DIY Network

Rockin' Elephant Tote Bag A friendly elephant adds a touch of fun to a handy tote bag. From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-156

Sarah Neuburger makes a cool tote bag using corduroy, felt, cotton fabric and beads.

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Rockin' Elephant Tote Bag

Materials:

slate blue corduroy fabric (7-10 wale, 100% cotton), 1 yd.
Aunt Grace Friends Around the World crosshatch fabric (R35), 1 yd.
Kunin Felt Rainbow Classic Colors, Antique White, 1 sheet (No. 379)
Kunin Felt Rainbow Classic Colors, White, 1 sheet (No. 550)
Kunin Felt Folk Art Colors, Denim, 1 sheet (No. J56)
embroidery floss, Black (DMC No. 310)
Le Bouton 12mm hexagonal button (No. 110-103)
Westrim Crafts bicone beads, 6mm
ProMAG Titan Series magnetic 3/4" square clasp (Part No. 50005)
2 light-colored vinyl square remnant pieces, approximately 1" in size
Coats & Clark All Purpose Dual Duty Plus Thread, Art 210, No. 105A (Azure Blue)
Coats & Clark All Purpose Dual Duty Plus Thread, Art 2310, No. 1 (White)
fabric scissors
embroidery needle
ruler
sewing machine
iron
serger (recommended, though not mandatory)

Note: Because corduroy fabric is seasonal in most areas, the color choices and fabric weights during the summer months will be limited. A 7-10-wale corduroy fabric is nevertheless recommended instead of finer wale for stability and durability of the finished tote bag. Additionally, you may not be able to locate the lining fabric used in this project (Aunt Grace pattern); in that case, feel free to choose a coordinating 100% cotton fabric that suits your taste. Note that if you choose a different lining fabric, you should avoid fabric with a specific horizontal orientation. This way, the fabric won't be upside down on one side of the bag.

1. Prewash both the corduroy and the cotton lining fabric, according to the manufacturer's instructions, to ensure uniformity in any shrinkage before making the bag.

2. Cut out the corduroy fabric for the bag exterior and handles. Start by cutting out a rectangle measuring 14" wide by 32" long for the exterior (keep the corduroy wales running the length of the rectangle). For the two bag handles, cut out two rectangular strips that measure 22" long by 4" wide (again, cut out the handles so the wales run the length of the rectangle).

3. The lining fabric and interior pockets need to be cut out next. You will need another rectangle that measures 14" wide by 32" long for the interior. Also, cut out two additional rectangular pieces that measure 14" wide by 8" long for the interior pockets.

4. With the fabric cut out, you next need to cut the shapes you will appliqué onto the bag front out of the felt pieces. Using the pattern at right, cut out the shapes on the solid line (the dotted line indicates the sewing line). The elephant body is cut from the denim felt, the ears from the antique white felt and the hooves from the white felt.

5. Finally, cut out two small squares from a vinyl remnant. They need to be approximately 1" square. (They will be used to reinforce the magnetic snap and will not be seen so the color and exact size need not be exact.)

Appliquéed Elephant Design

Find the center front of the bag:
Now that you have all the pieces cut out, you can sew the appliqué to the front of the bag. Find the front center of the bag by measuring down from the top edge 8-1/2" and from the side 16". This is the front center of the bag. Make a small pencil mark on this point.

	PDF Elephant pattern: click to download
	Figure A

Pin the elephant body in place:
Line up the Denim Blue felt elephant body with the front center of the bag using the center point indicated on the elephant body pattern and pin in place (figure A). Next, pin the #2 elephant ear (as indicated on the pattern) in place by slipping the bottom edge underneath the body.

Sew on the elephant body:
Sew around the elephant body using the Azure Blue thread. Start approximately 1" to the left of the elephant ear. (This will ensure the starting point is concealed underneath the other elephant ear.) You should be sewing a consistent 1/8" from the edge of the felt design.

Sew on the elephant ears and hooves:
Pin in place and sew the two elephant ears (cut from Antique White felt) to the bag front as indicated on the pattern.

Note: You have already secured the bottom edge of ear #2 in place, so you only need to sew around the top.

Sew around the felt 1/8" from the edges using the white thread. Repeat process by pinning and sewing hooves (cut from white felt) in place on the legs, as indicated on the pattern.

Iron the tote bag exterior:
At this point, iron the piece from the back with a moderately hot iron. Do not iron from the front side, as the iron can melt the acrylic felt.

Figure B

Sew on the elephant eye and the musical notes:
The felt elephant is now sewn to the front. The next step is to sew on its eyes and musical notes (figure B). Sew the hexagonal button in place for its eye, as indicated on the pattern, using the black DMC embroidery floss (use all six strands). Thread the embroidery needle with the black floss and tie a knot into the end of it. Begin by bringing the needle up from the wrong side of the blue corduroy fabric and out through the felt. Next, thread the button onto the needle and pass the needle back through the top down, close to point where you sewed up through the fabric. Pull tight from the back and repeat several times. After you have securely sewn the button to the front, tie off from the back and cut the floss.

Sew on the musical note beads:
To sew on the musical notes, begin by sewing the bicone beads, using the black embroidery floss (use all six strands), onto the bag front as indicated on the pattern. You will need to sew a total of four beads in place in a similar fashion to the elephant's eye.

Embroider the musical note lines:
After you have sewn on the notes, you will sew on the lines for the notes. Again, thread the embroidery needle with the black embroidery floss and tie a knot into the end. From the back of the corduroy fabric, come up through the fabric as close to bead #1 as possible. Use the pattern as a reference and go back through the top of the fabric as indicated in the pattern to make the first note line. Repeat the process as you connect the lines, sewing up through point A, down at C, up at point C, down at C, up at point B, down at E, up at point D, down at F. Tie off from behind and cut the floss.

For the second musical note, start at bead #3 and sew up from behind at point G, down at H, up at point I and down at H. Once again, tie off from behind and trim floss.

For the last musical note, start at bead #4 and sew up from point J, down at K, up from M and down at L. Tie off and trim floss.

Tote Bag Exterior and Handles

Sew up the bag sides:
The appliquéd design on the bag front is now completed. You can now move on to constructing the exterior of the bag. Begin by sewing up each side of the bag. To do this, fold the exterior rectangle (which has the appliquéd design on it) in half, right sides together. You should now have a rectangular shape that measures 14"x16". Starting from the folded edge, sew up the sides using the blue thread, keeping a 1/2" seam allowance, so that the top remains open. If you have a serger, you should serge up each seam to prevent fraying at this point.

Construct the bag bottom:
Make sure the exterior of the bag is still wrong side out. To make the gusset at the bottom of the bag, hold the bag upside down with the serged seam toward you. Place a thumb on either side of the serged seam and flatten the bottom of the bag. This will make a triangular shape at the corner. You will be sewing across the bottom of this triangular shape. To determine where to sew, use the ruler to mark a pencil line where there is 1" to either side of the serged seam. This will make a 2" bottom in the tote bag. Sew and repeat on the other serged seam of the opposite bag side. Trim off excess from the triangular corner, serge and turn the bag right side out.

Tote Bag Lining and Pockets

Sew the edges of the pockets:
Before you can sew the pockets in place, serge the top and bottom edge (along the 14" sides). On the top edge, next fold over 1/2" and sew across, using the white thread, to make a finished edge.

Sew the pockets in the lining:
Using the ruler, measure 15" down from the top edge of the lining fabric. This is where the bottom edge of the pocket should be sewn. Place the wrong side of the bottom serged edge of the pocket on the lining at this line and pin in place. Now that you have the pocket pinned in place (with right sides together), sew across. Flip the top edge of the pocket up so that the wrong side of the pocket is facing the right side of the lining. Repeat on the other side.

Create individual pockets:
After the bottom edge of each pocket is sewn in place, you need to sew up the individual pockets. To do this, measure in 7" on one side and sew up from the bottom of the pocket to the top finished edge. This will make two 7" pockets on one side.

On the other side, you will create 3 pockets. To do this, measure 5" in one side and sew up from the bottom up the pocket to the top finished edge. Repeat on the other side by measuring in 5" and sewing up at this line.

At this point, iron the interior lining of the bag before you sew up the sides.

Sew up the lining sides:
Now that you have sewn the pockets into the lining, fold the lining in half, with right sides together. You should now have a rectangle that measures 14"x16". Pin in place and sew each side, up from the bottom folded edge, leaving a 1/2" seam allowance. Serge edges.

Construct the lining bottom:
Repeat the procedure for making the gusset at the bottom of the exterior bag with the lining fabric (figures C and D). After you have sewn along the bottom of the triangular base, trim seam and serge.

Figure C

Figure D

Insert magnetic snap closure:
The magnetic snap closures should be placed at the top of the lining at the middle of each side. In order to do this, measure in 6-1/2" from the seam and make a pencil mark at the top edge of the lining. This indicates the center of each bag side. Using half of the magnetic snap, make a pencil line where each prong falls, 1/2" down from this center line on the front of the lining fabric. Make two small scissor snips where the prongs should be in the lining fabric. On one piece of the vinyl remnant, mark with a pencil where the snap prongs fit and make two small snips to accommodate them. You will then put the snap into the lining fabric from the back. Place the vinyl remnant onto the prongs next (it should be facing the right side of the lining fabric) and press the prongs flat. Repeat this process on the other side of the lining. (You should have the prongs flat against the right side of the lining fabric, 1/2" down from the top edge in the middle of each side.)

Bag Handles

Figure E

To make the handles, fold in each side of the handle 1" (along the 22" side) and press with a hot iron. Fold in half again so that you now have a strip that measures 2" in width by 22" long. Pin and sew 1/4" from the folded edges down the length of the 22" strip (figure E). Repeat on the other handle.

Securing the Lining to the Exterior

Pin the lining to the exterior fabric:
Take the exterior corduroy piece, right side turned out, and place the lining inside it (the wrong sides should be together). Fold over the top edge of both the lining fabric 1" so the wrong sides are together and the magnetic closure is facing the wrong side of the fabric. Pin in place. Fold over the exterior fabric 1" as well so the wrong sides are together, pin in place. You should now have the two folded over edges of the lining and exterior fabric matching, pin the two sides together. (The bag should now look completed, just without the handles pinned in place.)

Figure F

Pin the handles in place:
Using the ruler, measure in from one side 3" and slip the bottom 1" of the handle in at this point between the lining and the exterior (figure F). Repeat on the other side so the handle forms a loop. Be sure you have smoothed out the handle and there are no twists in it at this point. Repeat on the back side of the bag with the other handle. Make certain both handles are the same length when you extend the handle loops. You want to double-check that you tucked in the same amount of material so that when you hold the bag, the weight is carried equally by each handle strap.

Sew along the top edge of the bag:
All that's left to do is to sew along the top edge using the blue thread. Sew with the lining right side up so you can make sure you're both catching the lining and keeping a consistent 1/4" seam allowance around the top. Since this sewn edge is quite prominent, take extra care to keep the seam allowance consistent and straight.

The bag is machine washable, although you should make sure you don't iron directly over the appliquéd section on the front. If you must iron it later, place a towel on top of the appliquéd design before doing so.

RESOURCES :
Kunin felt
Website: www.kuninfelt.com

beads
Westrim Crafts
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Toll-free phone: 800-727-2727
Phone: 818-988-8280
Fax: 818-901-6479
E-mail: customerservice@westrimcrafts.com
Website: www.westrimcrafts.com

Aunt Grace: Friends Around the World fabric by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Brothers from Retrodepot
Website: www.reprodepot.com

Slate Blue corduroy fabric
Website: www.hancockfabrics.com

12mm hexagonal button
Website: www.walmart.com

GUESTS :

Sarah Neuburger
E-mail: info@thesmallobject.com
Website: www.thesmallobject.com