Make The Alma Tote In Fun Colors

I am happy to be back in my studio sewing again! Thought I would share more about the Alma Tote Pattern and a colorful project I have been working on.

Collaboration.

FabricWholesaleDirect.com recently reached out to me about a collaboration and I jumped at the chance! I love their website and their fabric selection. After cruising through all their types of fabrics, I knew I wanted to sew the Alma Tote in their canvas fabric. Have you been to their website? They have an amazing selection of bright, bold canvas colors!

I am very happy with how the tote came out. Are you a fan of color blocking? Two things you might or might not know about me…

#1.. I love color blocking.

#2.. I really, really love canvas fabric!

Canvas is great for bags.

Why is canvas great for bags? Well, for one thing it is super durable. It is also thick and a heavy duty fabric. Need extra support for books, a computer, groceries? Canvas is your go to fabric. I have used canvas fabric for years. Are you new to sewing with it? A few things about heavier fabrics:

You may need to use a different needle…
- Test a new needle type, especially a denim needle.
Your machine may not be able to handle the heavier weight fabric…
- Test your current machine on swatches you have around your house. See how many layers your machine can handle.
- If the bobbin gets stuck or your machine jams, you will know that your machine may not be able to handle multiple layers of fabric.

When I was just starting out making bags, I had a low cost model and it would not let me sew with canvas. It was the perfect opportunity to upgrade ( Janome, Brother or Juki are great options). Can’t afford an upgrade or fancy machine? Some sewing shops have payment plans so you can get a great model and pay for it over time.

Fall is right around the corner, so I chose colors inspired by autumn and that would transition well as the weather got colder. What do you think? I love it. My 11 year old not so much. Lol. Below are a few of the swatches I chose to play around with. The Fabric Wholesale Direct Website has 24 colors of 10oz cotton duck fabric!

Alma Pocket Detail.

One thing I love about the Alma Tote Pattern is the exterior pocket detail. The outside of the tote has a side panel and the pocket is set into the side panel. Did you see my last blog post or the images in my online store? That last sample had the pocket cut and sewn against the grain. I love this feature, it showcases the pockets and they stand out.. Another way of creating this detail is with color blocking.

A deeper dive into the project.

Fabric – 10oz Cotton Duck Fabric
Main Tote Color #1 – Mocha
Side Panel Pocket Color #2 – Orange
Lining Color #3 – Natural
1-1/2″ Webbing – Ivory Cream ( Webbing can be either cotton or cotton poly )

Get your canvas fabric here.

Head to my online store for the pattern

Buy your 1-1/2″. cotton or cotton/poly webbing here

Interested in learning more about the Alma Tote or want to purchase the digital pattern? You can buy the pattern in my online shop.

I’m thinking it might be fun to host a sew along. I have never hosted one before, but it sounds exciting! If I had one, would you be interested in following along? One of the images below has mini sketches. If I hosted a sew along, I would love to share these and have you pre-plan your fabric and colors.