Tumalo Trails (Cowboy Up), and Recycled Pet Food Tote #2

This is my Tumalo Trail, renamed "Cowboy Up" designed by Quiltville.com.  There are 6 x 8, nine inch blocks, with a 1 inch sashing.  I'm working on a 9-inch pieced border, no photos yet.

 

Below is my second effort at a pet food bag recycled into a usable, extremely durable tote bag.  I liked the black cotton straps, as opposed to making straps from the bag material. 

 

Here is the back - I was given this bag with the cute chihua?? chiwa???  uhhh, little dog.  The bag was too small to make a tote, so I used it as a pocket.   

 
This material is very tough - you cannot pin it - I used tape and strong clips.  I did French Seams - waaay not necessary - perhaps a zig-zag would have been OK as well.  It was difficult to turn the bag inside out, right side out.   I also cut out the lower corners, as opposed to just folding the triangles up to make square corners.  On the bottom, I offset where the black strap crosses - it was getting tough sewing!   This one is NOT lined - not necessary.  Before construction, I washed the bag material in the kitchen sink with a kitchen scrubber and warm water.  

 

 

Below is the front.  

Being inquisitive by nature always wondering "what would happen if?"



 I have several more bags and might do this again without French seams, but again, with the black braid. 

If you press this tough material with an iron, between waste fabric, it melts, crinkles up into an unusable glom.  (Someone will probably find a really good use for glom and make a million $$$.)