This was the bag that reignited my passion for sewing. My mom taught me how to sew when I was a little girl, so it seemed fitting that my first real project as an adult would be a gift for her. I decided on the Garden Tote from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing, with green canvas for the exterior, and black and white floral cotton to create a nice contrast with the interior.
Garden Tote gift set
my adorable Mom proudly showing off her xmas gift
Garden Tote close-up
The design of this tote is great because it has lots of pockets to store your gardening tools, and it's sizable but not so much so that it's too bulky or awkward to carry. The pattern is fairly easy as far as bags go, and the only real trouble spots were the corners when sewing the bottom to the exterior. I gave this to my mom for Christmas in 2007, and it's (thankfully) held up very nicely for her since.