And then there were three...

 
I feel very fortunate that my sister and another lifelong friend are also members of my choral group. It really makes rehearsals fun.   After I made my music tote, I decided to make one for each of them too.  Here are  the 3 bags finished:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and here's a closeup:

In order to set off the vertical black and white stripes from the black top and bottom strips, I added the red/black piping.  I cut a 1 inch strip of the red/black fabric, folded it with wrong sides together and pressed with the iron.  I laid the strips on top of the black/white fabric with the folded edges toward the center, and the raw edges facing out.  In order to place the piping strips even and  straight, I used a ruler and placed the folded edges against it.

I basted the piping strips with a very narrow seam before adding the black strips for the top and bottom.  After pressing, I loaded up a yarn needle with a double thickness of cotton yarn, and inserted it into the fold of the piping strip

and out the other side:

It gave the piping a little bit of dimension, rather than lying flat.

Easy as pie, right?

I have quilter friend who works with my husband.  (She doesn't have a blog, but she should because it would be so much fun to read!)  Knowing how much my life has been consumed with "all things doggie" lately, she sent these fabrics home to me via my husband.

 The black and white paw print fabric was perfect for my black and white tote project, and so of course it ended up being included.  Check out the 3rd strip from the right:

Now I have a bag that reflects both my love of music and my love of my dog!  Thanks Gwen!