Creating the Patchwork Tote
I began working on the patchwork tote after piles and piles of left over denim scraps started to accumulate. I have always loved print mixing, so as my remnants laid side by side the idea instantly came to me. Whenever I am working I am very reluctant to throw out my scraps knowing they could be tomorrow’s treasure. I started working with solid black denim that I had purchased from Mood fabrics. This particular fabric was perfect because when bleached it had a grey wash rather than a blue cast. I used a combination of techniques to create the pattern play. Some swatches I screen printed with ink and others with bleach. There were even some swatches where I drew directly on to the denim with bleach. With these various patterns I had my arsenal to start playing around with layout and how they played off of one another.
I knew from the beginning that I wanted a balanced design in terms of brightness but couldn’t necessarily envision it in the sea of fabric. So I began by sketching out my layout on a sheet of newsprint paper working into the dimensions of my tote (1). Afterwards, I took a picture of the newsprint sketch and all of my swatches. I imported the photos in to my computer and began to recreate the layout on Photoshop (2). Following the sectioned rectangles I started to fill the shapes in according to how I was envisioning my light and dark areas. After the balance was assorted, I started to fill in my photographed swatches into the designated areas. For my dark sectioned areas I filled in my swatches that were predominately black, the grey areas were my mid-tones, and the lighter areas were my swatches that I had bleached to a pale cool grey. I could easily play around with the layout without having to worry about cutting fabric or wastage (3).
After my layout was established digitally, I used it as a reference to cut out my patchwork design (4). I used my initial sketch on the newsprint paper as a frame of reference for my measurements. Truthfully, I don’t think I accounted for seam allowance, which in retrospect, probably would have made a lot more sense (*face palm*)
After all of my pieces were cut out I began to sew together this maze. I generally use 1/2” seam allowance for most of my designs. I found it easier sewing together pieces that created larger portions and then sewing those portions together rather than starting from one corner and building out. As I was sewing each piece together I would also top stitch the seam allowance down to one side. This not only provides strength but also allows the seam to lie flat.
Once both the front and back panels were sewn, I was ready to start assembling my tote bag. I trimmed any excess fabric and made sure my front and back pieces matched in size. On the bottom corners of my front and back pieces, I cut out a 1.5” square which created a box pleat in my tote. After I established the size of my front and back pieces along with the square cutouts, I cut out both front and back lining pieces. I used lightweight 100% black cotton for my lining.
To start assembling the tote, I faced the right sides of the fabric together and sewed down the length of the bag on each side. I then sewed along the bottom of the bag leaving the square edge unsewn. At the square edge, I pulled both corners of where my stitching line ended and matched the seams together. I then sewed the across the open side creating the box pleat. I followed the above steps for the lining of my bag.
For the straps I made them 24.75” in length and 1.25” in width. For the width of the straps I increased the width by 4, making the full measurement 5”. I then folded the straps in half widthwise and created a crease. I unfolded the fabric and created a trifold by folding both edges of the fabric towards the center crease. I then folded the strap in half at the crease line. I finished the straps off by sewing it shut along the length side and added top stitching on the opposite side.
To finish sewing the tote, I took my outer fabric and kept it inside out. I then took my lining piece and had the right sides facing outwards. After I placed my lining inside of the outer fabric. I sandwiched the straps between the two layers of fabric placing them about 4” from either side of the bag. I stitched around the circumference of the bag leaving a gap open so I could flip the bag inside out. After the bag was carefully turned, I topped stitched around the bag closing the hole and voila it was finished.
FINISHED PRODUCT
