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Tuesday
30Sep

Molly's Sketchbook: An Apple Picking Tote

I'm originally from Berkeley, California and before I moved to New York I had never been apple picking in my life. It's not that I had never picked things to eat, the options were just different. We had oranges and Meyer lemons growing in our backyard, rosemary and mint bursting out of every sidewalk crack, and when I was little my dad would take me blackberry picking along the BART tracks (BART is the Bay Area's metro system). But aside from the occasional lonely apple tree there were no real apples to speak of. The first time I went apple picking on the east coast was a revelation. Apples, it turned out, were really incredible, there was so much more to them than the sad overly waxed green and red orbs I'd been eating my whole life. I'd never bit into a Golden Delicious and had it actually be so... delicious!

Now that I'm a east coaster I go apple picking every year with my friend Nicole, a fellow apple lover. Last year as we were carrying our obscenely over stuffed paper bag full of apples down the orchard hill the bag broke.  I decided that next time I'd bring my own (sewn) bag! This pretty linen tote is the result. I used Globalweave's Loose Weave Linen from India for the body of the bag and I totally fell in love with it. It has the most amazing heavy drape and natural look. This fabric would also make very elegant curtains or the base of a lovely embroidery project.

If you want to make your very own apple picking bag check out my Apple Picking Tote Project Journal. Of course you don't just have to use this bag to lug apples, it's sturdy enough to take to the farmers market or grocery store. And if you live in California you could use it to pick oranges! 

Here are two "pick your own" apple orchards in New York State that I have enjoyed visiting:

For other states (and even more orchards in New York) check out Pick Your Own.

Enjoy! --Molly

Posted on DateSeptember 30, 2008 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | in , , , , , | Comment30 Comments

Reader Comments (30)

you must have lived in southern california to be talking about oranges & lemons but no apples! here in norcal we have apple galore... including a festival dedicated to gravensteins! :) there's a huge apple orchard on the same property as my job, and apple orchard line the road on my drive to work, interspersed with vineyards. it goes to show you how different the two "sides" of the state are! :)
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered Commentermary grace
When I lived in so cal I was about the citrus. Now up in norcal I have apple trees all over but miss that citrus smell. This year we're finally building a greenhouse so I can stock it with miniature citrus and get the best of both halves of CA!

The tote is FABULOUS. As always you picked the most amazing materials. I'll be linking to this project in the Daily DIY.
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRachel
No apples?! I'm shocked (shocked!) to hear this from a former NorCal lady. What about the Gravensteins of Sebastopol? One of the only areas in the U.S. that these are grown, and home to two apple-themed festivals every year. Apple Blossom in the early Summer, and Gravenstein Apple Festival during harvest in early Fall.

My grandfather had an orchard, my dad has an orchard; there are orchards numerous and old around here (some still saved from being converted to vineyards) and lots of places to pick your own.

That said, the tote is lovely and a quite useful addition to apple picking chores.
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAnna
Sadly no apples in Berkeley (at least not ones you would want to eat) but you can go up to Apple Hill near Sacramento and pick some apples. I think of doing it every year but have never made it.
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterkaela
as a berkeley native (now living in new york), i miss meyer lemons off the tree. and cheeseboard pizza.
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterjulie
I grew up in Berkeley, too -- now I've moved all the way to Oakland! We have oranges, lemons and apples in our back yard, as well as blueberries and raspberries. All yummy!
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterfloribunda
I love apples and always buy a lot in fall to make homemade applesauce, but I have never gone apple picking, which is abundant in the Midwest. This cute tote makes me want to go pick them myself! I love the use of the linen with any accent fabric to customize this tote.
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTerriaw
Ohhh, I could really use one of those. Our apple tree is nearly toppling over this year with apples. Such a wonderful idea and I'm betting I have something in the stash that will work nicely.
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTrying Traditional
I had no idea you grew up in Berkeley! I went to school in the bay area and have often thought that I'd find myself living in the East Bay but somehow have gotten caught in the trap that is SoCal. I can't remember much apple picking around SF/Berkeley either!
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterrhoda
Beautiful bag -- I love it!
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered Commenteramanda
I'm so jealous. I'm allergic to apples. Haven't had one in about 40 years. Isn't that horrid?! So enjoy every bite. I'll just put something else in my tote, like carrots -oh hum....
September 30, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBarbara
Just lovely!
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterchelsea
I can understand what you said about the apple picking. I remember when I was a child that we went to the island where my Dad was born, we went picking fruits from the trees and it was sooooo fun and different. We went with one uncle and my brother and me we felt like we were doing thing of the adults, lol...
Anyway, the bag idea is great! I love the bias tape in both sides. I think I'll try one of it in a smaller size (I don't think I'll go apple picking though)
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered Commentercelia
I have been looking for the perfect project for a small amount of fall fabric and this bag is it. In Oklahoma we don't pick many apples, but it is such a great bag, it won't matter what is in it.
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered Commenteraimee
Aren't apples just incredible? I used to live in Toronto and so many apple trees belonged to the city - they were untended, but fruited all the same and dropped their apples everywhere on the road to be crushed by cars. Autumn always came with the smell of fermenting apple mush!
Now I am in Oxford and my dinky house has an old and knarly apple tree in the back yard. My boyfriend and I spend Sunday mornings picking and making apple mousse to stockpile for the winter months.
Now all I need is an apple tote!
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAngela
What a gorgeous tote you've made--really wonderful fabric choices. I've been looking for an excuse to purchase some of that floral dot fabric, and this might be it...
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKim
Molly,
That bag is gorgeous, and you are so talented! let's go before the season is over!!!
Your fellow apple lover,
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNicole
NY is the second biggest producer of apples in the the country (second only to washington)....apple picking is ingrained in our culture! Love the tote! Haven't gone this year yet, I like to wait for hte later apples, when the fall foliage provides a nice backdrop for the activity!
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKim
I do my apple picking at the local farmers market. Your beautiful tote would look good there too. Great, versatile project Molly.
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterrosemary
oh my goodness, molly! what an applesauce pot you've stirred! i, too, miss the meyer lemons of northern california. oh, how lovely that was to just pick them off trees on my way home from the bart station. when i moved to nyc in 1984 (brooklyn, actually), i fell in love with the farmer's market at city hall. oh, the apples were amazing. yes, the gravensteins of norcal are fabulous but the apples i rediscovered were so delightful -- northern spy!!!!!!!!!!! northern spy!!!!!!!!!!!

anyway, your fabrics are just lovely for that bag. the linen is so clean, the yuwa makes me want to eat it or roll around in it. nice bag!!!!!!!
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered Commentercolleen
I live in Berkeley now, and we recently drove to Sebastopol to pick 12 lbs.of apples! And what we don't travel to comes to us via the farmer's markets. We even have a plentiful Asian pear tree in our backyard. Me thinks you need to have a chat with your parents ;-)
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKim
Wow I never expected such a response about apples! I just want everyone to know that I never meant to insult the great bounty of Northern California! I know that everything and anything can and does grow there, including fabulous apples. I just didn't personally know about the joys of apple picking and great apples before I moved east and I tend to think of it as a special New York ritual. But more power to you California apple pickers! I will eat a Gravelstein for you next time I'm in Berkeley! - Molly
October 1, 2008 | Registered Commenterpurl bee
What a beautiful tote! And truly perfect for apple picking!

I am originally a San Franciscan, and when our military moves finally took us to upstate New York, I was in heaven each fall because of the apple picking, and of course consequently the yummy apple cider, fresh apple butter and countless fresh apple foods! Yum.

We are now in TX and it is fall and I am missing the apple season. I was just telling my husband last Sunday that fall doesn't feel like fall because there are no freshly picked apples on our dining room table.
October 1, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterTif
This is just the sort of bag I've been wanting to make. So much prettier than the reusable grocery bags available at our supermarket. Thanks for the tutorial!
October 2, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKym
Cute tote Molly, I think we were too busy sewing to go apple picking.
October 2, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJosie (Molly's Mom)
I just took the kids apple picking this week. They picked 25 pounds.

Now I might have to make them each a bag.
October 2, 2008 | Unregistered Commentererinn johnson
great bag! Also looks like it would be nice as an everyday tote bag...with the addition of an inner pocket for keys (i always loose em' at the bottom!)

Another great Orchard is "Indian Ladder Farms" in Albany County about 1/2 hr outside of the city of Albany. They also make fresh Cider donuts and you can pet the goats(they're so cute)!

Another great fall thing to do if you're headed up to the afformentioned Orchard is to also stop by Thatcher Park which is near by and actually walk the "Indian Ladder Trail"...it's a brisk but simple hike with some beautiful waterfalls and a great view of the Hudson Valley. Hike + Apple picking + Cider donuts? Awesome northeast fall weekend.

cheers!
October 3, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMalvina
I had the opposite reaction when I moved to Arizona. As we drove down a street I saw Oranges laying all over the sidewalks and yards. I turned to my friend and said..."do you know how much oranges cost?...and they are all over the place here, just rotting." I grew up in Ohio with tons of apple orchards...and never gave it a second thought to see apples lying on the ground and rotting....
October 5, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterwaterrose
Malvina's Indian Ladder Farms rec brought a smile to my face. Thats only a few miles from where I grew up! (I'm the Kim from above that gave the produce stats) I live in Columbia County, NY now and we took the kids apple picking yesterday and I said to my husband that the place we went to had nothing on Indian Ladder Farms' views. Cider donuts are a must when you go apple picking, alas, when we returned to the stand after picking yesterday, they were all out. It just means we'll have to go again!
October 6, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterKim
Fun bag!
I'm a Bay Area native, as well.
How do you like the East Coast?! :)
I'm watching a busy little squirrel steal the last of my tomatoes, and take them down his little hole, right now as I type this note to you. *UGH*
Here's a lemon off my backyard tree for ya.....catch!
:)
Greetings from sunny, breezy CA!
Laurie~
October 7, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLaurie

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