I’m on a roll this weekend! Found this tutorial from Craft Buds and really wanted to make one. I had some leftover canvas from the chair I re-covered and enough leftover linen from a top to make a tote!
The tutorial was easy to follow and I ended up adding a pocket (with another cute little pocket on top of it) and an interior zipper. My measurements were different, I had enough fabric to add a few inches to the width, so mine is larger on the horizontal.
Since the interior fabric was linen, I added 3 inches of the canvas to the top of the liner so it would be a little sturdier. Linen tends to stretch and I didn’t want it all wonky at the top. Plus, I like how it looks. All I had to do was sew a few inches of canvas to the top of my linen pieces before measuring and cutting the interior.
I was thisclose to adding an exterior pocket or zipper but now I’m kind of glad I kept it simple on the outside. My favorite part of this was using up leftover fabric that I had no idea what to do with. Especially the linen since it was kind of pricey to begin with.
Sewing up the sides and bottom was a little tricky – had to make sure I grabbed the lining with the exterior fabric as it’s sewn. The overall effect is a sturdy little constructed tote. We’re heading to Mexico in less than two weeks (YAY) and I think bag this will come along for the ride.
See the zipper on the opposite side of the pockets? I couldn’t place it in the linen because it would eventually rip out, so I stuck it in the canvas part. I was nervous because I had ZERO extra canvas if I messed this up and I’m not very familiar with zipper construction. It’s a 14″ zipper so I love the length and how deep I could make it. The pocket itself is nestled between the exterior and interior fabrics and lined in white cotton.
The linen pocket. I love it for some reason. I added some canvas to the top and it’s double thick. I’m hoping this will make it stronger and less likely to stretch out all over the place. I don’t know what the baby pocket can be used for but I like how it looks!
Sunday, June 12th, 2011, 11:46 am | 
Sewing & Fabric | 
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June 12, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Your bag turned out great! Mary will be so excited that you liked the tutorial!
If you happen to be on Flickr, feel free to add to our new Craft Buds group! (http://www.flickr.com/groups/1657763@N24/)
June 12, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Like Lindsay said, I AM excited that you liked the tutorial! Your bag looks great and I love that you customized it with pockets (and cute fabric)! Thanks so much for letting us know you made this.
June 15, 2011 at 7:26 pm
So, now that we have flooded your comments thread, here’s one more to let you know that we’ve featured your bag tonight at http://www.craftbuds.com/fresh-picks-for-wednesday-6-15-11/
June 16, 2011 at 7:51 am
What a great bag! I love the fabric!
June 20, 2011 at 6:03 pm
This looks great!
July 30, 2014 at 10:51 pm
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your sites
really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to
come back down the road. Cheers
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June 15, 2011 at 7:07 pm