Wool Tote Bag

This may be my last late Christmas present post, and I wanted to get this sewn and posted before the end of January.  While January is excusable, February is getting ridiculous.

This tote bag is for my sister-in-law.  She mentioned needing a tote style bag for church, and this is what I ended up making.  Mr. Carlee helped me choose the fabric from my stash (since it was for his sister after all).  The grey wool suiting was bought years ago at Savers (thrift store).  I've had good luck buying wool suiting at this particular thrift store.  The black and white corduroy hounds-tooth was another inherited piece from my friend who recently moved to South Carolina.  She said that it was left-over from a pair of pants she made in the 70's.  Wow.  I would have loved to see those pants.  I find the print kind of dizzying as the inside of the bag, and I can only imagine women's pants made out of it.  



The finished bag is 15" tall and 14" wide (with 20.5" long straps).  It's big enough for a binder, and a few books, but not so big that you feel like you are toting around a suitcase. 



I wanted to keep things simple, but still make it special.  I added a little D-ring on a black patent leather strip to the inside (for keys).  I think the yellow piping keeps things from being too serious. 



Mr. Carlee suggested adding the leather monogram to the front.  We both agree that the letters ended up a little bigger than what might be ideal, but we didn't realize this out until the entire bag was finished.  Next time.

Over the last five years that I've sewn with leather, I've learned that when you are sewing two layers together, it's best to cut out the second layer AFTER you sew them together.  This is particularly true if one of more of your pieces is stretchy.  Leather is always a little stretchy, but some is crazy, like the yellow, for instance. 



The finished bag is 15" tall and 14" wide (with 20.5" long straps).  It's big enough for a binder, and a few books, but not so big that you feel like you are toting around a suitcase. 


As an aside, if you are interested in making bags, and want to learn more about how they are contructed, Ikat Bag is doing an awesome series right now.  I have made lots of bags over the years, and I've learned quite a few new things after reading her posts so far.