Remember my “Get a Clue with Nancy Drew” coasters? When I bought the charm pack, I also bought a yard each of two different Nancy Drew fabrics to make lined tote bags for a couple of cutie-patootie girls in my family . . . and fill with their first sets of Nancy Drew books!
I used a tutorial from Quick Stuff to Sew (Volume IV), a publication of Craftstylish.com, for the totes (like this one, minus the stripes). I hope there will soon be two new Nancy Drew fans in the world! ♥
- Book 1: The Secret of the Old Clock
- Book 2: The Hidden Staircase
- Book 3: The Bungalow Mystery
- Book 4: The Mystery at Lilac Inn
- Book 5: The Secret of Shadow Ranch
- Book 6: The Secret of Red Gate Farm
PILLOWS A-LA-MODE 
This is awesome!! 🙂
Thank you, dear Chef Amy! 🙂
There is nothing like a gift of books like a Nancy Drew series and a bonus of a beautiful bag to carry them in. These are two lucky girls.
Thank you, Judy! I was so happy to find hardback covers with the original art . . . I just love them! 🙂
This looks like so much fun!
Xx,
Z
http://beingzhenya.com
Thank you! That fabric was such a fun find! 🙂
Very cute Katherine! You are such a good Grandma. 🙂
Awwwww . . . thank you, dear Tamara! 🙂
What a gorgeous gift! You can never have too many books (or bags)…
Oops, hit the post button too soon – it’s getting late here in Oz. I just love the fabric and even though I was more a Trixie Belden fan I love the iconic images of Nancy.
Yes, Trixie Belden is a star, too! 🙂
Such fun! But then, I am a Nancy Drew girl myself, as you know. 🙂 My girl crush on Nancy Drew: http://avintagelife.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/my-girl-crush-on-nancy-drew/
I just love that post . . . I read every single word when you wrote it. Such fun memories!!! 🙂
Wow your tote looks fabulous in our favourite Nancy Drew Fabric. Perfect book tote. I nearly bought a Hardy Boys book at a sale. Happy sleuthing.
We have all sons so we have lots of Hardy Boys books . . . I just love those, too! 🙂
“The Bungalow Mystery” was one of my favorites, mainly because I thought “bungalow” sounded so exotic, ha ha! This is a great idea!! I would have been thrilled to get this as a present when I was a kid. Shoot, I’d be thrilled to get this as a present now! 😉
I know . . . isn’t that a fabulous word??? 🙂 I was so tickled to find this fabric, so I just had to get the books to go with it! 🙂
I wish they’d print more classic book fabrics (the Narnia books for one or The Little Prince or even Judy Blume books :D) so I could do something like this with lots of my old favorites – I love the totes and the gift idea!
I agree! Another popular book around my house is the “Mr. Books” and I just found Mr. Book/Little Miss Book fabric!!! So someone will be getting a tote bag made from that full of fun books very soon! 🙂
I loved Nancy Drew as a kid – that’s a great bag!
Thank you, Heidi! My sister and I used to check out our limit of ND books at the library and read ours and then read each others before we took them back . . . fun memories! 🙂
Brilliant!
Thank you, Sarah! 🙂
Love the bags and Nancy Drew! This reminds me though, with you being an education writer, that my Children’s Lit professor in college (a woman, too) couldn’t stand Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys, etc. because they weren’t “good” literature. I think she expected kids to only read the really tough, thought provoking material. Oh, well, she’s missing out! I don’t think I was harmed by devouring two ND a day all summer!
I agree! And as a teacher, I was all for kids reading what they loved . . . as long as they were reading! 🙂 And then I enticed them to the classics through read-alouds and activities . . . it works! 🙂
Exactly! You’ve got to get them interested in reading in general first. Now, I prefer to read more complex works because I want the challenge, and they are more interesting now. But Nancy got me started, as well as the Boxcar Children.
oh! love this! 😉 what a great gift Katherine and I’m sure they will be fans of Nancy Drew 🙂
Thank you, Ingrid! 🙂
ahhhhh I’m so jealous of this fabric! I can’t get hold of it here in the UK without paying crazy postage 😦 love your bag!
I’ve learned a lot about the overseas postage from my blogging friends . . . we need some kind of magical transfer process for things like this, don’t we? 🙂
What a great idea! The girls in your family will love these. I may have to borrow this idea using some game fabrics to give board games as gifts. Thank you for sharing this clever idea! ~ Vickie
What a WONDERFUL idea, Vickie! I can’t wait to see them! 🙂
Brings back many fond memories of hot summer days spent reading under a shade tree. Do any kids do that any more???? Love your idea!! Hugs……
I don’t know . . . we’re all so spoiled with air-conditioning, aren’t we? But I have those same wonderful memories. 🙂
Keep those posts coming!!!! I love treks down memory lane! Hugs, dear friend!!!!
always reading my friend’s Nancy Drew books…and Trixie Belden had me too…So cute the material…and bags you made …
Thank you, Marilyn! Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden definitely inspired us all! 🙂
Love the fabric and the gift idea Katherine! You are one awesome Grandma!
Thank you, Laura . . . it sure is fun to make things for all the sweet little kiddos in our family! 🙂
That’s a great idea. Think I’ll whip up a book bag for my grandnieces and add a nighty with a good read. Never got to read Nancy Drew as a kid but Trixie Belden and Donna Parker were favorites when I could get to books. I have them in my library at home even now.
What a WONDERFUL idea to add a nightie, too! They will LOVE that gift! 🙂 And I read Donna Parker, too! Such good memories! 🙂
What great fabric and you did a marvelous job on the totes. Your granddaughters are very lucky girls. I loved Nancy Drew and wanted to have adventures just like she did! 🙂
Thank you, Susan! And I totally agree about wanting Nancy Drew’s adventures as a girl . . . and maybe even now! 🙂
O’ Boy, I haven’t heard of Nancy Drew in a long, long time ~ Super Cute Katherine!
Thank you, Pamela! 🙂
What a super idea! They will love that! Still have some of mine–wish I had kept them all.
Thank you, Anny! I have a few of my childhood books, but not many . . . I know what you mean about wishing I had hung on to them! 🙂
What lucky little girls! Love the bag – and the idea to match the bag to the book set. 🙂
Thank you, Kim! That fabric was definitely a fun find! 🙂
Fabulous fabric, love Nancy Drew when I was growing up and a lovely tote bag to take the books in! I am sure they will enjoy the books! 🙂
Thank you! It was so much fun to be able to match fabric to books! 🙂
You always come up with cute stuff 🙂
Aww . . . thank you, Simona! 🙂
I lurve these. Signed – your biggest fan and most annoying sister
That made me laugh! Love you, Susan!!! 🙂
What a wonderful idea!
Thank you, Lisa! 🙂
These are awesome – I wish I had a relative like you when I was little.
That’s such a sweet thing to say . . . thank you! 🙂
What a fabulous gift and a really good idea! I had two lovely, encouraging Uncles when I was growing up and I just found out one has bought an apartment near me! I am so pleased.
Thank God for loving relatives. 🙂
What wonderful news! I hope you get to have many fun outings and dinners together! 🙂
You amaze me! I love this!
You’re too sweet, Danielle . . . thank you! 🙂
They look fabulous Katherine, I would have loved one of these as a little girl!
Thank you, Jennifer! They were so much fun to put together! 🙂
Very pretty Katherine 🙂
Thank you, dear Izabel! 🙂
What an adorable idea! I just love the fabric, and the gift idea is so sweet. What lucky young ladies, and I hope they get “bit” by the Nancy Drew bug, too.
Thank you, Sharon! They both loved their gift . . . so that’s always fun to see! 🙂
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