Super Tote

I'm excited to play with a new purse pattern from Noodlehead called the Super Tote. This large, zippered-top, purse/tote bag features an outside pocket, inside pockets I made to my own specifications and a pretty pleat on the sides. I trolled the Flickr photo group for Noodlehead patterns to see what other sewers had done with the project, and so leap-frogged over more basic choices I might have made on my own when first trying a pattern. Instead of heavy weight stabilizer, I used canvas to make the bag more hefty. I noted several people used Essex linen for the neutral sides and handles, and one lady quilted her linen to the canvas layer to create a look of textured sturdiness. I love this idea, and will definitely use it again; imagine a colored thread line quilted over yarn-dyed linen next to some pretty print fabric.

For my own Super Tote, I went with Marimekko on the outside and an IKEA canvas stripe inside the bag and behind the various pockets. A sport zipper highlighted with an extra strip of orange can either seal the whole bag up or fold into the open tote. The pattern is certainly not quick to assemble and the bag uses lots and lots of fabric, but I'm still hoping to make 4 or 5 this year for the fun of exploring color and feature options.