Upcycled tablecloth to tote

When I started clearing crap out of our house, my friend, Marie, suggested that some of the old linens I had might be used to make beautiful things.  Well, I sent a box of them to her this week, but I kept a couple for myself thinking that it would be a good idea to make something.  This tablecloth was one - and as I packed Marie's box, I started to think what I could make from this:


It was one of the ones I got from my Grandmother's house when she moved out.  It had a pre-printed pattern for embroidery and someone in the past lovingly embroidered it by hand.  Might have been my grandmother, mom, aunt or a friend - not sure (Mom, do you know?).  Anyhow I didn't use it as a tablecloth because it was stained in several places: 

As many of you know, we're headed to Florida on vacation, and I thought it would be nice to have a new bag to carry lunch and such in.  So this is what I came up with.  I already had some lovely brown cotton and combined it with parts of the tablecloth to make this:


While I was making it, I had to iron the fabrics.  The smell of my Grandmother's linen closet came rushing up to me, released by the steam of the iron.  It was lovely.  Great memories and a new bag.  What could be better.

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