An Inspired Advent: Day 16

Make a gift for the guys! or whoever always gets stuck trudging out in the snow/rain to get the firewood off the pile.

It’s practical, so you know they’re going to love it! Dosa likes it!

You need:

• 3/4 yard heavy canvas (I used our heavy-weight cotton canvas in stone color.)
• 3 yards of 1″ wide polypropylene strapping
• 3 yards (plus 1/2″) of 1/2″ to 1″ wide ribbon (I used Sue Spargo’s Narrow Imperial Blooms in burgundy.)
• 1 package of extra wide double fold bias tape
• #16 or denim machine needle

Make your pattern: I used craft paper to make a pattern 24″ wide and 18″ high with a curved edge. You can open out paper grocery bags to make your own pattern. You just need to make one side and place the bottom of your carrier pattern on the fold of your fabric. Cut your fabric according to your new pattern.

Mark strap placement: Mark the mid-point of the bottom of your bag and measure out 5″ from each side. Using a chalk marker or disappearing ink marking pen, draw a vertical line on each side of the carrier to use as your strap placement line, as shown. It is extremely helpful to have a cutting mat with a ruler here to ensure that your lines are vertical and parallel.

Attach bias tape: Sew the bias tape in place around the perimeter of your carrier. Here’s a video tutorial I found that’s very good.

Sew ribbon onto your strapping: Melt the raw ends of the polypropylene using a lighter or match to keep the ends from fraying. Then, on one end of your strap, fold over a bit of the ribbon to the back – like 1/2″ – to cover the raw end. Stitch ribbon in place along both lengths of the strapping.

Now stitch the two ends together so that the covered end is on top of the raw end, thus forming a continuous loop of strap. Call this spot B.

With spot B at one end, fold your strap in half. Using chalk or pins, mark the middles of both loops on the opposite end.  These points will be the tops of your handles.

Attach the strapping: Align spot B at the bottom fold of your bag on the chalk line and pin the strap along the chalk lines you marked in step 2. The marks you made in step 5 should be at the top of each handle.

Stitch up and down both sides of each strap. Snip all little strings.

Now light the fire.

Oh, and while you’re up getting the wood, Id’ like my book off the nightstand and a hot chocolate…please and thank you. I’ll give you a quarter.