Several years ago my oldest daughter and I participated in a contest. The goal was to make something, anything, using a prescribed line of fabric. Both of us were excited to participate. The possibility of making the winning entry kept our enthusiasm pumping. My daughter made this awesome wall hanging she calls Shelburne Falls Falling Star
and I am now the proud owner of her quilt. It hangs on display in my studio.
The subject of my creation was a carrying case for my recently acquired iPad. I used the Tag-Along tote as a template. You can read about the journey I took in the following posts:
- It’s Here
- WIP: My Heart is Racing
- Tag-Along 1 of 7
- Tag-Along 2 of 7
- Tag-Along 3 of 7
- Tag-Along 4 of 7
- WIP: Tag-Along 5 of 7
- Tag-Along 6 of 7
- Friday Favorites: Tag-Along 7 of 7
- Tag-Along: My Review
- WIP: Life After My Tag-Along
While we were both convinced we were the author of the winning entry, neither one of us won.
After making that tote I made a second one for my husband.
Two years have now gone by since making my second version. With the experience I have had both through construction and through actual use there were changes I’ve wanted to make in the design and function. To satisfy my curiosity I decided to pursue those changes by making a third iPad tote.
The number one item and easiest one to overcome was the fabric. I wasn’t particularly fond of all of the prints used in my first tote. I had hoped that somehow over time I would grow to like them. Unfortunately my love for my iPad’s appearance never did materialize.
The second issue I wanted to focus on was the desire to carry books or paper in the middle. I often slid items into this area but found it hard to keep them in place. Somehow I wanted to add an extension to act as a bumper to prevent them from falling out.
Solving the second task proved to be more challenging. I made several attempts at adding additional fabric to the sides of the tote but was unsuccessful. Then one day I was working with a totally unrelated project. The item had cords that were used to tie things together. Working with those cords gave me the inspiration I needed to solve my second issue. To the edges of my third tote I added ties. The ties were made from fabric and embellished with one of my favorite decorative stitches.
The third modification I had been dreaming about was the ability to facilitate a hands-free option of transporting my fully loaded iPad tote. I conquered this hurdle by adding fabric loops to the top edges of the tote. Next I made straps from a coordinating fabric. To attach the straps I purchased four d-rings with matching clasps. The d-rings and clasps gave me the ability to add or remove the straps as needed.
With my three desired modifications complete I was ready to declare my third iPad tote finished.
I’ve been using my redesigned tote for a few months now and have already thought of enhancements I would like to make. I know I will take a stab at implementing those with a fourth version.
So what do you think? Any changes you would make? Leave a comment!
Cindy Anderson of In A Stitch Quilting
