Beginner's Guide to Sewing a Tote Bag

A Bag You'll Actually Use

There is something quietly satisfying about pulling a handmade tote out of your coat pocket at the till, knowing it cost you an afternoon and a quarter of a metre of fabric. This is the project I recommend to every beginner who asks me what to make first, and for good reason. It is essentially two rectangles and a few straight lines, yet the finished bag looks deliberate and shop-bought once you box the corners and topstitch the handles.

You will need a sewing machine, though a patient hand-sewer can manage it too. Gather a sturdy cotton such as canvas, duck, twill or a good heavy calico, roughly 250 gsm or more. You will also want polyester thread in a matching or contrasting shade, a 90/14 universal or denim needle, sharp fabric scissors or a rotary cutter, pins or clips, a ruler, a fabric marker, and an iron. Pressing as you go is not optional if you want crisp seams.

Cutting Your Two Rectangles

For a roomy everyday shopper, cut two rectangles measuring 40 cm wide by 42 cm tall. That gives you a bag roughly 38 cm across and 42 cm deep, which swallows a weekly shop without looking like a laundry sack. If you want a smaller market bag, drop to 35 cm by 38 cm.

• Cut the rectangles on the straight grain, parallel to the selvedge, so the bag does not twist.
• Pink or zigzag the raw edges if your fabric frays readily, or simply allow for it in the seam allowance.
• Cut your handles now while the scissors are out: two strips measuring 60 cm long by 10 cm wide.
• If you are using a print with a direction, make sure both rectangles run the same way before you cut.

If you are new to measuring, remember that a 1 cm seam allowance is standard here. Mark it lightly on the wrong side with a fabric marker, or use the guide on your machine's needle plate.

Sewing the Side and Base Seams

Place the two rectangles right sides together, matching edges carefully. Pin along both long sides and one short end, leaving the remaining short end open for the top of the bag.

Sew with a straight stitch at about 2.5 mm length, using a 1 cm seam allowance. Start and finish every seam with a few stitches backwards and forwards to lock the thread. Sew down one side, across the base, and up the other side in one continuous pass if your machine allows, pivoting with the needle down at each corner.

Trim the corners diagonally, close to the stitching but not through it, then turn the bag right side out and press the seams flat. Pressing now makes the next stage much easier and gives you a far neater finish.

Boxing the Corners for a Flat Base

This is the step that turns a flat envelope into a proper bag with a base that stands up. With the bag still inside out, open one bottom corner so the side seam sits directly on top of the base seam, forming a triangle. Smooth it flat and pin.

Measure 4 cm down from the point and draw a line straight across the triangle with your fabric marker. Sew along that line, backstitching at both ends, then trim the triangle away leaving about 1 cm of seam allowance. Repeat on the other corner.

Turn the bag right side out and admire your work: you now have a base roughly 8 cm deep. Push the corners out gently with a blunt pencil or bodkin rather than scissors, which can poke through the fabric.

Handles That Hold Weight

Weak handles are the downfall of most homemade totes, so give them proper attention. Take each 60 cm by 10 cm strip and press it in half lengthways, wrong sides together. Open it out, fold each long raw edge into the centre crease, press again, then fold the whole strip in half once more and press firmly. You now have a sturdy 2.5 cm wide handle with all raw edges hidden.

Topstitch close to both long edges along the entire length of each handle. This is a lot of straight stitching, but it is worth it. When done, pin the ends of each handle to the right side of the bag's top edge, positioning them about 8 cm in from each side seam and 2 cm down from the raw edge. Make sure the handles are not twisted before you pin.

Sew each handle end down with a square and a cross inside it, or a few rows of tight zigzag, going over the area at least twice. This distributes weight properly and stops the stitching pulling out under a heavy load.

Finishing Touches and Looking After It

Turn the top edge of the bag under by 1 cm and press, then turn it under another 1 cm and press again, encasing the raw edges and the handle ends. Pin all the way around and topstitch close to the lower folded edge, then again about 5 mm above it if you like a tidier look.

• Give the whole bag a final press, paying attention to the base corners.
• Wash in cold water and air dry to keep the fabric from shrinking or fading.
• Reinforce the handle joins with a second row of stitching after a few months of heavy use.
• Make a second one in a heavier canvas for winter shopping, or a lighter cotton for summer markets.

Once you have made one, you will find yourself cutting out three more from the leftover fabric in your stash. That, in my experience, is the surest sign of a good beginner project.