Canvass Tote Bag

I love a good bag, especially if you have kids, which requires having lots of extra things to go into your bag. This is a great bag for travel, since it can fit lots of toys and goodies for you and your child, or to be used as an everyday bag. I always have a ton of things in my everyday bag that I can't live without. So for me, having a big bag is essential. Of course I do love smaller bags/purses for those times I go out with out my kid.

When deciding to make myself a bag, I wanted a thicker more durable fabric. So I found this great outdoor canvass in this fantastic pattern color scheme. (It didn't have to be outdoor, but that is what it happened to be.) I am all about the stripes and I love the green as well. I wear a lot of black, so I like that this will match most of my clothes. I had a bigger bag that I have been using as my everyday bag which I used to see how to construct my bag. I knew I wanted a few pockets and some kind of closure, so my stuff doesn't all spill out.

I love the hardware that I found at the fabric store. I never had used one of those turn clasp things, but it was a cinch to put on. I made pleated side panels and a bottom so the bag would be roomier. It was sorta tricky to make sure that I matched up the stripes to go all around the bag, but it didn't matter as much for the inside. I basically made two of the same size bag. One for the outside, and one for the inside. That way my bag was lined and extra durable. I also added a pocket on the inside for my cell phone (a must have!) I would have added more pockets but I ran out of fabric. I used EVERY inch of fabric I had. Apparently one yard wasn't enough. I might go back to get a bit more and make myself a matching wallet or make-up pouch.

I also added a snap closure to the outside pocket so my stuff doesn't fall out. Because the fabric was thicker, I used a thicker thread, and sewing machine needle. I only have a basic sewing machine, so it can handle only so much sewing, so my lines didn't turn out as clean as I would have liked. But it is only for myself, so who cares. :)