Tote bags are great for any occasion, you can use them in place of a normal hand bag or you could use them when you are going shopping and, if you wanted to, you can make any size you like. Tote bags are also a brilliant idea for gifts or, if you are thinking of selling your own products, they are a great way to start.
This is a very simple, straight forward tutorial, great for a beginner. It uses a reasonable amount of fabric, but if you have a fabric that you don't particularly like or don't know what to do with, then this project is perfect.
What You Will Need:
2 pieces of 16inch by 22inch fabric
2 pieces of 32inch by 3.5inch fabric
Sewing machine/ general sewing equipment
Iron
Something to poke corners out with (e.g knitting needle)
Method:
Place both main pieces of fabric (the largest pieces) wrong sides together and sew with a 1/4" seam allowance around three edges, leaving one of the shorter edges open.
Clip the two corners.
Turn wrong sides out.
Oversew around the three edges using a 5/8" seam allowance.
Turn right sides out and iron flat.
Take one of the remaining pieces of fabric (the straps) and pin right sides together width ways.
Sew along the longest edge.
Turn right sides out and iron flat.
Repeat with the remaining fabric.
2" in from either side of the tote bag, pin your straps, right sides together.
Baste down to secure.
Make a hem, using an iron, of 0.5" on the top of the tote bag.
Fold again to make a double hem by 1.5". Your straps will naturally fold up when you make this hem so pin them in place.
Sew a hem around the top and bottom of the fold to secure everything in place.
Iron the hem and straps flat and you are done!
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