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January Tote

For the first month in my 2026 calendar tote project I drew inspiration from an adorable sterling silver garnet and marcasite brooch I thrifted. My grandmother's birthday was in January, and she left me a garnet ring I cherish very much. She was also a very tall, elegant woman with a lot of style.

I went rummaging through my bags bin and decided to use a black canvas tote for this one. It will serve as the base for my quilting and beading.

I then started collecting fabric and beads that I want to use for the crazy quilting. Since I don't often use dark colors I tried to go with what I thought my grandmother would like, and of course the colors from the brooch.

I also raided my scraps bin for some red, gray and black fabrics to use. I'll revisit the bin each month this year for the project, too.

I don't really have a plan for how I'm going to put the tote together. I think being spontaneous and allowing the materials I choose to guide me is best. Stay tuned to see what I make of it.

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