A canvas tote bag with a special message

We all know cancer sucks, right?  As life goes on, we all will know someone who has a battle going with cancer. A dear friend of mine is undergoing chemo and radiation. Since I couldn't be there, I wanted to send her something to give her comfort and to show her that I care.

I decided to send her a warm hug by making her a fleece blanket with a carrying bag. For an extra special touch, I ironed Joy embroidered letters to the back of the bag. I have included pictures of the process and hope that this inspires you with one way to share some love.

I used the corners that I cut from the fleece blanket to make a little quilt pattern on the front of the bag. I backed each fleece square with a contrasting square of felt and some cotton batting behind that. This step isn't mandatory, but I like the way it shows off the front and back of the fleece blanket.  I stitched the buttons to the fabric and glued each large patch to the bag using fabric glue.

I purchased 2 yards each of two fleece fabrics. If you have never made a fleece blanket there are many tutorials to be found on the internet. A yard and a half of each fleece make a nice blanket as well. There are several ways to tie the knots and you can choose your favorite.

The tote bag was purchased at the craft store and all I had to do was iron on the letters. Make sure the bag is large enough to hold the folded blanket.  It is OK to squish it a little bit!

I love Joy embroidered letters.  I got to send a message of love and it was so quick and easy to make!