Tutorial - Lined Tote Bag

  Lined Tote Bag

½ yard focus fabric

       ½ yard lining fabric

       1 ½ yard 1” grosgrain ribbon or webbing for handles

       coordinating thread

Cut focus fabric & lining.

1.  Cut 2 16” x 14” (or whatever size you desire) rectangles from the focus fabric.   

2.  Cut 2 16” x 14” (or whatever size you desire) rectangles from the lining fabric.

Sew side seam.  Decorate if desired.

3.  Place focus fabric rectangles right sides together.  Sew 1 short side.

Open and press. If you are adding decoration or pockets now is the time!

4.  Place lining fabric rectangles right sides together.  Sew 1 short side.

Open and press. If you are adding inside pockets now is the time.

Sew remaining 2 sides.

5.  Fold focus fabric panel in half and sew 1 long side (bottom) and the remaining
short side (side).  

6.  Fold lining panel in half and sew 1 long side (bottom) and the remaining

short side (side).

Three sides are now sewn.

This is the tricky part.  Boxing the corners. 

7.  Grab body of bag between fingers and pull apart near the corners. 

Line up seams so that the corner creates a right angle between the front and

back section and the seam is in the center.

Pin, mark, and .......

8.  With a ruler - preferably with a right angle marking - center the seam. 
Draw a stitching line. The length of the stitching line will be the width of your bag. 
Pin in place.

9.  Repeat on all corners of outer (focus fabric) bag and lining bag.

........ Sew!

10.  Sew corners.  

Cutting off the excess fabric is optional.

Square them up nicely!

11.  Poke out corners so the bags are nice and square.

Pin straps.

12.  Cut straps the desired length.

13.  Using a ruler as a guide place straps 3” to 3.5” from the side of the outer bag. 

Make sure right sides are together and straps are not twisted.

Use 2 pins to pin in place so it will stay even with the top.  

Right sides together - very important!

14.  Turn lining bag inside out.  Place outer bag inside lining bag. 
Right sides should be together. Line up tops neatly.  Pin tops together.

Leave an opening - very important!

15.  You will sew around the top leaving a 3” - 4” unsewn opening. 

Do not leave the opening where the straps are or between the straps. 

Double pin the outer limits of the place that you will leave open.  

Leave an opening - super important!!

16.  Begin sewing the bag top at the double pins on the right and continue
sewing around until you reach the double pins on the left.  Make sure to
back stitch at the start and stop.  

Note: I like to backstitch over each strap after I’ve sewn over it to reinforce it.

Turn right sides out.

17.  Carefully pull the bag sections through the hole that you left open.  

Press the top edge neatly, especially the opening.

18.  Make sure the corners are nice and neat and press everything carefully.

19.  Press the top edge of the bag.  Make sure to press the opening so that it

visually matches the sewn edge.

Top stitch.

20.  Sew around the top edge of the bag making sure to sew the opening closed.

Two-color version.

Inside pocket.

Fill it with goodies and go show it off !!

Last Saturday Sewcial of the Summer

School starts for teachers on August 1, so this was the last Summer Saturday Sewcial at the Library.

We made lined tote bags.

Each participant brought their own fabric which lets us all "oooh" and "aaaah" over the beautiful finished products that are unique to each participant.

This is a good project to practice straight line stitching, pressing, turning, making boxed corners, right sides together and many other practical sewing techniques.

I checked out a few tote bag tutorials before the class and didn't find one that was detailed enough for my beginning beginners.  So I made some samples and wrote my own.  The Lined Tote Bag tutorial is HERE.  Check it out. The participants followed along with the printed tutorial even though I walked them through it step by step and it seemed to work well so I will add it to the blog.

Hopefully we will be able to meet again in September once school has settled down.  Zipper pouch is next on my radar!