Market Tote Bags, or as I call them Everyday Bags

I have a bit of a crafty post that I’ve been meaning to share for a while.

#AccidentalStillLife i hung these hooks in our foyer for key racks. Matt refuses to use them (but still looses his keys daily) and you can see, I use them for way more than keys. Oh, ya know, like hanging your fairy wings, constellation crown, and works o

Last fall I got a Stay Home Club bag at Renegade and immediately LOVED it. I had wanted one for a long time but had no idea how LARGE it was. I loved how big it was. I always carry large bags, big enough to fit sketchbooks in it.  I have to also thank my friend Courtney for the inspiration of carrying and using what I had previously dismissed as only a grocery-style-tote-bag, as regular everyday-type-bags. It can hold, not only my sketchbook, my wallet, sunglasses, tons of pens and various art sundries, BUT ALSO when I go to the grocery store, it can also hold a few items from there too, lol.

I love it so much, but using it every day I was so afraid I was going to ruin it, or get it dirty, since it’s mostly all white. Normally I don’t care about such things, but I LOVE this bag that much. I decided the size and shape was simple enough, and the handle was furniture webbing that I’ve bought and used for a bajillion other projects, I should be able to make another bag to switch it up. I went to the fabric store and found a perfect material for an alternate bag.

Immediately after I got my Stay Home Club bag I wanted more bags the exact same size. I've had the fabric for months but tonight I finally sewed it. It's not perfect, bot not too bad for a first attempt. I pretty much love it! I used the #craftygemini tot

You got it, black and off white stripes. But then, the fabric sat forever. Originally I was going to wing it and just sew without thinking too much, which is my usual approach to making things. I don’t follow patterns. But then my SIL had asked my mom to sew library book bags for my niece and nephew. My mom found this video pattern online, by the Crafty Gemini*. I still didn’t want to follow the pattern, but then after I saw how it worked I realized it was easy enough and would hold up better than I had planned. The thing that is great about this bag, even better than the original SHC bag is that it has a flexible base, so it holds it’s structure even better. After the first bag I sewed, I was obsessed and knew I wanted to make a ton more for friends for Christmas presents.   winter 2015-16 2bags

It was fun looking for patterns that suited each friend. At first I was just selecting from the canvas in the regular section, but then I wandered into the upholstery section at JoAnn’s and my world opened up! The fabric may seem expensive, but the amount I’m buying, along with coupons or sales is about the same as the regular canvas.

winter 2015-16 bags

I’ve made so many bags and still have more fabric to make more.

*The pattern I based my bags off was slightly different. It has a strap that is a bit more complex, but looks really nice with the fabric and a contrasting/corresponding colored ribbon, where I just simply bought cotton webbing straps. I made my strap longer, as well as the whole bag wider and longer, to suit my needs, easily.  Each bag is also double stitched for reinforcement and again on some of the bags where the handle is sewn into the opening of the bag.

robayre

Hi, I'm Robyn and I was Hatched from a Kinder Surprise Egg. Graphic Designer by day, Maker of things by night. I have worked as a graphic artist professionally since I was 16 years old. Went on to get my Bachelors of Art from NIU. I like to share my Artwork online at flickr.com/photos/robayre and on my own personal website http://www.robayre.com. I also have an online shop http://www.robayre.etsy.com where you can find more of my "crafty" sorts of things, as well as a random piece of artwork here and there. Oh, and I'm also an occasional contributor to Artomat (artomat.org).

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