Faux Trader Joe’s Tote

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to work through those project bags – projects I’ve started over the last couple of years. This one is a more recent one. It’s a smaller tote that is bigger than a purse but smaller than a regular size tote.

I ran across a video, which I’ll post below from Pin Cut Sew that was all about making these totes that look like Trader Joe’s. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s here, but I sure love this little tote. I’ve got three hardback books in this tote to give you an idea of the size.

I had made this tote using some batik fabric I was given and then I added a white duck fabric to the bottom. It’s okay, but not happy with the white bottom.

I really wanted to use my own fabric, so I dug out that white duck and painted it. I started with using Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow Turquoise and Cerulean blues. I used them straight from the bottle. If you are new to my blog, I love Dye-Na-Flow, especially for sunprinting.

I painted stripes on the fabric knowing it would lighten up when it dried.

But that seemed blah, so I wanted to add some interest. I grabbed my white textile paint with one of my rollers and the magic happened. I have no idea where I got this pattern, but I absolutely love it.

However, I wasn’t finished, I kept rolling over it. Here are the pieces after they were dry, ironed, and cut and prepared to be sewn together. They did lighten up quite a bit, but I’m still happy with them.

And here it is again full of books.

If you’d like to make this tote, check out this video.

I want to make this out of denim and add a hard bottom to it. It’s an easy sew, and I love using my own fabric.

Now to the next project! Thanks for dropping by.