Tote-ing It

Lesson two in the Red Velvet Sewing Class I'm taking?  Reversible Tote Bags.


(Above) Two totes in bad lighting - showing printed side out and in

While I eventually figured these out I encountered a few problems along the way. I was so grateful that I made and royally messed a plain muslin version before I worked with pretty fabric because I could make the following mistakes on scrap:

• I had issues cutting the material the right size  - my lines were uneven, eventually just made a paper pattern and used it to mark and cut the fabric;
• I had some sort of mental block about sewing the correct sides of the bag together. For some reason kept sewing a right to a wrong size - had to undo it three times; and 
• I kept putting the handles on the outside rather than the inside of the bag. Once I figured out how to do it right I wondered how I missed it earlier, but it took a good twenty minutes of puzzling and one hilariously mistaken effort to get there.

But after all of that I l-o-v-e these things. They take about a half yard of fabric each so two one yard pieces yield two identical bags - one for me and one to give away. They don't take too long to make up, they're super-cute and a good size for toting a small project or a mid-week grocery run. I like using them as a way to wrap presents - the cost about the same as a fancy gift bag and are more useful.


(Above) Currently holding my stash yarn

 

Interested in trying your own hand at it?

Materials: 1 yard patterned, I yard plain quilting fabric; Matching thread; Super-sharp scissors

Class Information:  D.I.Y Dress Up E-Course at http://shopredvelvet.com/collections/e-course/products/d-i-y-dress-up-e-course

Warnings: I really do recommend making a muslin version first. Sure you want to get to the sewing straight away but its worth the practice time to get a product that looks as awesome as you imagined.

Comments

[Liz Chang]

I like mine! Little K and I were fighting over who got to use it the other day.