Making a Tote

The word homesteading often brings up the idyllic farmer milking a cow, collecting eggs and having a giant garden for all their food needs.  While someday I would love to be there, living in a city apartment it just isn't happening today.  There are many aspects of homesteading I can embrace and do!  To me homesteading is more about doing it yourself, whether it is food, or items we use every day.  Sewing is a great place for anyone no matter where they live to start.  I had my sewing machine with me through all of college.   This is a simple tutorial on how to sew a tote.

I love these little tote bags, I have 3 now, and have plans to make another 2.  They are a great way to use up scrap fabric and are fantastic for carrying lunch to work, getting things from the farmers market, or just hauling around the general things life seems to require.

Materials required:
Ability to sew, or a sewing machine.
coordinating thread
Four 18 by 12 inch pieces of cloth.
One 2 by 12 inch piece of cloth sewn into a strap.  That tutorial is Here

Cut out 4 rectangle pieces of fabric 12 inches by 18 inches.   I cut out two of white for a inner layer and two of a pattern cloth for an outer layer.

 Take your inner two pieces and place the right sides together and sew along the two longer edges and one shorter edge.  Or just sew along the red lines.
Repeat with the outer pieces. 

You now have two "bags."  Pinch the bottom corners together and sew a line 1 and 1/2 inches from the edge. 

After sewing cut off the corner 1/4 inch from the seam.

Here is the most confusing part.  Place the two bags inside each other, right sides facing each other.  Place your strap at each of the edges. 

Sew around the edge leaving about a 3 inch whole for flipping the bags inside out.

Flip!

Sew 1/4 of an inch from the edge all the way around

You're done!  You have a great tote for running around with. 

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