Its been a busy few days, but I got some sewing done and here's the first batch of fabric strap bags.  From the left, the conventional printed burlap on a tan/black bag combo [Fred Meyer].  In the middle is a tan/blue flower print that goes well with many styles [Jackson's - white with red/grey specks].  And to the right is my crazy side showing - some lace with black netting backing  and I decided to add a small flap with a magnet just for variety [Wino - white with red & black].

I'm in the process of getting a schedule for May going, so watch Facebook for the latest events where you can check these out in person, plus I have an even more wild one to add to this collection in the works!

The first piece in the new Tabtastic collection!  Theres about 25 Target bags accompanied by about 150 soda can tabs to add some bling to this new style.  There'll be some tweaking on this particular bag, but you get the idea, its a handy bag for the essentials and there's already another in the works~

The Market Totes!  These are my most popular bag by far and for good reason!  The design is different than anything else out there, and I've built these for durability - from the pattern to the handles.  For the handles I use local-cut bamboo attached to the full side of the bag to disperse weight evenly and the strapping is tubular nylon so it is soft to carry and has more than enough strength.  I designed the pattern I use for this style of bag to be a continuous style, so that means no seams to create weak spots.

What does my over-engineering produce?  Quite simply, the large Market Totes I wouldn't blink an eye at putting 3 bottles of juice or 2 gallons of milk in them.  They have some give to them, but they don't noticeably stretch!  The Mondo Beach Bag I wouldn't fill with cement blocks, but its more than capable of containing a couple towels, a full change of clothes, and all the other beach essentials including a lunch.

The colors on the 3 large Market Totes are a bit of a story, and part of the beauty of plarn.  On the right in yellow and red is Grocery Outlet, the striping wasn't designed, but when it starts working that way, it is feasible to continue it.  In the middle and on the Mondo Beach Bag in tan with black is Fred Meyer, the most common color and from a distance looks more like jute or burlap even.  On the left in tan and a variety is a rare variety bag - Exchange, Albertsons, Ace, Value Village, and Long's produces this tan base with lighter highlights and flecks of blue, red, and black.

The large Market Totes take about 80-100 bags depending on usable material and size.  I'll be working on some medium size Totes as well which are nice for a shoulder bag while out browsing this Summer's events in the area!

Here's the latest experiment, a bit of a combination and a test in how it works. Each row is a different style of connecting the can tabs, and personally I like the middle on the best because it is least obtrusive inside. Much like plarn itself, there are many ways to work with it and attach can tabs, and each crocheter has their own style! This particular little thing is the right size for soap samples from +Pip & Lola's Everything Homemade  that I have with me at bazaars and events. Stay tuned for some items along these lines for the summer season.