To make your tote bag you will need approximately one yard of fabric per tote bag. I like to have 2 yards of fabric so that I can make 2 bags at the same time with contrasting inside fabric. One bag will have fabric A on the outside and fabric B on the inside. The other will have fabric B on the outside and fabric A on the inside.Instructions:
Cut a rectangle out of the fabric that is 40" X 18".
Cut the same rectangle out of the contrasting lining fabric.
Then cut the handles out. I like skinny handles rather then fat ones. Your piece should be 22" long and somewhere between 2" and 3" wide. Sometimes it depends on how much fabric I have left. I just go with the flow.
You can cut out both bags at the same time if you fold the fabric in half and lay out the pattern like this. Then you are cutting the outside of one bag and the lining of the other at the same time.
Remember ......you will need 2 large tote bag pieces but you will need 4 pieces for the straps to make 1 tote bag.I like it to be fully reversible so I make the inside of the straps match the inside of the bag and the outside of the straps match the outside of the bag.
Making the Tote:
- Fold the large piece end to end to make a cylinder. Sew that seam.
- Open the seam with an iron and keep it wrong side out.
- Do the same with the lining fabric
- Turn the lining fabric right side out and slide it inside the outer fabric. Now you will have a tube.
- Match the seams and pin the top together.
Handles:
- Place one piece of each handle fabric right sides together and sew both the long side seams
- Turn the handle inside out and repeat with the other handle.
- IMPORTANT - Press these flat right now!!!
Placing the Handles:
- Fold the top of the tote into quarters to find the right spots for placing the handles.
- Slip them inbetween the two pieces of the tote that you have pinned together and make sure they lay flat
- (This is the trickiest part of the whole project so just take your time and make sure they are laying correctly)
- Pin in the handles and completely pin the entire top
- Sew around the top of the bag
Press:
- Now you almost have a tote!
- Grab the bottom and pull it inside out - make it look like a tote bag without the bottom sewn shut.
- PRESS ALL THE SEAMS NOW INCLUDING AROUND THE HANDLES AND TOP OF THE BAG
Finish it off:
- Turn the bag back inside out again and sew shut the end of the predominant fabric
- On the end with the lining fabric you are going to sew the end shut but leave at least a 4" gap in the middle so that the whole bag can be turned inside out.
- Now pull the bag right side out through the opening.
- You almost have a tote bag!!
- Just line up the open hole and I machine stitch it shut or you can sew it shut by hand if you really intend on having the bag be truly reversible.
- YOU'RE DONE! Can you believe you know how to make your own tote bag?
One side note. I have sewn gusset corners in the bottom of some of my bags to make the bottom more like a paper grocery bag. It isn't necessary and I really don't know how to explain how to do it without showing someone. You sort of sew across the corners to make a triangle and it makes the gusset on the bottom of the bag before you turn it inside out. Like I said, this isn't a necessary step to make your own tote bag, but depending on how much you want to put inside you might consider it.
Enjoy the pattern..........hope it makes sense!!! You just learned how to make your very own reversible tote bag.
© NBN 2009: How to Make your Own Tote Bag