insulated lunch totes

[for my kids]

Just purchased a few lunch totes on Amazon the thousand oaks brand for $2.49 a piece..they are on sale half price and come in many great colors...I'm making them for teacher gifts and keeping them on hand for future b-day gifts; etc. :) I'm putting a Dolly Momma design on one for a b-day gift...the Wild Oats one...

[JET]

What a great idea. Think I will order some too.

[idesign]

Just purchased a few lunch totes on Amazon the thousand oaks brand for $2.49 a piece..they are on sale half price and come in many great colors...I'm making them for teacher gifts and keeping them on hand for future b-day gifts; etc. :) I'm putting a Dolly Momma design on one for a b-day gift...the Wild Oats one...

Looks like a great idea, but I wondered how the embroidery works on this if it is insulated? I took a look at the picture, but can't tell much from it--like if it is thick foam inside, or if there is a zipper? The picture is way too tiny to tell! Could you fill me in?

Carol

[for my kids]

No there is no foam it just has a metallic like substance for the lining. You can go to various web-sites that sell these with embroidery and see them. Just google insulated totes embroideried or momogramed. I'm not going to hoop mine. I will be positioning on side on top of a heavy weight tear away. I may have to remove the stitching on one side in order to have room to sew it out. That is a pain i know but I find that sometimes that is necessary to embroidery with a home macine on some items. If I can get my husband to take a pic and can figure out how to attach it I will send one after I finish my project.

[for my kids]

oh, yes there is a zipper so you would undo the seam on the open side

[for my kids]

one other thing...I ordered a similar tote in camo for my son already embroidered with his name before I got my machine. The person placed a piece of large clear packing type tape over the backside of the embroidery..the insulated side to make it smooth and easy to clean.

[idesign]

Thank you--that is very helpful. The clear packing tape sounds like a very smart idea, too. Thanks for passing all of this along to us!

[just_teachin]

Hmmmm... there are LOTS of Thousand Oaks items that'd be great for blanks. Has anyone used any of them? (Like the totes, duffles, etc)

I wish they had the Super Saver shipping on them... I'm a cheapskate when it comes to shipping. ;)

[for my kids]

I hear ya about the shipping! Hate to pay it myself. I had several people go in with me and ordered a few to make it more worth my while. I plan to do some for customers to help me make up for the shipping. I do small jobs here in my community to help pay for my embroidery addiction. I can pay for thread and designs that way. This is an expensive hobby!

[idesign]

I'm so thankful that Embroidables sells single designs, because I know I have bought a pack for just a few designs, but I don't do that anymore. If I can't buy individual designs, I have to feel I will use 90% of the pack before I will buy the whole thing. You are right--it is a very expensive hobby, but fun!

[for my kids]

I hear ya about the packs vs single designs. I bought the Dolly mama's pack because I have used them all. that is a rarity though. I generally buy individual designs too. sewing is my only real hobby, my sister scrapbooks and some of my friends are into photography, cooking etc. I decided a while back to concentrate on the one thing I really love...sewing...and that helps me justify the expensive.:)

[cheeky monkey]

No there is no foam it just has a metallic like substance for the lining. You can go to various web-sites that sell these with embroidery and see them. Just google insulated totes embroideried or momogramed. I'm not going to hoop mine. I will be positioning on side on top of a heavy weight tear away. I may have to remove the stitching on one side in order to have room to sew it out. That is a pain i know but I find that sometimes that is necessary to embroidery with a home macine on some items. If I can get my husband to take a pic and can figure out how to attach it I will send one after I finish my project.
I just bought a few of these and they arrived today. I need some help getting a larger area to embroider. Right now I have it pinned to the stablizer but only have about a 2" X 2" area to work with and the bulk of the bag looks like it's going to get hung up on my machine. If you remove the stitching do you stitch back through the insulation?


oh, yes there is a zipper so you would undo the seam on the open side
Can you clarrify which side you mean-I am having trouble visualizing.

Sandra

[for my kids]

ok sorry just now replying ...i had to go in the hospital for emer. surgery 10 days ago and am just now home yesterday...had my gallbladder removed and a fatty tissue mass in my adomen that turned out to be non-cancerous thank GOd! Had 33 staples along my stomach....anyway...i got my totes in just before all this happened and they didn't come looking exactly like the two's co. ones iv'e bought and sewed on before as I described in a previous posting...i ended up taking the thing apart from the side zipper down on both sides and plan on stitching the canvas only side ...large area to stitich using the same method...spraying and pinning to stabilizer...the canvas is nicer on this tote but the construction is not as easy to sew on as the two's co brand that sells for like $8 a piece if you can get one..they are getting hard to find. hope that helps...it will be more work taking apart and resewing to get the project done...sorry ...it didn't look the same in the picture as it did when it arrived. :(

[for my kids]

clairification...no I won't be sewing through the insulated lining on this tote. no need to when you seperate the sides....just sew on the canvas leaving the rest out of the way...when resewn..the back side of your work will never show.....

[artsiegirl]

So glad you're okay! Be sure to let us see some pics (I'm thinking of ordering some of these!) but only when you're completely healed and ready to go! Get well soon!

[idesign]

So glad you're okay! Be sure to let us see some pics (I'm thinking of ordering some of these!) but only when you're completely healed and ready to go! Get well soon!

Ditto from me, and get well soon!
Carol

[craftmama]

love to see pics

[cheeky monkey]

Thanks for the reply and hope you heal quickly. The ones I bought have a large pocket on the front. My goal was to monogram on the pocket and not seal it shut :). I have done 1 but the max monogram I can get on it is 2 inches-it looks fine but I don't have enough area to do a name or larger monogram and it requires hands on babysitting as it stiches.

If I am understanding you correctly you took the stiching out at the zipper placket and stiched in the flat side not the pocket? I can take the stiching out at the pocket but then I have to stich throught the insulation to reattach the pocket.

Sandra

[cheeky monkey]

I ended up just unstitching the pocket-embroidering then stiching it back through the insulated lining-kind of a pain but it gave me a nice big embroidery area.
Sandra

[for my kids]

Thanks so much artsiegirl...I'm feeling a whole lot better! That was a whammy from nowhere but I'm glad everything turned out okay...I did sew a lunch tote for my son's end of the yr teacher gift. I used the cute ladybug design that I know you already have...you sued it on an adorable baby girl outfit. I but the teacher's name using the curls font and the ladybug design on the hot pink tote. As I said earlier the pain of it is that you have to take the totes apart somewhat to get it sewed but it turned out so so cute. The back side of the stitching dies not show on this tote so it looks really neat but just takes added time. That is the only draw back to these totes...they are cheap at 2.50 though...Iv'e used the two's company one and it takes less time due to not haveing to take it apart so much. I used one of the Dolly mamma designs for it ...a job I did for a lady's b-day...it also turned out very cute. I have to figure out how to post pics so I can show y'all.

[for my kids]

cheeky monkey...yes, i did take it aprt at both sides and separating the insulated lining from the tote so that I could stitch the side without the pocket. It turned out great and I was able to use my 5x7 hoop. I did hoop that side but sometimes i dont hoop...i use stabiliser and pin spray, etc. the piece to the hooped stabiliser...just depends on the area I have to work with. I know it is a pain to undo and all sorry but the finished product is vwry nice..i will get pics real soon when i can get my hubby to help me ...i never posted pics before will try soon...hope all the info helps and it wan't too much a pain to undo and stitch back...i wan't expecting it to be constructed this way but the material is nice and sturdy....

[cruisin]

there are some lunch totes at the dollar store too!

low quality...but good for other things besides lunch.

toiletry bag, shower bag, spa bag, pedicure bag.......

[cheeky monkey]

cheeky monkey...yes, i did take it aprt at both sides and separating the insulated lining from the tote so that I could stitch the side without the pocket. It turned out great and I was able to use my 5x7 hoop. I did hoop that side but sometimes i dont hoop...i use stabiliser and pin spray, etc. the piece to the hooped stabiliser...just depends on the area I have to work with. I know it is a pain to undo and all sorry but the finished product is vwry nice..i will get pics real soon when i can get my hubby to help me ...i never posted pics before will try soon...hope all the info helps and it wan't too much a pain to undo and stitch back...i wan't expecting it to be constructed this way but the material is nice and sturdy....

Thanks for the info. We just got back from vacation and I had tons of complements on my bag. I think I will stick with unstiching the pocket and stiching it back on.

Sandra

[for my kids]

yes that sounds like the easiest way to go...glad everyone like the tote...what kind of design did you put on it or was it monogramed?

[LottieJo]

Please post a picture I want to see what you are talking about.

[for my kids]

LottieJo...sorry I haven't posted a pic yet...I'm new at some of this web stuff...my husband took some pics of a beach tote that I'm going to enter in the inspirations contest...hopefully he can post that tonight...the lunch tote I made I've already given to my son's teacher and didn't get a pic....however I have several others to do and as soon as I get one completed I'll post a pic. or have my hubby do it for me...he will have to show me... anyway they are really cute...I just had mj sugery on my stomach so I'm a little slow these days but I promise to get a pic. soon...thanks ...maybe cheeky monkey can post one of hers too.

[cheeky monkey]

Here is one I did for a teacher gift. I don't have a picture of the inside but it's that metalic insulated material. I just unstiched the sides of the pocket, embroidered and stiched it back going through all the layers.

I hope it's ok to post this as it's not a design from the site-rather a monogram.

[for my kids]

cheecky monky I love that...funny but I also did the same as you and used a ribbon on the zipper!added taht finishing touch...what mono. did you use? I need a mono. and I love that one...it turned out very nice! if you could let me know...I did one today that I got at Target bargin bin for $2.50...it is turquoise blue with lime straps and zipper...it is square so I did the lid and used the San Lori design and just my name as I couldn't find a mono. I like...love that one...let me know where you got it or what program you used..PM me if necessary that one looks like the navy or black one...I have both colors of the totes..am doing one for my friend in the navy and that would be perfect!

[cheeky monkey]

cheecky monky I love that...funny but I also did the same as you and used a ribbon on the zipper!added taht finishing touch...what mono. did you use? I need a mono. and I love that one...it turned out very nice! if you could let me know...I did one today that I got at Target bargin bin for $2.50...it is turquise blue with lime straps and sipper...it is square so I did the lid and used the San Lori design and just my name as I couldn't know a mono. I like...love that one...let me know where you got it or what program you used..PM me if necessarythat one looks like the navy or black one...I have both colors of the totes..am doing one for my friend in the navy and that would be perfect!

I use monogram wizard plus for most all of my monograms. I believe that font is arabesque. Don't ribbon embelishment just just add the nicest finishing touch?