Wonder Woman Tote Bag

I decided to start the year by making something useful and cute. I also wanted the satisfaction of finishing a project in a few days, so I made a tote bag. It was inspired from a jute bag given to me. It's the perfect size to carry stuff at home (I don't like putting stuff in my pocket). I'm now using the one I just made to house my portable air purifier and fan which I bring whenever we go out. I love it. 

For this project I wanted to start strong so I chose to use the Wonder Woman fabric I got from Spotlight. I matched it with pseudo demin fabric to bring out the colors. Figuring out the size of the pieces and piecing them together was easy. I couldn't find my stash of bag straps, so I ended up learning how to make bag straps for this project. You can also watch the video here.

Here's how I made the tote bag:

Materials:

fabric with design

solid color fabric (I used pseudo jeans)

fusible interfacing

wadding

backing fabric

thread

If making the strap:

solid color fabric

1.5" fusible interfacing (the thicker one for straps)

thread

Size: 8.5" x 4" x 9.5" (bag); 16" x 1.5" (strap)

Steps:

1. Measure and cut pieces of fabric.

2. Piece together fabric of main bag (top + middle + bottom + base). 

3. Iron the main bag and then add on fusible interfacing. Do the same for the sides of the bag. 

4. Sandwich with wadding and backing fabric. 

5. Stitch in the ditch the main bag. I used parallel lines for the sides. 

6. Assemble the main bag and the sides.

7. Bind the exposed parts. Start with the sides of the bag and then the top. 

8. Add the straps.

How to Make a Bag Strap

I wanted to start the year with a fun project. I decided to make a bag inspired by a jute bag a friend gave me. I love the shape and size of the bag. I use one daily at home to carry stuff from room to room. While making the bag, I discovered I couldn't find the straps I've collected over the years! I didn't want to waste time looking for the straps, so I decided to just DIY it. 

Here's the tutorial:

Luckily, I had all the materials on hand. Here's what you need:

fabric

1.5" interfacing 

thread

iron

Here are the steps to make it:

1. Cut fabric, two 3.5" x 16.5" strips

2. Fold the fabric in half.

3. Position the interfacing in the middle.

4. Fold in the sides. 

5. Sew all the sides.