Cutter Quilt Tote Bag

I wrote here about making a tote bag for my Grandma using a cut portion from a quilt she made probably in the late 1930's or early 40's when the feedsack prints were being made. It was machine pieced but hand quilted, and the backing was that soft blue solid. I could be entirely wrong about these being feedsacks but I know that she got the pattern from a newspaper of that period as I once saw the block in a quilt magazine article on old patterns. As I mentioned, we used that quilt as our beach blanket for years--which horrifies me now, knowing how much went into making it! I probably gave this to her about 8-10 years ago and I got it back when she moved to the senior home.

Here's a closer view. I tried to use piping around the block but wasn't very satisfied with my work. Grandma didn't care, she was very pleased at what I had done, though it doesn't seem she used the tote bag very much--it is in perfect condition.

I like to take this tote bag with me when I shop but don't load it up much to avoid damaging the block further. You can see the worn portions in the center square. I made the bag from a heavy cotton duck--I tried to find that soft blue color but it wasn't available, so I made do with the cobalt. It has enough contrast to please the eye, I think. Love you, Grandma!