Tote Bag Tutorial

Did you ever not realize something was in dire need of replacement? I have a tote bag I take to work every day made from fabric some friends gifted me with that I’ve used for years. So many years, I can’t remember when I actually made it, and I hadn’t really looked at it closely enough to see it was far past its prime. It was definitely time to make a new one! 

I chose some Robert Kaufman Essex Linen for the bag (and some sturdy twill for the bottom), and pulled a Norman Rockwell cotton print I’d been saving for something special from my stash for the lining. I then chose my outer design, and made sure it measured  20x32” when I was done (you could use any design you wanted, so long as it ended up at those measurements when done). 

I used 1/4” foam so the bag would be sturdy enough to stand up by itself, and I always sew the handles to the fabric and foam for extra stability. I inserted the handles in one of the lower seams, and then stitched them on for strength, but you could also just sew them on without inserting them. 

I then folded the bag in half, and marked a spot 3” up and 1” over from the bottom. I then used a ruler to draw a line straight down from the dot, and another line angling from the dot up to the 5/8” seam allowance at the top (see the below photo). 

I cut the lining out to be the same size, and made the same marks on it as above. I then sewed the side seams as marked. 

To make the bottom of the bag flat, I flattened the corners against the bottom (see below photo) and marked a straight line where the 3” up mark was. I did this for both sides on the bag and the lining (I trimmed the excess fabric off after they were sewn). 

Then all that was left was to sew the bag to the lining, right sides together, leaving an opening for turning. 

After I turned it, I topstitched the top to seal everything up, and it was ready to use. 

Now we’ll see how many years I get out of this one!