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Saturday 5 February 2022

Tiny Tote Bag... With Lessons to Learn

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
A tiny tote for my reusable makeup remover pads...
After I made myself a set of reusable makeup remover pads last November, my next thought was how to store them.

My single use cloths are tucked away in a drawer packaged in their original dispenser. It seemed to me that these new pads were pretty enough to be stored out in the open.

One of my fabric origami projects was already sitting on the side of the tub in my bathroom. I found a spare corner and tucked some of the pads in there.

reusable makeup remover pad tutorial by eSheep Designs
This origami basket holds some free skincare products that I received
from Shoppers Drug Mart last year...

Looking across the tub, however, I spied my Purl Bee Penguin standing in the corner with a little purse hanging from its beak.




I could only fit three of the pads in this tiny purse, but I took to the idea. (After all, I started this sewing journey a little over nine years ago by making a tote bag.) And it didn't take long for the right project to pop up on YouTube.

reusable makeup remover pad tutorial by eSheep Designs
But it was this that gave me the idea to make a tiny tote...

My tiny tote bag is based on a tutorial from a channel called Tendersmile Handmade. It's called DIY How To Make Open Wide Zipper pouch and was uploaded on November 30, 2021 if you want to search for it. And yes, as the name suggests, the original version was made with a zipper, as shown here.

Tendersmile Handmade Open Wide Zipper Pouch on YouTube
image courtesy of Tendersmile Handmade (YouTube)...

A zipper would just get in the way for my needs, so I made a modified (and therefore much easier) version without one. I also left the bag with a tapered body — i.e., wider at the top than at the bottom — by omitting the pleats that were sewn into the sides at the end.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
This holds all ten of my pads...

The original style of the pouch is certainly appealing and well worth it, however, especially if you're a beginner bag maker. (I'll expound on that later.)

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
My finished tote hanging from my magnifying mirror...

It took me less than two hours to watch the video, cut pertinent parts to a Word doc, and make the thing.

For fabric, I looked to my baskets of Eclectic Elements fat quarters, figuring that I could find some suitable scraps to patchwork the required rectangles. Turns out that I had a discarded piece from something that I obviously changed my mind about making that I could use.

an abandoned WIP having a second life...

Forgot to take a "before" picture, but you can see how this was a series of squares sewn up in a diamond patchwork fashion. (The gray-toned fabric is a Boundless DECOdent selection from the original Craftsy.)


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The lining pieces came from my old standby of a beige bedsheet, while the bag straps were yet another remnant of an Eclectic Elements fabric last seen on this match box.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
Changed the installation of the straps...

Instead of sewing the straps onto the bag, I fastened them with rivets. When I topstitched around the top, I angled the straps and sewed them down as well, since they were otherwise a bit floppy.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
Practice making a regular sized bag by making a mini one...

What I want to highlight about this particular video tutorial, however, are the lessons that can be learned about bag making.

The process of making this miniature tote is totally representative of how a full sized bag is constructed. For example, if you've never done boxed corners, you get to see how the technique creates considerable depth and width.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
Big and roomy boxed bottom...

At the same time, it also demonstrates what boxed bottoms do to an otherwise rectangular shape... the resulting container has a tapered opening unless you add "pleats" at the top to form defined corners.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
A boxed bottom bag can hold a lot!

Also, you get to see how much of the panel gets used up forming the base of the bag. (I must admit that whenever I make a boxed bottom item, I typically forget that a large part of the fabric will end up unseen or hidden underneath.)


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Another lesson to be learned is how to install zippers. (Again, I didn't put one on this bag, but the original project includes one.) A zipper with an exposed (tabbed) end is a professional looking finish. Practice it here and it'll be perfect when it comes time to do it on an actual purse.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
Side view...

I think it's great that sewing skills like these can be learned while making something small that won't break your fabric budget.

Tiny Tote crafted by eSheep Designs
A fun and functional project!

That said, I didn't need all the lessons and wanted my tote to fit my particular needs, so I made it my way. ◕‿↼

'Til next...


1 comment:

  1. Great minds think alike Rochelle, as I recently made this same little bag with the zipper closure and a few minor changes. It's good that you made changes that suited your needs. I just wanted to make this bag and I wanted to try using Liquid Vinyl on the exterior (a product that turns any fabric into a stain and waterproof fabric, from Thermoweb). I love my little bag and yours is so nice and useful too.

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