birthday tote

I checked another project off my list of things to try! This is a tote bag I made for my friend Shelley for her birthday. I used another pattern from Anna at Noodlehead--her Madras Tote. I had this combination of fabrics bought on a whim from the clearance area at M&L (and previously seen in a couch pillow and a flouncy apron).

Because my fabrics were pretty light I added medium-weight fusible interfacing to both the main bag and the pocket. I also added a line of stitching right down where the side ends and the bottom of the bag begins. That way things in the pocket can't slip down to the very bottom. If I make it again I think I'll make the pocket taller also. What I really think I would do is to use some of the features of this pattern to alter my basic tote bag pattern. I do like the outside pockets!