First Prototype of a Really Large Totebag

Over the 2018 Christmas holiday season I was able to accomplish quite a bit of sorting of my sewing related projects. I have several things that are at least 50% completed. I regret that I had so many partially finished projects, but I know that I am not alone. 2018 was a tumultuous year for me, mostly due to a large home project and switching jobs. With the holidays allowing me some days off, I used the time to move some of these incomplete projects a little further down the road. I was even able to finish one thing, that I call a jumbo plus tote bag. It is a prototype, as I want to perfect a pattern for a well-sized larger tote bag.

A number of years ago I was given a wonderful, extra-large, canvas tote bag. It turned out to be very useful for toting quilt components to and from the long arm machine. I rent a long arm machine at a local quilt shop. It’s also the perfect size to carry a completed full or queen size quilt to guild meetings for show and tell. The trouble is that if I am also working on a crochet project, like an afghan, when the project grows to be larger, I need a big tote bag to hold it, thereby leaving me without something to carry my quilts. Since I had some quilted fabric that was a result of a practice session on the long arm machine, I decided to use this fabric to make a large tote bag. By the time I had to return to work I, indeed had myself a new jumbo plus tote bag. I call it jumbo plus because I overshot my concept of “large” tote bag.

The practice fabrics I had used on the long arm machine were two separate, but coordinating, pieces that measured 2 yards in length. I purchased this fabric in the early 2000s, and it is so outdated that I would not use it in a quilt, which made it perfect for long arm stitching practice. Guessing at what size tote bag I would want, I cut the main pieces at 34 inches wide and 31 inches tall. On first construction this turned out to be unwieldy, even for someone my size, a bit on the tall size, with a wide arm span. I cut it down an inch on 3 sides, and turned down the top edge by about 3 inches. I serged the inside seams, so there was no need for separate lining. I’d made handles from the quilted material, but I also sewed on a strip of webbing to add support to the handles. The quilted straps, I thought, would add comfort if made wide enough. This seems to be true. With some additional fabric I added pockets to the bag’s exterior, with segments that would hold a crochet hook, cell phone, and lip balm. I added an outside lobster claw clasp to hold keys. All in all, this prototype was good for a first try. I will use it for toting multiple quilts, or a king sized quilt to guild meetings, but likely not for much else. It’s just too big. Even for use by my tallest friends, this bag is a little too large. Honestly, you could hide a toddler in it.

So, knowing what doesn’t work so well, I will try again with smaller dimensions. However, I still consider this a success because I put that practice fabric to use, and it’s no longer sitting in my studio, taking up space.