How to sew a Commuter Tote Bag

Hey y’all and welcome back to Sewspire!

Today, I have a really fabulous bag design to share with you. This is our largest sewing project to date; so, I have broken the tutorial into three video segments that range in length from 11 to 18 minutes each.

This particular bag is my original design and was conceived from divine inspiration. What makes it really unique is the spacious two way divided interior compartment which features 12 slip pockets and a 1″ padded base to keep your laptop, camera and such well protected while traveling — hence the name.

When finished the bag measures approximately:

16″ across the base

7″ deep

10″ tall

For this project you’ll need to precut the following pattern pieces

Exterior Front / Back Body Panels

Cut 4 pieces of twill fabric which measure 12″ x 6″

Cut 2 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 12″ x 6″

Cut 2 pieces of batting which measure 12″ x 17″

*optional 1″ piece of foam or heavy interfacing which measures 6.5″ x 15.5″to stabilize the base of the tote

Exterior Side Panels

Cut 2 pieces of twill fabric which measure 12″ x 8″

Cut 2 pieces of batting which measure 12″ x 8″

Exterior Base Panel

Cut 1 piece of twill fabric which measures 8″ x 17″

Cut 1 piece of batting which measures 8″ x 17″

Exterior Flap Closures

Cut 4 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 2.75″ x 8″

Cut 2 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 4.25″ x 8″

Cut 2 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 6″ x 8″

Cut 2 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 14″ x 8″

Cut 2 pieces of batting which measure 14″ x 8″

Interior Body Panels

Cut 4 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 12″ x 17″

Interior Side Panels

Cut 4 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 12″ x 5″

Interior Base Panels

Cut 2 pieces of cotton fabric which measures 17″ x 5″

Interior Pockets

Cut 4 pieces of cotton fabric which measure 17″ x 12″

Handles

Cut 2 pieces of twill fabric which measure 5″ x 22″

Additional hardware:

4 sets of snaps

Small hammer or snap setter

Part One of Three Videos 

Part Two of Three Videos 

Part Three of Three Videos

I hope you enjoy the project and will share photos of your completed bag with me on Instagram and Facebook using #sewspire and @sewspire. I truly love everything about this bag and can hardly wait to hear what you think!

Until next time, the creative genius in me, salutes the creative genius in you!

XO,

Andrea