Make your own magazine tote..

Have you ever wanted to create a magazine totebag to carry all your stuff in..? Well if you can sew in a straight line and own a ruler.. then keep on reading.

This post is better late than never.  I promised this project last week, but I had a sick little baby munchkin to tend to.

I had alot of fun creating this and seeing it through to completion.  Last weekend I screen printed on the fabric.  Phase two was developing the bag.  Ryan, you won’t be going to Design Camp Atlanta bagless after all!

Materials needed:

1. Fabric – I chose a lightweight cotton zig zag in 2 colors
2. Drafting paper
3. Pins, ruler, scissors, pencil
4. Iron and ironing board
5. Fusing – This is optional. Use fusing if you want the bag to be more substantial

8 easy steps:

1. Gather your materials.
2. Create your pattern pieces. Do you have a magazine tote that you want to copy? I had a great sized one from the Atlanta Apparel Mart that I used.  Pin down your bag onto drafting paper and trace around it. Remember to add seam allowances.. I will show the steps for making this pattern in a later post.
3. Cut all your pattern pieces. I had the following pieces – main pattern/bag, facing and straps.
4. Pin your pieces together. Right sides face each other and pin along the seam edge.  Pin the length of the straps.
5. Sew the side seams of the bag and facing.  Sew the length of the straps, both sides. You will be pulling the strap through itself. This is kind of a pain, but it will make the straps nice and uniform.  Use a hot iron and press your finished seams. Then open the seams and press again.. Do this for all pieces. Pressing always helps in the workmanship of your items.
6. If you have a label, then sew onto your facing.  Double check your label placement.  It is super easy to sew your label upside down.
7. Turn your bag right side out. Pin your straps to the top edge and right side of the fabric.  This is another area to double check placement.. You want to pin the straps so they are facing DOWN.   See picture for reference.
8. Pin your facing at the top edge.  Right sides together. Sew along the top edge at the 1/2″ seam allowance.  Press, press press. Press the finished top edge seam all around.  Then turn the bag ight side out and press the facing into the bag.

That’s it. Your magazine tote is complete and you are ready to hit the road.