Making a Tote Bag

So, my first project was to make a tote-bag. I didn't document the actual making of the bag, which is a good thing seeing as I was waaay too busy in class trying to follow directions. One thing to be sure, this bag would have been much easier to do if I hadn't picked a patterned fabric. Especially a pattern that is sort of vertical, but not really. We started off learning about how to lay the fabric out, what the selvages are, how the grain runs, etc. Who knew such things are so important. First, a few definitions:

Woven Fabric
Most fabrics are woven - meaning they are produced on a loom and the fibers 'weave' in and out. The fabric will usually fray a bit. Mine frayed quite a bit and I had to 'finish' the edges before working with it. The edges were finished with a wide zig-zag stich.

Selvages (pronounced sell-vajuh)
The selvages are on the left and right sides of the fabric. The fabric store normally cuts perpendicular to the selvage. Usually the edges will look different or have a special finishing or print marks. The fabric is the strongest by the selvages. The selvages provide you with a straight edge to start your projects.


Lengthwise Grain
The threads that run parallel to the selvage.

Crosswise Grain
The threads that run perpendicular to the selvage. Fabric is usually cut off the bolt on the crosswise grain.

Right Sides
When instructions call for putting 'right sides' together you'll want to put the outside parts together. For my bag, putting 'right sides together' meant putting the patterned pieces facing each other. I pinned them together and then ran them through the machine. Once I was done I turned it inside out so the pattern was on the outside. Example of 'right sides together' below.



Making the Bag
I measured twice (actually three times) before cutting my fabric, but in the end I wound up going less on the measurements and more by eye. The pattern on my fabric wasn't exactly vertical and to avoid it looking odd I wound up eye-balling it so that I wouldn't have odd tilts/cuts to the pattern. We first created a hem at the top, then stitched the handles on. You'll notice on the bottom of the bag that things don't really line up that well, but not bad for my first sewing project, right? I had hoped the yellow thread would show up more to give it some nice contrast but it's barely noticeable. I decided on 'grocery corners' which give the bag a nice 'bottom'.



A few things I might have changed/done differently:

• The bag is really floppy. You can see the difference in the photos below. I might try adding a liner to stiffen it up a bit. It might even be nice to have a slightly plastic fabric that can be wiped down - then I could use it for groceries.
• The handles are too long. I probably would have shortened them by 3-4 inches. We used 60 inch handles sewn on from the bottom of the bag.
• Choose a wider zig-zag stitch when putting the handles on. This might have showcased the contrasting yellow thread better.
• Made the grocery corners a bit larger. We used a 2 1/2 inch measurement, but for me 3 1/2 - 4 would give the bag a nicer base.

Overall I'm really proud though, and will post if I try re-modeling the bag. I'm excited to make some to give away as Christmas presents this year. That is, if I buy a sewing machine!

Bag without anything in it:


Full bag:

Starting Out

I'm not sure if I've been inspired by seasons of Project Runway, or the fact that it's Halloween season and I'm trying to figure out Q's costume, but I decided that I needed to learn to sew. I never took HomeEc in school - we had the choice of HomeEc or Shop - and being the tomboy I was I chose Shop. So, I decided to sign up for a Beginning Sewing Class from G Street Fabric. If you live in the DC area and are thinking of learning to sew, or wishing to try a new sewing project - G Street seems to be the place. Their fall class offering list is 15 pages long. The class I'm taking is 6 weeks long - we'll be making 2 projects - a bag and a blouse.

We didn't actually create anything in our first class. Our instructor, Jane, showed us some basic supplies that we'd need for the class:

• Fabric Shears
• Straight edge (although yard sticks are provided at the classes)
• Marking Tool (pen, quilter's pencil, tailor's chalk)
• 6 inch sewing gauge
• Dressmaker pins (at least 1 1/8" long
• Pincushion
• Seam Ripper
• Hand Sewing Needles
• Iron & Ironing Board (provided at class)

She recommended a few books as well, although I haven't picked any of them up. With a toddler at home I don't have much (ok, any) spare time for reading.

• Singer Sewing Reference Library - Sewing Essentials
• Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing
• Sewing 101

In addition to supplies, we took a look at several pattern packages to learn how to choose the correct pattern size, as well as determine what type of fabrics are suitable for the pattern and how much fabric we'd need. We also took a look at the 'notions' list - which is basically the extras you need to create the item - buttons, snaps, elastics, etc.

Jane took everyone's bust measurements (in private) so we'd know what size pattern we'd need to buy for our second project. It was quite an eye opener what size pattern I was going to need. Dressmaker patterns have stayed consistent since the 1940s whereas clothing sizes in stores have expanded - sometimes those sizes are called 'vanity sizes'. According to Wikipedia, today's vanity sizes are on average 6 times larger than dressmaker sizes. Ouch. Way to make a girl feel fat. Here are the real dress sizes:


After that we went through the store to get the lay of the land and learn a smidge about different types of fabrics (I wish I'd taken notes), then we were given time to do a bit of shopping. I picked out a patterned green and yellow fabric from the sale rack. It reminded me of a tablecloth my Mom had on our kitchen table when I was growing up. I chose a yellow thread (hoping to get a nice contrast) on the white cotton webbing material. I ran out of time after choosing my fabric and didn't get all my supplies so I'm planning on going back a bit early before the next class.