Luxe tote bag, version 2

Thanks for all your well wishes for my birthday and your comments on my aloha pajama birthday top. I'm wearing it right now (and no, the chakoner chalk did not come out in the wash!)


On Sunday afternoon I rewarded myself for packing early for my work trip by making a new luxe tote bag. Somehow I thought this would be a stress-free tote, bwah ha ha ha ha.  It's a companion tote for my briefcase style tote I sewed last month, pictured below.

Companion tote above, blogged here.


Black vinyl (with and without holes): Kashi's (Metro Textiles) in NYC from the June trip with Velosewer.
Piping and straps: Pacific Trimming in NYC
Peltex: Joann's
Interior pocket zipper: Gosh, that cheap store we went to in SF for PR weekend 2013 that was selling zips for 25 cents
Interfacing:  Fashion Sewing Supply online
Interior Lining:Knit fabric from Gwen Couture during my visit with Elizabeth in San Diego Interior Pocket lining:  Yes, I know, I know, I know...that NYC subway fabric from The City Quilter in NYC

The pattern:  I decided to knock off this bag that Antoinette sweetly sewed for me for my birthday.  It is the *perfect* size.  Somehow I messed up the measuring and my bag came out taller than hers, but it's still lovely.


Antoinette's bag that she made for my birthday


Cutting corners, literally....

It was fairly straight forward until I got to the Peltex.  Looking back, I should have just put the peltex in the bottom of the bag, inside the lining, and called it a night, but nooooooo..I decided to Peltex the whole thing...which does make the bag stand up all on its own, but was really difficult to sew.  My machine bed was MOVING while I sewed it...I felt like I needed three hands to get it under the presser foot (one to raise the presser foot higher than normal, the other two to shove it under the foot).


I learned a few things this time, mainly to have the shiny side of the vinyl against the feed dogs to prevent shifting. Add to always sew top to bottom to prevent further shifting, which is how I got the pic above... (also I used my wonder clips, thanks to Jacqui for another round of 10!)

Look at how stiff it is!

It was pretty serious.

Here's a closeup of the piping. It's actually a black cord wrapped in silver (I know it looks white in the pic) lame with a black, hole-y vinyl encasing it.

There are two pockets; one for my cell phone with my very last worded fabric label, sob!

The other side has a zipper pocket

This alphabet fabric from Gwen Couture is pretty amazing.

Ok, it's only my 2nd zipper pocket ever, but it's my best one, ha ha. I felt very satisfied with how it turned out.

But there were so many layers to sew together at this point...aboveI'm about to attach the lining to the bag but haven't turned it right side out yet.

Here's what it looks like, all done.  

The patch pocket is not flush because I sewed it to fit my cell phone....


Sooooo..normally one would topstitch the top edge or understitch the lining to keep it from poking out but there were SO MANY LAYERS, it just wasn't going to happen, and I was running out of steam sooooo...I left it as is!  And the world didn't stop turning!

pockets!

With Izzy:

Extra bonus points if you know where I am (work conference) based on this photo taken from my hotel room:

Be well!