CARRYING ON TO THE FINISH!!! of the Casserole Carrier of Course.

The binding from the top after it's stitched in the ditch.

The binding from the bottom after stitching in the ditch.

Remember that long skinny strip we had left after cutting out the casserole carrier? It's going to become our straps, so trim it down to around 3" - 3 1/2"wide.  Then join the ends and sew a 1/4" seam (careful you don't get a Loopy twist in it)

Press under a 1/4 inch on both sides and then carefully press together, wrong sides together.  I then use 2 decorative stitches on both sides just off the edges to seam it up.  The stitching also adds strength to the strap.

Finished Strap ready to be attached.

Mark the centers of your straps with a pin and then pin those centers to the middle of the bottom of the carrier, placing them so they will run over the open flaps.

Stitch the straps to the 'bag'.  DO NOT stitch them up the sides or it will 'pull' the carrier open when you carry it. You can go a little ways up the sides but don't go all the way.

I like to make a box with the seaming where I ended the stitching to the bag on all four corners for reinforcement.

Place velcro vertically on the flaps (then you can 'adjust' closing it).  On the underside of the top flap and the top of the bottom flap.

stitching on the velcro

Velcro placement with my oversized pan in the carrier.

For the Coup de Grace' I like to place to small strips of elastic for a spoon holder.

The completed Carrier-ready to be sent off to it's new owner, Nancy.

Nancy really earned this casserole carrier.  On her blog HERE at Wyoming Breezes I won THESE.  I was Thrilled beyond words and I have worn my pair almost every night after I take off my sandals.  Ironically, I found Nancy's blog looking for information on knitting--especially socks!  I swear I will simply have to learn to knit socks myself.  What a special treat a pair of hand-knitted socks are.  I seem to have problem though, called co-ordination and Thumbs...but I know practice will make perfect.  Just need more practice, right?

 

Sewing tip - see the bag duct-taped to my sewing table? It's an old heavy plastic produce bag and it's now resides as my 'scrap n' thread tags' bag.   It's so much easier to dump them in there rather than throwing them over my shoulder like Eleanor does :)  I suspect she doesn't clean up after herself.

DONE - I almost feel like I have finished a major UFO here it's taken so long.   There are 3 installments to making this carrier for anyone new.  Next posts will be about my trip on the Coast Starlight! It was a Grand Memorable Trip and I hope you will enjoy my blogging about it.