We have a lot of reusable tote bags around here - most of them are that weird plastic-y type that fold up about as well as a paper bag - so I forget to grab them when I'm running out. The one that gets used the most is the one that can be rolled up and tucked into my purse - so when I saw this on Pinterest, I was so excited!
We have a little Farmers Market behind our house every Tuesday - and some days I just want to pick up a few small items and walk back home. I never take one of those big, bulky, awkward to fold bags with me, so it was definitely time to add to my stash. Not to mention I have fabric scraps coming out of my ears - this project doesn't take a lot of supplies and is really simple for beginners. If you decide to make this, you'll want to follow the full tutorial HERE at Zaaberry. I am keeping this short and sweet and unless you're a super fancy sewing decoder person, you'll never figure out how to actually make this tote bag from my blog.
Now that my disclaimer is out of the way, let's sew!
Cut out your fabric pieces of choice - you'll want contrasting fabrics. You'll take your elastic and sew it in between the 2 contrasting fabrics.
Sew the back side of the bag the same way, without the elastic. Iron and top stitch so it looks real nice and purdy like. Next you'll do french seams along the sides of the bag - do NOT freak out over the term "french seams". They are really easy - one of the first sewing projects I ever tackled was a duvet cover with french seams and it was easy to learn and to pull off. Again, for complete instructions check out the blog I linked to - she describes exactly how to sew them. You'll also stitch the bottom with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, and then turn the bag right side out.
Not only is it cute, but it folds up to just the right size for throwing in your purse. See?
Since this was a very simple project, I'd love to try a sturdier fabric next time, and even adjust the measurements to make it larger. I thought it would be seriously cute with kids fabric too, for a children's tote bag.
It is definitely a great way to use up fabric scraps! Happy sewing!
