Sew-Along #26 - Sun & Surf Tote - Preparations

The Sun & Surf Tote by Modkid

Items to Collect 
*Note: Links to products within this post are either links to our website or affiliate links. 

1. You must have the Modkid Sun & Surf Tote pattern to be able to take part in this sew-along.  If you have not yet purchased this, please do so here.
   
2. If you do not have fabric for the project you will want to purchase some.  At the time of this writing we have both cotton and laminate fabric kits available.  We also have lots of fun fabric selections on our website.
   
3. If making a bag with anything but laminate you will need a heavyweight fusible interfacing, a lightweight fusible interfacing, and a piece of fleece.  Our kits all come with Fusible Fleece (used as your heavyweight interfacing & fleece for the strap) and lightweight interfacing.  If not purchasing a kit you will want to make sure you have some of these on hand.  Laminate bags will NOT be using the interfacing and thus laminate kits do not contain them.
   
4. The bag requires a plastic canvas mesh to give the bottom some firmness.  If you purchase a kit you will receive this in your package.  If you are not purchasing a kit you can buy the plastic canvas here.
   
5. You will also need two 1-9/16 inch snap on grommets.  Again, these are included in the kits you can purchase from our site.  Or you can purchase the grommets on your own here.
   
6. A 1½" to 2" button is used to close the tote.  Kits all contain a button for this purpose.
7. You will need coordinating thread to complete this project.  It's good to have a couple of spools on hand. If you are making a laminate tote you will want to make sure the thread is 100% polyester.  This will keep the thread from wicking the water to the inside/outside of the tote.
8.  And finally, you will need pins (or Wonder Clips for laminate totes), a sewing machine, a good iron (a steam iron is preferable for sewing), a pair of fabric shears or a rotary cutter and mat (a rotary cutter and mat is a lifesaver!), a ruler, and a fabric pen or chalk (chalk preferred for laminate fabrics) . 
   
   

Optional Items to Collect - The following items are totally optional. 

1. If you are making a laminate bag during the sew-along, a Teflon foot or walking foot will be very helpful.  You can purchase a Teflon foot very reasonably.  Check some out here.
   
   If you don't want to purchase a new foot, you can try to use regular wax paper or baker's parchment paper between the foot and the laminate fabric. If you are sewing on the right side of the laminate place the wax paper between the fabric and your presser foot. Once you are done sewing, simply tear away the paper.
   
   
   Yet another alternative is to apply painter's tape or masking tape to the bottom of your standard pressure foot. You will need an X-acto knife to cut out the small holes.
   
   
2. Laminate should not be pinned if you can help it.  Once you make a hole in laminate fabric it remains forever. To avoid pins I HIGHLY recommend Wonder Clips.  The cheapest place I have found to purchase the original Wonder Clips is here. Beware, knock offs are not worth the money in my opinion.  I have found that they do not hold as well and tend to break very easily. If you are going to spend money on clips, I strongly recommend getting the real Wonder Clips. It will save you time, frustration, and money in the long run.
     
3.  When sewing with laminate, you will want to use a sharp Universal size 14 or even 16 needle.  This will help you get through the laminate.

Things to Do

1. If making a tote that is not laminate, make sure to prewash and preshrink all of your fabrics.  I wash my fabrics on warm or hot and then I dry my fabrics in the dryer with no softeners.  There is no need to preshrink the interfacing you received in a kit from us.  If you did not purchase a kit, please read your interfacing instructions to determine if you should preshrink.
   Note: DO NOT prewash laminate fabric.  Laminate fabric should only be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
2. Press all prewashed fabrics well. I try to do this straight out of the dryer so that the wrinkles come out easier.  
   Note: DO NOT use an iron on laminate fabrics.  The laminate will melt!
3. I know sometimes people get antsy to get going on the sew-along.  I highly suggest that you wait to cut out your laminate until the first lesson.  The first lesson will include a cutting diagram so that you will know exactly what pieces to cut and where to cut them from.  Trust me, this will be VERY helpful.   
4. Don't forget to join our Whimsical Fabric & Me Group so you can post your progress pictures. Everyone who posts completed lesson pictures, on time, to the Facebook Group, will be entered into drawings to win some awesome prizes!  Please note that this is a different group then what we have hosted the sew-alongs in.  Please make sure to join this group so you don't miss out if you haven't already.

The Prizes

Check out these awesome prizes we will be giving away on the Facebook Group during the sew-along!  Over $100 in prizes!

1. The New Modkid Lunch Bag Pattern - $9.20 shipped value.
2. $10 Gift Certificate to WhimsicalFabric.com - $10.00 value.
3. The New Modkid Travel Art Folio Pattern - $12.20 shipped value.
4. The New Modkid Pleated Skirt Pattern - $12.20 shipped value.
5. The Children's Corner Mamie Dress Pattern - $17.20 shipped value.(Mamie will be featured in our next Sew-Along)
6. Another Mamie Dress Pattern - $17.20 shipped value.
7. The Modkid Summer Fun Doll Patterns Collection - $23.00 shipped value.

We will give out entries for the prize pool drawing during the sew-along. There are three different ways to earn entries into the prize drawing.

1. Each day that you turn in an assignment on time you will receive 1 entry per item you create. Thus, the more items you make, the more entries you will receive.
2. We will also award 1 entry for purchasing the Modkid Sun & Surf pattern from us using the coupon code SewAlongSavings.
3. In addition, if you purchased a kit from the Sew-Along #26 Category, using the coupon code SewAlongSavings, we will award you another 2 entries for each kit.  *Note: Patterns purchased within the kit count as pattern purchases outlined in step #2 above.

Happy Sewing,
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com