My Little Red Lunch Tote

When I was growing up, my lunch was packed nearly every day. Weren't you so proud  to have a lunch box that represented your favorite television show or past time? Your name was on masking tape inside the metal lid, it held a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper, a banana or apple, and one of mom's cookies. Maybe, just maybe there would be a Hostess Cupcake on a special occasion.  And remember  the room temperature milk in the glass lined thermos? If you were lucky, it was blended with some Nestle's Quick. When I was in fourth grade, my best friend Cheryl and I would each bring a nickle to school so that we could buy an ice cream sandwich on Friday's. The lunch lady would cut it precisely down the middle for us, even though we didn't buy our lunches that day with those little tear off lunch tickets. It was an extra treat for  those of us who brought our lunches from home.

Carrying that lunchbox every day was so awesome...until Junior High, when it was way more cool to buy from the cafeteria than to bring something homemade.

When I reached high school, it was okay to pack a lunch again... I mostly brown-bagged it, and all the girls would try to bring the healthiest,  or the most appealing portable meal...one kid, Douglas, would always pack sardines, which really grossed us out.






These days, I bring my lunch to work nearly every day. Usually a salad, some fruit, or maybe leftover soup in the winter. I also find myself coming full circle in that I having to carry a cute lunch tote. My old one was frayed and worn, so I finally buckled down and made one last night from the book "Lunch Bags! 25 Handmade Sacks and Wraps to Sew Today."

 This was a quick project...made it in an evening. The fabric is red duck from Walmart's remnant bin...which cost all of about $2.00.
The lining is from my scrap bag, and the batting from the bottom of a bin of old quilt supplies. I used grosgrain ribbon for the drawstring closure.
                


The lining is laminated cotton. The outside is machine quilted. And it's a very generous size.

I love the plump squareness of this bag.

And today, she did just fine on her maiden voyage to work..plenty of room for all of my containers, and wiped clean to use again tomorrow.

I just may have to make another one!