3 great reasons the Sunshine Mat Tote is a must for all quilters by Jennifer Houlden November 14, 2016 written by Jennifer Houlden November 14, 2016 803 Taking quilting tools, fabric, machines and other accessories to class can be a bit like taking everything plus the kitchen sink. How does one organize tools, mats, etc., to take to class and not have a thousand and one bags or containers to lug in from the car? The perfect solution to carry your mat, cutter, rulers and other tools is the Sunshine Mat Tote bag. There are 3 great reasons the sunshine mat tote is a must for all quilters. Sunshine Mat Tote filled with quilting tools I’ve used an extension table cardboard box to carry my mat, rulers, extension table and pressing board to class, retreats and the cottage for the past 13 years. It saw a lot of use this summer and fall going back and forth to the cottage and it’s looking a little worse for wear. Now that I own a Vivace Sunshine Mat Tote I’ll tell you why I’m so excited to be retiring the cardboard box. The cardboard box tool tote with rope handles Reason 1: Large Main Bag The main bag is large enough to carry an 18″ x 24″ mat, plus an acrylic extension table and a pressing board in the main section. If you don’t need to take the extension table and pressing board then there’s room for several rulers of all sizes. A zippered closure ensures that nothing falls out in transit. Extension table, mat and pressing table in large main bag of Sunshine Mat Tote Reason 2: 3 Zippered Outer Pockets There are three outer pockets. The largest of the outer pockets is made of a clear plastic front. This makes it easy to see what has been placed in it. This zippered pocket fits a 24″ x 6½″ roller perfectly but can be used for other quilting tools if your rulers are in the main bag. All the quilting tools are easy to find with the see through front. Ruler being inserted into the clear zippered pocket The other 2 pockets are half the size of the first pocket. The 2 pockets are serviced with the same zipper and there’s a dividing seam line stitched in the middle of them. These pockets are great for such tools as scissors, rotary cutters, pins, needles, marking pencils and other tools. These 2 pockets are made of a mesh material which makes it easy to see through to find what is in the pocket. Smaller mesh pockets filled with quilting tools Reason 3: Perfect handle length The handles are long enough that it can be used as a shoulder bag allowing your hands to be free to carry other items such as your sewing machine and the all important suitcase of fabric. Handles make it easy to carry bag on your shoulder And I do love the color – a lovely purple with different colored accent stripes – we all know how important color is to a quilter. Check out your local quilt shop for one of these wonderful Sunshine Mat Totes to carry all your quilting tools to class, retreat or the cottage. What a great item to add to your Christmas wish list. The 3 great reasons the sunshine mat tote is a must for all quilters definitely outweighs keeping the cardboard box. Happy Quilting This is part 1 of 5 in this series. Go to part 2: Quilted scissor holder in 6 easy steps – part 1 Print this page or save as a PDF 0Qs129jennifer houldensunshine mat totevivace FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail Jennifer Houlden Jennifer runs Quilts by Jen, a fantastic educational resource for quilters with many great free tutorials ranging from how to choose fabrics, understanding the value of fabrics, pressing, building Bargello runs, pinning, binding, sandwiching, couching, quilting, and much more. Check them out! previous post Making a fast and easy permanent label for your quilt next post Quilted scissor holder in 6 easy steps – part 1 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE... 6 easy steps to assemble a quilt using... 5 simple sewing notions make fun blocks for... Use hook and loop tape to make peek-a-boo... 5 easy steps to make chenille fabric 4 easy steps to create texture in a... WHY Hemline Gold quilting tools are made to... Oliso M3Pro project iron – the perfect travelling... Quilting tools to help with everyday needs OLFA rotary cutter and rulers for quilters on... 3 comments Elsie Esteve November 19, 2016 - 8:24 pm I think this is the best thing since sliced bread !! Thank you. Reply Nancy November 16, 2016 - 9:13 pm This is fabulous!! Reply Nancy Moore November 16, 2016 - 8:25 pm keep coming back to this site, new to me, looking forward to updates and sure hope I win the tote Reply Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.