I make a lot of totes so I love this thread! I have used button feet, but only 4. I can see how using 5 would be much better.
Another place I get patterns from is by purchasing totes at the end of the season. If you go to WM, Target, Meijer, KMart etc. in another month or so, they will have their summer totes marked way down. With the price of a nice pattern at $10, buying a clearance $6 tote & taking it apart for the pattern is a bargain for me.
Also, look for old purses at garage sales. Either for patterns or hardware. You can reuse rings, hex closures, leather handles etc. I've gotten lots for $0.25 - $0.50