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New Market Tote with Extra's!

A little break from quilting this week to finish a Market Tote, a housewarming present for a friend back in the U.S.

A market tote bag that is gray with red flowers sitting on a gray bench in front of a red-brick wall.

 

I have made this bag dozens of times over the past 10 years. It's a perfect gift—fast, easy, and a great size! It's based on the Market Tote tutorial by Holly over at Bijou Lovely.

 

When making this bag, I have typically used decorator weight fabric for the upper exterior fabric—it helps the bag hold its shape. You can find examples of previous versions I have made here and here.

 

For this bag, I have added a few things. An inside zipper pocket and an elastic key fob. I wonder why I didn't think of adding these earlier. 


Oversized tote bag in gray with red flowers

 

It's a market bag, right? Why not create a small pocket you can close with a zipper to hold your wallet, bus pass, Blistex, and mints? This pocket is 5.5" T x 8" wide, making it a perfect size to keep any small items you want while you're out.

Elastic key fob inside of a market tote bag

 

I also added a removable elastic key fob to the bag's interior. I have always appreciated the key fobs in my hiking backpacks and thought, why not add that extra security to a market bag. For this one, I used lobster-claw swivel clasps that detached at each end and added elastic, making it easy to use the keys without disconnecting them. Our car uses a keyless fob, so I never even have to remove the keys from the bag to start and drive the vehicle.

Since moving to the UK, I have learned about different vendors, fabric shops, meters vs. yards, and even what they call things here (batting vs. wadding). Through a little trial and error, I discovered that eBay is by far the most economical place to purchase the fusible interface for the bag. I use a lightweight interface with the lining fabric and a heavyweight with the other materials (the handles use a heavy-duty interface on one side of the strap and a lightweight one on the other).

Helpful tips for making this bag.

Resources:

  • Printed fabric MissPrint Dandelion Mobile Storm from TextileExpressFabrics.co.uk
  • Base fabric = Kona Charcoal
  • Lining fabric = Kona Pewter
  • Pocket fabric = Kona Red
  • Zipper = 8"
  • 1" (25mm) Lobster Claw swivel clasp (2)
  • 3/4" (20mm) D ring (1)

It's always been a fun bag to make and I really enjoyed adding a few new elements to this one.  I feel like I may be exploring bag making a little more in the near future. 

Market tote with red inside pocket an gray bag with red flowers

 

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Lisa

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