Hey everyone! Today we're making a roomy everyday tote bag, and I'll show you how a pretty mauve blue batik can carry your groceries and your latest project all at once.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the Banyan 80540-84 VICTORIAN CONTEMPORARY MAUVE BLUE 45" wide fabric per yard from Fabric Fanatics.
It's a batik. It's 45" wide. It's made by Banyan. And it's sold by the yard here at Linda's.
The name tells you the story. Victorian Contemporary is the design name. Mauve Blue is the color. So you get a classic-leaning design in a soft blue with a mauve cast to it.
That color is why I reach for it. Mauve blue is calm without being plain. It hides the little scuffs a working tote picks up. And it goes with just about everything.
Batiks press crisp and hold an edge well. That helps on a bag. Your cuts stay clean. Your seams stay straight.
The project: a roomy everyday tote
We're making a tote that finishes about 16" wide by 15" tall, with a 4" boxed bottom. That's a good, honest size, folks. Big enough for a quilt project. Small enough to carry every day.
The plan is simple on purpose. Two big panels of this batik for the outside. Two handles from the same fabric. A plain lining inside. No zippers. No points to match.
Why does this fabric suit it? A design like this needs room to show. Cut it too small and you lose it. On two wide panels, it reads clear.
And here's the permission beat. It does not have to be perfect. A seam that wobbles a hair still makes a sturdy bag. You're your own worst critic, I promise. Take your time. It's not a race.
Materials
- 1 yard of Banyan 80540-84 VICTORIAN CONTEMPORARY MAUVE BLUE for the outside and handles
- 3/4 yard of a coordinating 45" wide fabric for the lining
- 1 yard of medium fusible interfacing or fusible fleece, about 20" wide
- Thread to blend with the mauve blue
- Rotary cutter, long ruler, and mat
- Pins or clips, plus an iron
- A 90/14 needle for the thicker handle seams
One yard at 45" wide covers the panels and handles here. Save the scraps, too.
Brief steps
One. Press your fabric first. From the batik, cut two panels, each 17" wide by 16" tall. Cut two handle strips, each 4" wide by 24" long. Cut the lining to match the two panels.
Two. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of both outside panels. Press from the center out. Let the pieces cool flat before you move them.
Three. Make the handles. Fold each strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Open it, fold both long edges to the center fold, then fold it closed. Topstitch both long edges at a stitch length of about 3.0.
Four. Pin one handle to the top edge of each panel, about 4" in from each side. The handle loop hangs down against the right side. Baste it in place with a scant 1/4" seam so it cannot wander.
Five. Sew the two outside panels right sides together along the sides and bottom. Use a 1/2" seam allowance and a stitch length of about 2.5. Box each bottom corner: match the side seam to the bottom seam, measure 2" in from the point, and sew straight across. Trim the triangle off.
Six. Sew the lining the same way, but leave a 5" opening in the bottom seam. Slide the lining over the outside, right sides together, and sew around the top edge. Turn the bag through that opening, tuck the lining in, and topstitch around the top. Close the opening with a few stitches. Done.
Practical tips
Press every seam as you go. I know it is tempting to skip it. But a flat seam topstitches cleaner.
I have absolutely sewn a handle on twisted and topstitched the whole top edge before I noticed. The fix was simple. I ripped that section, flattened the handle, and sewed it again. Learn from my mistake, y'all. Check the loop hangs straight first.
Go slow over the handle layers at the top edge. Slow down or the needle can snap on that thick stack. That 90/14 needle earns its keep right there.
Want options? You have them. Add an inside pocket from scraps. Make the handles longer for a shoulder carry. Or skip the boxed bottom. Completely up to you.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Really really. One pretty batik, one afternoon, and you have a bag you'll use every single day.
Thanks for sewing along with me, folks. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Banyan 80540-84 VICTORIAN CONTEMPORARY MAUVE BLUE 45" wide fabric per yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
