Tote Tutorial

My first tutorial

TOTE BAG

I decided I needed a new tote. As it turned out, I needed a new project too. So, there ya’ go, I had a new tote project on my hands. Well really, it was in my head, but a short trip to Joanns with some handy dandy coupons, and then I had a project on my hands.

I made this a while back, and I will do my very best to remember exactly how I did this. If the measurements aren’t exact, just keep in mind that no 2 home made projects are alike, right? I tried to take pictures along the way, but I’ll admit I got caught up in the making of the tote and forgot to take pictures of every step.

Begin with 3 coordinating fabrics. I chose cotton, but denim or canvas would work too.

You will want:

1 yard each of your 2 main fabrics (A&B)

½  yard of the 3^rd fabric (C)

I went with a (A) large polka dot, (B) hounds-tooth, and (C) pindot.

Stabilizer (1/2 yard)

Matching thread (I used upholstery thread)

Coordinating bias tape (1 pkg.)

Woven belt-like material for the strap (roughly 4 yards. But I wanted mine really long so I could use it as a cross-body if I decided to).

Here is a picture of my three fabrics. Aren’t they great?!

Lets start with the SHELL

STEP S1-Fabric (A)-  cut this into two ½  yard pieces (A¹) & (A²). Iron stabilizer to the back of A¹ then fold in half lengthwise (selvage edges together). Iron a nice crisp crease on the folded edge (this will help line up the outside pocket later.)

STEP S2- Now take fabric (B) and cut it into two ½ yard pieces (B¹)& (B²).

Using (B²)- while still folded and selvage edges together, trim 3 inches off of the selvage edge, set aside the 3 inch strips for another project.

STEP S3-Take this newly trimmed piece and fold it in half width-wise inside out, iron a nice crisp crease on the folded edge. Sew a seam the length of the long raw edge. You now have a 9 in. wide tube. Length depends on how wide your original material was. So my tube is now 9x40. Turn this tube right side out.

STEP S4- Take the (B²) tube and line the sewn seam up with the ironed crease. Iron again. Now the seam is in the middle of the tube not at the edge. Sew a strip of bias tape over each of the two short edges of the tube.

Fabric (B²) tube with bias tape on the edge.

STEP S5-Now the fun part. Line up the seam on fabric (B²) with the crease down the center of fabric (A¹). Center (B²) evenly (from top to bottom) of fabric (A¹). Make sure the seam on B² is to the inside.

Step S6-Now carefully stitch down each long side of fabric (B²) onto A1. Do not sew across the top where the bias tape is. This will be the outside pocket opening.

Step S7-Take your strap material and cut it in half. You now have 2 straps. Fold your new (A¹-B²) piece in half from top to bottom. Iron a nice crease at the bottom of the new (A¹) piece. Place the strap over each seam where (B²) connected to (A¹) .

Once again, make your strap as long or as short as you want it to be. Remember I wanted mine to be long. And I wanted my strap ends to be hidden under the bottom piece (C). So I placed my strap ends 4 inches from the bottom fold. Yours does not have to go down as far as mine did or be as long.

Step S8-Now that you have decided where to place your strap, sew down both edges from the bottom of the strap to the edge of the outside pocket. Repeat for both sides of both straps.

Make sure to make reinforcement stitches at the pocket edge. If you are not going to put the bottom edge of the strap underneath the bottom cover, you will want to reinforce stitch there too.

Now let’s create a nice reinforcement bottom for the bag. Ideally this would be of some type of strong material. Like canvas or denim. But I couldn’t find any that I really liked, so I just used cotton. Knowing that this bag won’t suffer too much abuse, this should be sufficient.

Step S9-Take fabric (C) – Open material and cut it at 20 inches.  You now have a piece that is 20in x18in. Yes, you will have quite a bit of material left over. Use this for another project later.

STEP S10-Once cut, turn inside out and sew on the 18 inch edge. Iron a nice crisp crease on the folded edge.

STEP S11- Turn right side out and center the seam over the ironed in crease. Iron again making 2 new edge creases.

STEP S12- Place this tube over the bottom fold of (A¹). Line up the seam (and crease) of (C) with the ironed in crease at bottom of (A¹). Seam side down. Pin in place and sew at each edge of (C).

STEP S13-Turn right sides together, and sew up the sides through all layers. Turn right side out.

You have now completed the outside or shell of the bag.

Let’s work on the LINING.

STEP L1-  Using (B¹) – open up the material and fold it with right sides together and keeping selvage edges together. Sew along cut edges of material. Make this seam wider than the one you used on the Shell sides. You want this bag to be slightly smaller than the outside bag.

STEP L2- Do not turn this bag inside out. Take it just as it is and set it inside the Shell of the bag. The insides should be facing. Line up side seams. And sew a stay stitch around top through all thicknesses. Make sure that the straps don’t get caught up in the upper seam.

STEP L3- Sew the bias tape around the top of the bag, once again making sure you don’t catch the straps as you sew.

Confessions: 1-I made my bag with a flat bottom. I don’t really know how to explain it, and I didn’t take any pictures. And, I wish I would have just left it with the regular-pointy corner- bottom. 2- I used (A²) to make pockets around the inside of the tote. But once again, I forgot the pics and wasn’t sure how to explain it. So, I left both of these out of the tutorial.

Well, I hope this makes since, and that you enjoy your new bag. I know I have. BTW this is a good size tote for a full size lap top. Plus accessories.

Here it is- the finished project. (The measurements are approximate)