Tote Bag Tutorial

After making a few bags from patterns and trying different styles, I finally knew what kind of bag I wanted to make and made my own pattern and directions. Here's my first attempt at writing a sewing tutorial.

I cut my pattern from a brown paper sack. This is the pattern I use for small totes. I just add some on the bottom and sides according for what size I want for bigger totes (I know so specific right?)

You want to cut 4 pieces of this pattern out (2 for the outside, 2 for the liner).

Put the right sides together of 1 outside piece and 1 inner piece and sew up the top, side of the handle (skip the very top of the handle), then go back down the other side of the handle and the other side of the top of the bag. Do this for the other pieces and well. Clip your corners, turn inside out and press.

You will then turn one the sewn piece inside out and insert the other sewn piece inside this to where now all 4 pieces are lined up right sides together . Here I show the process of inserting one side into the other. You will keep pushing that piece in until you can line up the top of the handles and sew a stitch right across the top. Walaa! Your handles are done.

Without much adjusting you should now open it up as shown here to have one big rectangle piece with both outer pieces and both inner pieces right sides together as shown here.

Sew up both sides. Turn your bag to where your handle is pulled out and liner is now inside the bag. All you have now are raw edges on the bottom as shown here.

Now you are going to do a french seam for the bottom. Sew a line along the raw edges. Cut off excess fabric as close as possible to the seam.

Turn inside and out and really press those corners inside (using the tip of a pencil eraser works well). Sew a seam on the bottom on the liner portion now, allowing a large enough seam to make sure it gets all that raw edge tucked up in there.

Here is a look at what the inside will look like once this stitch is complete.

Turn right side out (using that pencil eraser again for the corners). Your bag is now done.

You can use any type of fabric cutouts with iron-on and/or glitz using fabric glue to make your bag glamorous.

Hope you have fun making a bag and let me know if you have any questions!