Weekend Craft Corner || Farmers Market Tote

Dear Foodies,

I've had my sewing machine for about 3 years now and once every couple of months I bring it out of its box. I usually pick projects that get done in day, the instant gratification from these keeps me searching from more. Since I'm always on the look out for quick and easy things to make I thought I'll share my ideas here every week/month and ask for yours in return.

 I re-use paper bags from stores like Whole Foods, TJ's and Sprouts but having a pretty cloth bag to flaunt is even better. I made 3 of these totes last summer - one for my dad, my sister-in-law and myself. My dad's probably the most frequent user in our family since he has used cloth bags for our grocery shopping for as long as I can remember. So he dictated the design aspects - a sturdy bag that would stay vertical when set on its base, making it convenient to place it on the floor when filling it up with fresh produce; pockets on the outside to hold spare change, keys or a cell phone; a lining inside that's easy to clean; and a way to seal the bag, keeping its contents from spilling out.

After much searching for a style we all liked I ended up at this tutorial  - Summer Madras Tote pattern. Its a really well put together tutorial with detailed photos and instructions for a beginner like me. I used fabrics that I picked up at a yard sale last year. Outer fabric is a sturdy cotton and floral fabric for the inner lining is much lighter in weight. The inner lining can be pulled out for cleaning as its held together only at the top. I used a contrast color for the handles and to line pockets. To add loft and sturdiness I sandwiched a layer fusible interfacing between the two layers and also sowed a few velcro strips across the opening to close the bag.

What are you crafting ?