After taking a full two months off, I finally sat back down at my machine and got back to what I love—finishing my ByAnnie Two Big Totes. This was one of those projects that feels both straight-forward and somehow complicated at the exact same time. You know what I mean: the steps aren’t “hard,” but the layers, the bulk, and the order of construction can really make you slow down and think it through. I also talk honestly about a choice I would change if I did it again—fabric. The pattern recommends quilting cotton, and I decided to go thicker with canvas. Spoiler: it made things harder. The extra thickness added bulk in places where you really don’t want it, and it definitely made the construction more of a wrestling match than it needed to be. But even with that, I’m genuinely proud of how this tote turned out. It’s roomy, it’s sturdy, and it feels like a big “I’m back” moment at the sewing table.