Tote Bag Tutorial - Lesson 1: Fabric

Way back in October, which now seems very far away, a package came in the mail from Denver Fabrics with some fabric for a tote bag I planned to use for a gift...some basic black, some gingham and some pretty paisley, all durable duck cloth.

Since I have talked so much about this tote bag pattern I love to make, I thought I would share a little multi-part tutorial on making it. While constructing this gift, I kept my camera handy, and finally here is Lesson 1 of my Tote Bag Tutorial.


Fabric

I started out with a 21 x 36 inch cut of Black for the outside shell, a 21 x 36 inch cut of Paisley for the inside lining, and a 21 x 26 inch cut of Gingham for the inside pockets.


Then I cut 2 pieces each of Black and Paisley 21 x 7 inches for the zippered extension. The Black will be seen from the outside and the Paisley will be the lining, to match the outside and lining of the bag itself.


Then I cut 2 pieces of Paisley 20 x 14 inches for the outside pockets, which will be very generous in size. If you want smaller outside pockets, simply adjust the measurements. You can also leave the outside pockets off altogether if you like. The finished size of each pocket is 10 x 14 since the length of the fabric is folded in half, making it unnecessary to hem the top edge and also making it more sturdy. You can use a single thickness of fabric here if you would like.


Next, I cut 2 strips of the Gingham 3 inches wide by the width of the fabric for the trim around the outside pockets. I also cut 2 pieces of Gingham 4 1/2 x 28 inches and 2 pieces of Black 5 x 28 inches for the handles.


The only other supplies I needed were a zipper and black thread. I purchased a heavy duty sport zipper which was 22 inches long. A regular zipper will work just fine too, but I prefer the heavy duty zippers for their bigger teeth and larger zipper pull.

In the next installment, I will show you how to put together the inside of the bag with the lining and pockets. But stay tuned tomorrow for my Whirl Into Winter Giveaway post which you won't want to miss!

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

Happy Stitching!

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More Goodies in the Mailbox - Denver Fabrics

Look what George the mailman left on the porch for me...



It's the fabric I recently ordered from one of my favorite online fabric stores Denver Fabrics. With it I plan to make a tote bag just like my own very favorite tote bag I use for everything, which just happens to be the very same tote bag pattern I used for the Angel Swap tote bag I recently sent to Lyn in Australia.

Are you getting the idea that I LOVE this tote bag pattern? Good, because I do!

Anyway, I showed my sister the Angel tote bag before sending it down under and she just loved it. She said she would love to have one just like that one, but I questioned whether that would be appropriate considering she's a nun whose every article of clothing and every accessory is basic black. I suggested perhaps something besides the blue denim and blue and pink paisley of the Angel tote bag. Perhaps something a bit more ... uh ... well ... Black! She agreed that would probably be better.

So what do you think? There's the black in the middle, then there's black and white gingham on the right, and then the black, white, pink and green paisley on the left. I just HAD to throw in a tiny bit of Color. Just had to. I don't think she'll mind.

The basic black will be the body of the bag. The paisley will be the lining and perhaps the outside pockets. I had planned on using the gingham for the outside pockets, but after looking at it for just about 10 seconds or so, my eyes started doing some pretty funky things - you know, that wiggly, wavy sort of vertigo-like sensation you get when you look at certain designs and color patterns? We don't need to induce that in the local nuns, or anybody else for that matter! So I'll probably use the gingham for the trim on the handles and around the pockets like I used the paisley on the outside of the Angel tote bag.

I am also planning to do some pockets on the inside, with little sections stitched into them and maybe even a hidden zippered pocket inside the lining of the zippered extension. She is my sister after all and I need to make sure it's as fancy and functional as possible.

Don't you just love bags? I love having them and making them and using them. A bag for every occasion!

Happy Stitching!

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