Tote Bag #1 - If I Didn't Knit

First of all, I should mention there is a swear word on the bag, so anyone sensitive to language don't look at the picture.  I posted this image on a quilting forum and they deleted it because it was vulgar.   Go figure. 

A little history... I met Peggy through my friend Judi.  Peggy is Judi's best friend and as a reader of the blog you might remember Judi is a dear friend of mine, and the one that got me into quilting.  Over the holidays I saw a tote bag Peggy made that I absolutely loved.  I got the pattern but by the time I got around to using it the holidays were over. 

I had some fabric of cats playing in a basket with balls of yarn; when I found it I knew I was going to use it for my friend Renee who has two grey tabby cats and she knits.  In fact, she is the best darn knitter I know.  She makes amazing, beautiful stuff!  I decided to make that fabric into the Crabapple Hill tote bag and change the Christmas center into a panel that goes with it. 

I found some clip art, added the text, and traced it onto my center panel fabric.  From there I colored the picture with Crayola Crayons, heat set the color, then hand stitched along my tracing lines and made the bag.  My husband, who is incredibly clever, came up with the phrase on the bag since I was struggling with something funny to put on there.  I finished it off with Swarovski crystals for the eyes, nose, and to dot the I's.

I hope you like it Renee!