Braided Handle Tote Bag

Last year, I accompanied a friend to St. Charles, Illinois to pick up an eBay purchase.  Of course, we HAD to shop while we were there.  In one very high-end boutique, I stopped to admire an interesting Tote Bag.  It had a curved top edge...and some amazing self-fabric handles...braided, they were.  Now, when I'm out and about, I'm always on the lookout for ideas I can swipe inspiration for my sewing projects.  And this bag intrigued me.  So...I made a quick little sketch...filed it away in my billfold...and promptly forgot about it.

Then, a few months later...I found these gorgeous fabrics on sale at one of my favorite local quilt shops.  They're from Amy Butler's LOVE collection...in my favorite color combo to wear...violet and green.  (The green is showing up quite minty here...but it's actually more of a Jade-ite color...my camera does NOT like green.)  I knew I wanted to make a bag, but I just couldn't come up with a design.  I've made hundreds of Tote Bags in my "career" and I'd grown tired of the same ol' same ol'.  Then, I remembered the Tote I had seen earlier...and decided I wanted to try to make one like it.

It took a little finagling to draft the pattern...several tries to get the curved top just right...and then there was the matter of how to attach the handles.  But once I got things figured out, it went together quite smoothly...and I'm pretty pleased with the result.

The handles are corded...and covered in bias fabric strips.  I haven't done much of this...and had to keep referring to my trusty Singer sewing book to make sure I did it right.  Even then, I had a few missteps along the way...like not cutting the cording long enough (it has to be TWICE the length of the finished handle, to allow for turning)...and sewing it to the wrong side of the fabric (twice).

I attached three cords to the bag on one side with three rows of stitching...braided them tightly around to the other side...stitched them down again...and repeated for the other handle.  Then, I made little tabs to cover the unfinished ends and edge-stitched those in place.  I tried to pattern-match as best I could...it's not spot-on...but it's close.


I machine-quilted the entire Tote with lime-green thread...for style and stability.

The closure is a recessed zipper.  This is my own design...but I don't use it often because I'm such a zipper-phobe!

And inside...a pretty paisley lining.  There are also three slip-in pockets and a hard plastic bottom insert to help the bag hold it's shape. 

Kinda looks like "Jaws" here, doesn't it.  I tell ya...it's HARD to photograph the inside of these things!






And there's my new Tote Bag!  I'll be off shopping now!