Today I'm remaking my favorite Easy Summer Tote! But first I want to share with you my favorite piece of advice... Don't be afraid to try something new! Don't be afraid to experiment! Even if you fail, you'll always learn something along the way. And if you succeed there is no greater sense of accomplishment. One of my favorite things to do is take a tutorial and put my own spin on it. I have a little example to show you today of how I did just that with my old Summer Tote tutorial.
You can Customize a Handbag Pattern and make just what you want!
I was in need of a new beach bag for the summer but I wanted to change it up this year and add a few features that I found it was lacking. Here is my new and improved Summer Tote!
I made this one out of Tula Pink laminated fabric which made it a little trickier to sew than normal. I haven't sewn much with laminate fabric so that was interesting! I added a little divided pocket on the inside.
More Summer Sewing Tutorials...
- Easy Summer Tote
- DIY Wristlet Key fobs
- Sunrise Zipper Pouch
- DIY Drawstring Skirt
- Sew a Soft Sunglasses Case
I also added side pockets, 'cause you know they'll come in handy! EDIT: After using this bag for quite a while I found that the lamination made this pocket practically impossible to get things in and out of. Boo!
Changes I made to the original Easy Summer Tote pattern
- I widened the body and gave it rounded corners with a little help from a cereal bowl.
- Of course I had to adjust the bottom/side panels and ended up cutting a long strip to go around the curve instead of pieced togther side panes.
- I added an additional layer of felt for interfacing (but don't use red, it bleeds. who knew!)
- I added side pockets and interior pocket. I attached the side pockets to the side panel strip about 8'' down before sewing it all together.
New cutting dimensions
From the laminated fabric cut:
- 2 squares 16'' x 20'' for the body
- 1 long strip 6''x 49'' for the sides (my fabric was 56'' wide. You can make smaller cuts and piece it together if you need to)
- 1 rectangle 10'' x 8'' for the inside pocket
- 2 squares 16'' x 20'' for the body
From the lining fabric cut:
- 2 rectangles 14 1/2'' x 20'' lining body
- 2 strips 6''x 23 1/2'' for the lining sides and bottom (pieced together with a 1/2 inch seam allowance)
From the Felt interfacing cut:
- 2 rectangles 14 1/2'' x 20'' lining body
- 2 strips 6''x 23 1/2'' for the lining sides and bottom (pieced together with a 1/2 inch seam allowance)
From the handle fabric cut:
- 2 strips 4 1/2'' x 28''
For the full tutorial see the original Easy Summer Tote post.
I added a layer of felt for interfacing on the lining. It is not necessary but I just wanted to see how it would turn out. The felt made the french seams bulkier and so it had to be trimmed down before finishing the seams.
Oh and one more thing, I added a 1'' strip of felt to the handle for a little cushioning. I love using felt as a stabilizer! It's so cheap and works so well.
Now I have a new Summer Tote that can easily hold 3 beach towels and more!! Plus it's water proof. 🙂
Because I experimented a little, I ended up with a bag that is just what I needed. Have you found a pattern or tutorial that shows you how to make something that is almost what you need?
Don't be afraid to do a little experimenting. I dare you!
I promise you'll be glad you did!
Leave a comment and tell me if you do, I'd love to hear about it!
Happy Sewing!
More Summer Sewing Tutorials
