Rainbow

If you do not have a pattern, can you give us the dimensions, please.

littlehud

That is so cute. I'm sure you could get twenty five or even better for them. Go for it.

JoAnnGC

I used FQs so the starting measurement for each piece of fabric is 18"x21-22". Most of the time these are not cut exactly straight on the grain so I carefully trimmed each piece to make sure that every cut was straight and square. This part takes the longest but makes the end product look much more professional and makes it much easier to match everything up. The front and back are identical and are made from two FQs of the same dimensions (approximately 17"x20") cut in half and then joined together with a contrasting strip (3"x20"). Fusible was applied before parts were joined and I used a 5/8" seam allowance while joining the main pieces. I also added the fused and lined pocket panel to the outside of the front. The tote handles were made from 3" strips lined with fusible, joined with a 1/4" seam, then turned right side out and top stitched. These were attached to front and back making sure that the front was lined up with the back and I also added the button loop in the center on the back panel. I did not use fusible in the lining but did add some self-lined pockets to the lining by sewing a wide strip (about 8"x20") across the center on each side of the lining (made from two matching FQs) and stitched vertically to separate these into three sections each. After double-checking to make sure that the lining measurements matched the outer measurements I sewed the outside front and back pieces together and the front and back lining pieces together. In order to square it up on the bottom I flattened out the corners by matching the seams and stitched straight across about 3" from the corner on the wrong side of the fabric. Doing this on both the outer part and on the lining and tucking the excess into the bottom between the two parts after the lining was attached to the outside helped to stabilize the bottom of the bag. When attaching the lining to the outer part of the tote bag I left an opening large enough for my hand to fit through so that I could turn everything right side out and line it all up. While topstitching the top edge of the bag I closed off this opening. I then measured the bottom of the bag and cut a piece of foamcore to those dimensions. I made a fabric sleeve to cover this and finished off the raw edge by turning the edge under neatly and fastening it with hot glue. This made a lightweight but solid base that fit snugly into the bottom of the bag. I then added the flower button centered on top of two yoyos, one slightly larger than the other, and attached that to the pocket to line up with the loop closure. The prep work took longer than the actual sewing but none of it was difficult.

I don't consider this a complete tutorial, just a general walkthrough of how I made this bag. Again, I must emphasize, there are no rules. You can use any combinations of fabric and can make it any size you want. As long as your main pieces (outer front and back and front and back lining) are the same size just make sure that everything is lined up where it should be and then just sew it all together.

I hope this was helpful and not too confusing. It's really a very simple design that lends itself well to many variations. Have fun with it!

Rainbow

Thank you for the directions. Wanted to make one for a special friend.

JoAnnGC

I just posted pics of the Pink Paisley Tote Bag that I just completed if you want to take a look.

SaraSewing

What are the over all dimensions?

JoAnnGC

After trimming the FQs to get them true to the grain you get pieces that are about 17x20. Once you sew all of the pieces together and tuck in and sew the corners the base ends up being about 6"x12", the height from the base to the top center is about 12"and the width at the top from seam to seam is about 18.5" (based on 5/8" seam allowances). As I mentioned previously these bags can be made larger or smaller but this is the size you get if you are using trimmed fat quarters for your front, back and lining pieces. I hope this helps you get a better idea of the size.

SaraSewing

Perfect size! I'll try making one for my daughter - she loves bright colors.