White Elephant Sewing

At my workplace, we do a white elephant gift exchange every year during the December holiday party. We do a big potluck, eat lots of shared food, exchange gifts, and have a great time outside work. I really enjoy the white elephant gift exchange. It's competitive good fun. We set the limit at $20 but you can really stretch that if you are crafty and use fabric you got for free (see this great video from Professor Pincushion about Aunt Betty to learn how that happens).

Making things often goes quickly if you're making more than one of something. I had this fun Star Wars print I picked up in the remnants bin and it needed to become something that wouldn't hide all that large print. I used the Green Bag Lady pattern, available for free on her blog. There is also a video tutorial if you're a more visual learner. The Green Bag Lady does give-aways almost every week on the blog and on the the Green Bag Lady Facebook page.

Some projects just seem to need all the tools. This quick project was no exception. I used the serger for quickly finishing the seams of the tote.

I used the Juki TL-2010Q to finish the hem at the top of the tote. And a bunch of tools for measuring, marking, cutting, and pinning that are at the bottom of the post. 

I finished the two totes in about an hour from start to finish. 

The Marvel tote is larger so it will fit this knife set. Last year I gifted this knife set with an embroidered apron. You can buy a similar Cuisinart Knife Set on Amazon for less than $20. I have the Cuisinart Printed Knife Set (closer to $25) and love it. I use the small knife almost every day when preparing salads.

Because I wanted to wrap the present as little waste as possible, I used two totes. One from the Green Bag Lady that I won in a give-away, and the fun Marvel print one I made using gifted fabric. 

I used the Green Bag Lady tote to cover one end, then shoved the whole thing into the larger print tote.

I'm ready for the white elephant gift exchange.

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" x 6.5" square - to cut the corners of the tote for boxing
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Juki TL-2010Q
Pilot Frixion Erasable Markers - perfect for marking in the seam allowance!