Oxbow Tote Finished

I'm focusing in on getting this Oxbow Tote finished today (Friday). Playing and re-playing the pattern assembly video.

The reinforced bottom was a little tricky, but the experienced bag makers at the Oxbow Work Day advised to cut the reinforcement to be the size of the interior rectangle so that it doesn't end up in the side seams. That worked out perfectly.

 Checking that I've gotten everything sewn down correctly. Birthing Time...

That took a bit of fiddling, but it worked out, phew!

After some top-stitching, it is All Done!

The top and the fancy zipper that I did not screw up!

The inside of the bag.

The bottom of the bag and a corner. Very boxy!

I'm so excited to use this.

It turned out even better than I'd pictured it and I'm very glad that I decided to join in and make one. I feel like I learned a whole lot.

Now I have Even More Appreciation for the bag makers and all of their technical expertise. 

And voila__another finish for the 🌀🌐BAMQ 2026 UFO Challenge🌀🌐! 

Hooray, the deadline worked on me again!

Oxbow Bottom to Top

 

Next up on the Oxbow tote, sewing on the bottom. I was glad I'd done the sew line marking back when I added the fusible stabilizer. I had to make sure there was enough space for this to go through on the back of the sewing machine as it isn't as flexible as a quilt.

Hey, it's looking good together. I may regret having the lighter rose pink owls on the bottom (as far as dirt goes). But the whole thing will be washable.

Both sides sewn to the bottom.

And then onto the zipper installation. I put my zipper foot on and took a deep breath, and watched the video several times. It's so much more helpful than the rather scant instructions and illustrations in the pattern. I really love the look of the lining fabric with the exterior fabrics. 

Next up, sewing on the other side of the bag's zipper and lining. So far so good, step by step. Trying to get this done before the next Sew Day to get a second finish checked off on my BAMQ UFO challenge list.

Oxbow Strapped

 

After a whole lot of video watching and re-measuring, I had to do some un-sewing on the straps I'd made for the Oxbow Tote. I think that the instructions which usually have two measurements for the two sizes of the pattern didn't have that for the strap-making part so it was off by many inches for me. I was really sure I wasn't supposed to try and sew over the doubled up part of the strap! I didn't even try that. 

But it all fit well eventually.

I like the look of the colors and patterns that I chose, now that I see it getting assembled.

The straps really do look nice.

Now onto the side tabs next.

Oxbow Snap

 

I had to refresh my memory on exactly where I'd left off on the Oxbow Tote back in December. Then I remembered my discovery at the group work day we had back in December that I had neglected to print out all of the instructions....Turns out I was midway through finishing Step #7 that was on the formerly unprinted page. I'd gotten as far as sewing together the exterior pocket to its lining, but I hadn't trimmed the seam allowance. Out came the gigantic pinking shears for that job.

Then, before switching the threads on my machine for the top stitching step, I saw that the next part is deciding on whether to install a magnetic snap closure or not. I hadn't bought one when I bought the pattern, strap webbing, zippers and strap hardware from Noodlehead. Maybe it wasn't included in the kit that they sell? Nope, it was just for the straps hardware. But I knew I had at least one of those on hand--somewhere. It took a little digging and then I found these two options in my drawer. The choice between the two options was pretty easy, not that there's going to be a visible snap on the exterior, but I went with the nickel-ish one to match the straps. 

I  checked out this video on how to install a Dritz magnetic snap as one of them was that brand. And then I watched the second video included with the Oxbow pattern. It shows how to install a regular snap. But then she actually directs you to another of her pattern's video, for the Pepin Tote where she demonstrates how to do a magnetic snap. That was very useful for me to follow. Every single step shown and clearly explained. I felt a little more empowered to give it a go.

I did the top-stitching at the top of the pocket edge and admired the owls.

I put some fusible batting and scraps of SF101 fusible interfacing under and over the snaps.

I think it turned out pretty well, it's not too lumpy or unstable.

Most importantly the snap closure lined up well. Hooray for all the helpful videos. I then got the pocket basted onto the exterior. Onto the next step of sewing on the straps.

12 UFO Challenge

 In order to be clear about the two UFO challenges I'm participating in this year, here's a post about the 12 projects I put on my list for the 2026 BAMQ UFO Challenge. This challenge came about when one of our members, Christine, was talking about another guild's challenge and how it had gotten her to work on projects that had fallen off her radar. It sounded like a new way to inspire people so I volunteered to help her organize it for our group.

  As I wrote yesterday there is overlap with the 2026 UFO Finishes Challenge, those four will be noted with this symbol🥏👽.

The way this challenge works is you turn in a list that is numbered, and every month at Sew Day we randomly pick one of the remaining numbers from 1-12 to be the project everyone works on and tries to finish before the next Sew Day. The first number chosen in January was #12, the second number chosen in February was #9. I worked on my #12 and finished it, the May You Ever Return quilt. And now I'm working on my #9 project, the Oxbow Tote. As we only have a month to work on and finish these things, I tried to structure my list so that I'd both be challenged and also have some easier finishes.

Here's my illustrated list of 12:

1. Clover Pillowcase - first started in a class in 2023, last worked on in 2023.
   
2. Kawandii - first started in a classs in 2021, last worked on in March 2025.
   
3. Bohemian Wife quilt-🥏👽 started in 2017, last worked on in 2025.
   
4. Snake in the Garden quilt - started in a class in 2007, last worked on February 2026.
   
5. Mini QCR Pumpkins - started in 2019, last worked on ?!who knows?!
   
6. Five by Five quilt - started in a 2022 class, last worked on in December 2022.
   
7. Dave Owen Hastings Class quilt -  🥏👽 started in a 2022 class, not worked on since then.
   
8. Body Pillow pillowcase - back when I put this on my list, it was intended for my older rectangular body pillow. I now have this new one which is twice as long and rather curvy. I'm thinking it would be nice to have a cotton jersey cover, nice and stretchy to bend with the curves, cozy feeling and easy to wash.
   
9. Oxbow Tote - started in 2024, last worked on December 2025.
   
10. Quilted Dog Jacket-pattern bought in 2024, not started yet.
    
11. Bending the Calendar quilt -🥏👽  started in 2012, last worked on?who knows?!
    
12. May You Ever Return quilt -🥏👽 started in a class in 2018, first one chosen and finished!
    

Here's to challenges that inspire and make me actually me spend the time to even go find the projects that I'm supposed to be working on! That's something of a start, right?

More Oxbow Progress

 

Made a little more progress on the Oxbow Tote. The zipper end got a little fabric tab sewn onto the end. The bottom of the bag got reinforced and cut down to size. The exterior pocket and its lining were sewn together at the top..

The interior pocket was sewn onto the lining. Some of the other people working on this bag pattern did interesting things with this pocket, like dividing it up, making it clear vinyl, putting a zipper along the whole top of the pocket, or inset into the center of it with a separate pocket. A whole lot of pocket possibilities.

Oxbow Working Group

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Several of the BAMQ members working on making our own versions of the Oxbow Tote, got together for a little mini sew day to work on our bags. It was so fun to see where everyone was in the process, some just beginning to cut it out, some doing the very last steps. It was also great to see the fabric and webbing choices, all so different. 

Working in a group setting is so helpful, especially if you're all working on the same project at different stages of completion (and bag-making mastery). It also can mean that if you forget something crucial, someone else will let you use some of the interfacing they actually remembered to bring along. Thanks, Sue! Reminder to self: Pay It Back!

I was really happy to get to work some more on mine and to advance several steps through the pattern thanks to the help of seeing the steps either done, or being done with my own eyes in person. Sometimes I think that's how I learn best, because video classes aren't always shot exactly well. Not commenting on the Noodlehead one that comes with the pattern which I still need to watch. Another note to self: watch the video!

Oxbow Tote Started

 

In big news, I have finally started out on my Oxbow Tote making journey. After buying the required amounts of SF101 Pellon fusible interfacing and By Annie Soft and Stable foam.

After all the cutting out, I began stitching the exterior panels to the Soft and Stable foam.

I think it's working out really well so far, I still really like the two canvas prints that I chose to use. I'm so happy to have finally started on this, and I'm grateful that friend Jaye was there to calm me down and help me figure things out when I was missing a part of my main body pattern piece.