tote bag Click image to enlarge Designer: Katrina Simeck In an effort to “green” my life a little more, I’ve been trying to eliminate the use of plastic bags in my errands & shopping. As a result, I have a collection of various sizes of cotton & canvas totes. I thought this tote bag would be the perfect size to use for small purchases…or even for carrying my lunch to work! It has been a while since I’ve sewn a project like this, so I expected to make several mistakes along the way. The Fiskars 12-in-1 Sewing Multi-Tool was very handy! The seam ripper and needle threader are quickly becoming my best friends. Difficulty rating
Instructions (Print version)
I wanted a very simple tote, so I adapted a pattern that I found in volume 10 of Sew Simple magazine (www.sewsimplemag.com). The pattern called for a zipper, which I eliminated. 1. Starting with a ½ yard of a heavy cotton material, cut 2 15”x16 3/4” rectangles using Classic No. 8 Bent Scissors (Coastal). 2. Using the 12in Portable Trimmer to measure, cut two 2 ¼” squares out of paper. Use these squares as patterns to cut from the lower corners of both fabric rectangles. 3. Following the steps in the pattern, sew the webbing handles onto the bag, and then sew the pieces together along the side & lower edges.  4. Pinch the lower corner openings of the bag together, matching the side & lower seams. Stitch across each corner. 5. If you make a mistake (I make many!), use the Seam Ripper from the 12-in-1 Sewing Multi-Tool to remove your stitches.  6. To add a bit of decoration to your tote, use an XL Round ‘n Round Punch to create a pattern. Cut circles out of felt.
7. Use the Needle Threader from the 12-in-1 Sewing Multi-Tool to thread a needle. Hand stitch a button onto the center of the felt circle, and the circle onto the front of the tote. Stitch a ribbon onto the front of the button.
I’m already thinking of other sizes of totes to create…goodbye plastic bags! Supplies Fiskars 12inch portable trimmer 12-98937897 Fiskars XL Round ‘n Round punch 12-74147097 Fiskars Classic No 8 Scissors Coastal 12-54817097 Fiskars 12-in-1 Sewing Multi-Tool 12-59777097 Other: ½ yard of heavy weight cotton or canvas material, two 18 ½” long pieces of 1 ½” wide webbing, matching thread, felt, button, ribbon for decoration |
