DIY tote

I found this amazing vintage fabric a few weeks ago at community thrift, one of my favorite thrift stores in San Francisco.  I was going to try to make a dress with it but then this design popped into my head a couple days ago.  I decided to execute it today and share it with you.  The holidays are approaching and  this is a great gift idea/project for those of us that are short on funds (isn't everyone these days) but have time and sewing skills.  I suggest using a strong cotton type fabric for this design.  You could use scraps and sew them together as well.  You can click on the photos for more detail.

Here is the design, I folded the fabric in half so the bottom did not need to be sewn.  The bow is a bit hard to see in this photo so see the details below.

The basic shape of the tote

The extra piece for the bow detail, make sure it is wider than the bag piece. Hem the sides of the bow piece.

To make the bow sew a small piece of the fabric together around the middle.  It can me movable but make sure it is tight enough to stay in place well.

Next, sew the bow to the front piece of the bag, then turn inside out and sew the sides together.  If you are confident you can just pin the bow to one side and sew it together all at once.

Sew part of the sides of the bow down (only to the pin shown) to the front of the bag so it doesn't sag.  And then the attach the straps.  The straps were made by using a piece of fabric about 4 inches wide and ironing both sides down and then folding it in half.  You can also see the tote I used as a guide in the back ground here.  Everyone has one so I would suggest using one that you like the size of and tracing it for the pattern.