Bag Lady Week: A Simple Tote Tutorial and giveaway by Felicity Quilts

Well, I can't think of a nicer way to wrap up Bag Lady Week than with my fellow Canuck, Felicity, of Felicity Quilts. Felicity has the best quilty ideas, and has made one of my all-time favorite quilts (you should really check it out- it's right here). When I am not perusing her blog I am stalking her on Pinterest- the girl has got style, and next time I make it to the west coast I am totally raiding her shoe closet!

And what better project to wrap up Bag Lady Week than lined totes- they are perfect for numerous functions, you can never have enough of them. And this one with vintage sheet lining? Divine :) Felicity is even doing a giveaway of the finished tote to one lucky reader, so if you would like it to find its way to you, be sure to leave a comment!
NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED



Simple Lined Tote by Felicity Quilts

Fabric Requirements:

Tote: 1 yard/metre home decorator-weight fabric (you'll have some left over but I like to err on the side of caution)
Lining: 3/4 yard/metre quilting cotton (I used a vintage sheet)

Directions:

STEP 1 - Cut Fabric

a. Tote:
2 @ 19" x 19" squares for bag body
2 @ 2.75" x 28" strips for handles
2@ 1" x 28" strips for handle lining

b. Lining:
2 @ 19" x 19" squares
1 @ 9" 12" rectangle for inner pocket (optional)

STEP 2 - Assemble Tote

We're going to make the bag first, then the lining. Here we go!

a. Place bag body pieces right sides together. Using a 3/8" seam allowance, stitch around sides and bottom. Finish edges with a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.

b. To create gusset, fold over each side of the bag about 1½" along the bottom seam.

and stitch down along the existing seam line at the bottom.

c. Turn bag right side out and push out the corners to create the gusset.

d. Fold over top edge of bag ½" and press (wrong sides together).

STEP 3 - Make Handles

a. Take handle strips, fold over ¼" along each long side and press.

b. Fold handle in half and press.

c. Insert a handle lining piece into the folded handle piece, slipping it under the folded edge.

d. Top stitch about 1/8" from the edge along both sides of each handle. Once you've gone down one side, just zip along the end and continue along the other side - the ends will be buried inside the bag.

STEP 4 - Make Pocket (if you don't want an inner pocket, just go ahead and skip to Step 5)

a. If you want to add a label, do so now, and place it offset from the centre. Don't be misled by the photo - you should stitch the label onto the pocket piece before folding the pocket for step b. I placed it about 1½" from top and sides.

b. Fold the pocket piece in half, right sides together, along the 9" edge so that you have a rectangle that is 6" x 9". Use washable fabric marker (or lightly mark with a pencil, no biggie) to make 2 marks along the 9" side (the side that's not the fold) about 4" or 5" apart. Leave this section open as you stitch all the way around the pocket using a ¼" seam.

If you squint, you can see the marks between those two pins in the top.

c. Turn the pocket right side out, poke out the corners (I use a chopstick) and press.

d. Topstitch about 1/8" from the edge across the top of the pocket only.

e. Place the pocket on the right side of a lining piece 4" from the top. Make sure it's centred then pin it in place.

f. Attach the pocket to the lining by stitching around the sides and bottom using a 1/8" topstitch. If you want to divide this pocket into smaller pockets, stitch again down the centre of the pocket.

Click to enlarge

STEP 5 - Make Lining

a. Take the lining piece with the pocket on it and lay it right side up. Take the other lining piece and place it right side down, lining up the edges as well as possible.

b. Stitch around the sides and bottom using a ¼" seam. If you're concerned about fraying, finish the edges with a zigzag seam.

c. Create boxed corners by taking the bottom corner of the bag and pulling apart the layers and squeezing so that the side and bottom seams lie atop one another and the corner becomes a point with seams down the centre of both sides.

d. Making sure that the seams are lined up, measure 1" from the corner and draw a line.

Stitch on the line. Trim seam allowance to ¼". Repeat for the other bottom corner.

e. Fold down raw edge at the top of the lining ¼" (wrong sides together) and press.

f. Set lining aside for now.

STEP 6 - Attach Handles

a. Centre the handles on the wrong side of the tote, with 6" between them. Make sure the bottom of the handle sits about 1¼" from the top of the tote. Pin in place.

b. Draw a line across the handle about 1/8" from the top of the tote, and another one 1" down so that these lines and the topstitching create a square. Draw an X from corner to corner.

c. Stitch the handle to the tote along the X in a square that you just drew, including along the handle's topstitching. I stitched at least twice over every line to secure the handle.

d. Repeat for all 4 ends of the tote's handles.

STEP 7 - Attach Lining to Tote

a. Turn lining RIGHT side out. Turn tote INSIDE out. Insert the tote into the lining so the right side of the lining is on the outside.

b. Line up side seams of tote and lining...

then pin lining in place at or just below the top of the tote. This keeps the lining out of sight when you look at the outside of the tote.

c. Starting at one of the side seams, stitch 1/8" from the top of the lining all the way around the tote.

STEP 8 - ENJOY!!

Thanks so much for the tutorial and the giveaway, Felicity! Remember to leave a comment below for a chance to win this beauty of a bag :)

NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED