If you’re going to use the tote to carry heavy items like books, you’ll want to choose a sturdy fabric. Go for heavy cotton, corduroy, or some type of thick polyester fabric. Lighter fabrics will rip if you try to carry something heavy or sharp. There are many great patterns to choose from, but if you plan to decorate your tote bag, you might want to go with a solid color to offset the decorations. If you’d like to make a lined tote bag, pick out two types of fabric. Liner is usually made from a softer fabric, while the outer fabric is usually something sturdier. Note that heavy fabrics will require stronger needles and/or a heavier-duty sewing machine to sew. If you’re using brand new fabric, you might want to wash and iron it first so that it doesn’t shrink after you make the tote.
Keep in mind that the finished tote bag will be an inch or so smaller than the rectangle, since the fabric will be hemmed. If you’re making a lined tote bag, cut out two rectangles of the outer fabric and two rectangles of the liner fabric. Here are a few size suggestions: 12 x 14 inches for a very small tote 14 x 16 inches for a medium tote 24 x 20 inches for a large beach tote
If you’re making a lined tote, lay the lining rectangle on top of the rectangle of outer fabric. Fold the edges down together, use straight pins to keep them in place, and sew the pieces together with a straight stitch. If you sew an uneven line, use a seam ripper to rip out the stitch and start over.
Alternatively, you can fold the raw edges of the handle to the middle and zig-zag-stitch them in place (as seen in the image).
Alternatively, you can fold the raw edges of the handle to the middle and zig-zag-stitch them in place (as seen in the image).
