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Two Hour Tote (Or Less!)

Hello! I’m Summer, and I blog over at Sumo’s Sweet Stuff. I’m so excited to be back here at The Ribbon Retreat as part of the Bag Lady series.

Can I admit something to you? I had never made a bag before I made this! And I can’t believe that! I loved making it, and can’t wait to make more.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog

Here’s what you need to make this fabulous lined tote.

– fabric (I used some of the Vintage Verona line from Riley Blake)
– sewing machine/accessories

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Start off by cutting your fabric pieces.

For the body of the tote, you’ll need to cut two pieces of your outside fabric, as well as two pieces of your lining fabric. That equals four pieces total at 18” x 21.5”.

Cut two pocket pieces at 8” x 11”.

Cut four strap pieces at 2.5” x 10”.

Let’s start with the pocket. Put the two pieces together with right sides facing in, and sew along the sides and bottom.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Clip the corners (watch your seams!) and turn the pocket right side out. Press.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Tuck in the raw edges along the top about 1/4” and press. Sew 1-2 straight lines across the top to secure the fabric.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Take one of your main fabric pieces, and pin the pocket in place where you would like it.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Sew the pocket to the main fabric piece right along the edge. Leave the top open!

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Place the two main fabric pieces together with right sides facing in. Sew again along the sides and bottom, leaving the top open.

I used this tutorial from I Am Momma – Hear Me Roar for boxing the corners before I turned it right side out.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Repeat this process for the two lining pieces, except leave a 3”-4” opening along the bottom.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Set your bag pieces aside. Take two of the strap pieces, place them right sides facing together, and sew them together along the long edges. Leave the short edges open.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Turn the strap right side out, press, and top stitch along each long edge.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Repeat with the other two strap pieces.

Pin the strap in place on the front of the main bag where you would like it.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Repeat with the remaining strap on the back side of the main bag. Make sure the straps are pinned in the same place!

Take the main bag, and place it inside the lining with the right sides facing together. Line up the side seams, and pin around the top.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Sew all along the top edge, making sure to get those straps sewn in. I used a 1/4” seam allowance.

Pull the bag through the opening you left in the lining. Once the bag is pulled through, tuck in the edges of the opening and sew it up.

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Iron along the top edge of the bag, and press the lining into the main part of the bag, and you are done!

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
This tote took me under two hours to make – and that was with cutting and everything. It’s a simple bag, and comes together quickly!

Look at that lovely lining. Perfect bag for trips to the library! Or maybe even for holding my books and sunscreen while I’m at the beach in Hawaii in a couple weeks. (You can be jealous, I won’t hold it against you).

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
It’s a fun way to mix some different patterns together, too, which is one of my favorite things!

Two Hour Tote (Or Less!) - The Ribbon Retreat Blog
Thank you so much for having me here today! I hope you will join me over at Sumo’s Sweet Stuff for more sewing and craft tutorials!

Thank you Summer! What an awesome bag! I love how quick and easy this bag is to put together and how amazing it looks! No one will ever guess that this little looker took two hours or less to make! This bag would also make a great gift for that best friend, neighbor, co-worker, or family member. It would also be an amazing gift to give at a baby shower with diapers and wipes and a cute little outfit hidden inside! I love it!
Thank you again Summer for sharing your incredible and creative talent with us today! For more terrific tutorials and a whole lot of fun, don’t forget to stop by Sumo’s Sweet Stuff! Oh…and yes Summer, I do happen to be very jealous of you and your bag’s upcoming trip! Aloha! 🙂

Are you loving this month of bags as much as I am? I am so in love with all of the bags we have featured so far and can’t wait for you to see what we still have coming up! If you travel a lot…we have one for you. If you have been wanting a new purse…we have one for you. And of course, if you are like me and are in love with bags in general…big or small, plain or bright…just wait, because we have some of those coming too, just for you!

Thank you for stopping by our fun series and if you too would like to make one, some or all of these adorable bags (join the club…hehe!) visit The Ribbon Retreat’s incredible selection of fabric and notions where you can find all of the supplies needed to make these gorgeous bags right here in our one stop shop!

See you tomorrow for another beeeeautiful bag tutorial!

Happy Creating & Happy Bag Ladies!
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9 Comments

  1. Terry
    Posted January 21, 2014 at 10:55 am | Permalink

    Thanks for the great tutorial! I love making totes to use as the ‘wrapping’ for gifts (and as part of the gift).

    • Posted January 21, 2014 at 10:21 pm | Permalink

      Hi Terry! Thank you for stopping by and for your fun comment! I love your idea for “wrapping” gifts in a tote you have made! I would love to receive a gift with that kind of wrapping! 🙂
      Thanks again Terry! Have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂

  2. Mary
    Posted May 30, 2015 at 2:25 pm | Permalink

    I just made a bag using the pattern and it goes really fast!! I might have misunderstood the sizing of the pieces, because my bag looks much larger, and the straps are really short — more like handles. I’ll have to adjust a little, but I love the look of it and how quickly it came together. Thank you!!

    • The Ribbon Retreat
      Posted June 1, 2015 at 10:11 am | Permalink

      Hi Mary! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad this tutorial worked for you. I am sorry about the sizing but so glad that you liked your fun bag! Have a great day and thank you again! Michelle 🙂

  3. Margaret Houston
    Posted August 9, 2015 at 3:14 am | Permalink

    Thanks for a clear and easy tutorial! I also got a larger bag with short handles, but can adjust sizes as needed in future while keeping the same basic technique, so this is a very flexible and adaptable pattern to have. I’ve bookmarked it!

    • The Ribbon Retreat
      Posted August 10, 2015 at 10:59 am | Permalink

      Hi Margaret! Yay! Thank you so much for sharing! I love this fun bag and am so glad you were able to make one and love it! I hope you get to make many more! Have a great day and thank you again! Michelle 🙂

  4. Posted February 29, 2016 at 10:16 am | Permalink

    I love this pattern/tutorial! So easy to follow. I’ve shared it w/my friends and on Pinterest, thanks a bunch!!!
    I made my straps longer and put the pocket on the inside, my fabric is so beautiful, didn’t want to cover it up.

    • The Ribbon Retreat
      Posted March 1, 2016 at 7:58 am | Permalink

      Hi Tami! Thank you so much. You are so awesome! Thank you for sharing this fun tote with your friends and on Pinterest too! Have a wonderful day and thank you again! Michelle 🙂

  5. Ann Coulter
    Posted May 14, 2023 at 12:53 pm | Permalink

    I love your patterns

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