The Jitney Tote Bag
With the summer season drawing to a close I chose to feature this bag this week because of its versatility and usefulness in carrying books and other school supplies and also because it features an apple-themed fabric which makes me think of back-to-school.
Several years ago I took a class at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo from Tammy O’Connell of Peacock Patterns (then Jitney Patterns). The class was entitled The Perfect Tote Bag and Tammy had clearly put a lot of thought into what would make a bag perfect. According to her website this pattern is sized for a woman’s frame, is ergonomically designed and can hold a large amount of items in an organized fashion. It is awfully pretty to look at, too.
At that same Sewing Expo I picked up a couple of tapestries that one of the vendors was selling (these were HOT that year) and decided to combine them with some decorator fabric to create my own perfect tote. Here are some of the features of this pattern:
- Customizable pockets on the inside of the tote include organizer pocket with hidden Velcro opening, business card pocket, pen/pencil sleeve, waterproof umbrella sleeve, drink sleeve, cell phone/sunglasses pocket;
- Designed to be a comfortable size/length for carrying on the shoulder on in the hand;
- Zippered top gusset which folds down into the bag to create an open topped tote;
- Attractively piped outside pocket;
- Sturdy construction;
- Designer look with leather handles.
I love how this bag turned out but learn from my mistake: use a sturdy fabric for the inner pockets. I used a quilting weight cotton and they just don’t have the necessary body. If you choose to use a lightweight cotton I recommend using a fusible interfacing like Décor Bond to increase the stability of the fabric. Tammy sells the leather handles on her website along with this and other patterns.