Starting a new project is always such fun.

I hemmed (not an intentional pun) and hawed around for days, trying to decide between the Roman Shade project or the Grocery Totes project, but finally decided since I have my windows covered NOW, but my grocery totes are falling apart, I should just do the latter first. 

And they are going to be the most beautiful grocery totes IN the land! The plaid and floral are vintage fabrics; the lime green sheet is a queen-size fitted sheet that's good for nothing, really, except it blends well with the other two. (I have a twin sized bed.)

There is enough of the plaid to make a dress but I finally faced reality and acknowledged that if I wore a dress made of that fabric, I would look like nothing so much as a very bright loveseat. The pattern is just too big for my height, and too wide for my width, lol. And this way I'll get to enjoy it every time I go to the store. 

The plaid is the main fabric, the lime green sheet is the lining, and the floral is going to cover the bottom half of the outside, and be the facing for the handles (which will be of the plaid, too). So they're going to be bright, and sturdy, and I expect them to last until I don't need groceries ever again.

I got the pattern and tutorial for free online, here.

I'm not using interfacing, as the pattern calls for. Otherwise I'm following the tutorial.  I don't know how many my fabric will make but as of right now, I have enough of the base panels (the yellow, bottom half) for four totes. I need more than that so I may have to delve further into my stash to see if I can come up with some more harmonizing fabrics.

Somewhere I saw a suggestion that you can (after thorough washing, of course) use old curtain sheers to make vegetable bags, thus avoiding having to use plastic sacks so much. I like that idea, and I have volumes of old sheer curtains - but until I get around to making the Roman shades, those are going to have to stay on the windows. So...I need to get busy with this. and get these two projects done. The Roman shades project, I am embarrassed to admit, I've had all the fabric and hardware for like, 4 YEARS. Procrastination? I has it.