with remaining pleated fabric, and further embellish with a pompom trim. Add a velcro to the pouch strap & back of the pouch, then hang on a buckle. Voila! A custom look for your laptop bag!

By Fiskars design team