Fold-Up Market Tote In Spectrum Cotton
Maybe you’ve seen our Fold-Up Market Totes before, but never like this! We made this batch in Purl Soho’s newest fabric: our gloriously colorful, spectacularly soft, stunningly gorgeous Spectrum Cotton!
Light and breezy but not sheer and flimsy, strong and sturdy but not stiff and unyielding, Spectrum Cotton starts with beautiful undyed, unbleached medium-weight cotton. A dye house here in the United States takes that yardage and garment dyes it in our custom spectrum of mind-blowing colors.
“Garment dyeing” means the whole woven yardage is put in the bath for dyeing. This process makes our fabric extra soft and pre-shrunk and also gives it a very special hand, like a favorite shirt you wear when you need to feel like you.
We’re very happy to say that all the dyes that make Spectrum Cotton so gorgeous are non-toxic, lead free, and low impact. The dye house also starts each day dyeing light colors and ends with dark ones so that they can recycle the same water throughout the day… Wonderful!
And process aside, there’s the color… A veritable rainbow explosion of 46 in all. From pale Pink Tulip (above, left) and gentle Duck Egg Blue (below, top) to super punchy Neon Orange (above, right) and saturated Deep Currant (below, middle), Spectrum Cotton is a giant candy store of color!
Robust and vibrant, subtle and mysterious, the entire palette stirs our most creative impulses, starting with these Fold-Up Market Totes. No one needs to explain the importance of handy reusable bags, but perhaps it bears stating that some make you happier than others and that these are very happy-making! (The little rolls shown here, by the way, are how the Fold-Up Market Totes fold up… Cute!)
Besides blousy, bountiful totes, we also love Spectrum Cotton for super soft quilts and napkins, pillowcases and duvet covers, and also for making our wardrobe dreams come true: skirts, shirts, dresses, pants, wraps, all in the exact color we’ve always wanted!
Dive right into Spectrum Cotton by picking some up by-the-yard for your own set of Fold-Up Market Totes. Or if you have some piecework in mind, explore our Spectrum Cotton Fat Quarter Bundles, available in a pile of 44 colors or half that: 22 from the cool or warm side of the color wheel. However you get your hands on this fabric, we know it’s going to ignite some seriously creative sparks. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Designed for Purl Soho by Molly Schnick.
Materials
To make one Fold-Up Market Tote, you’ll need…
- 1 yard of Purl Soho’s Spectrum Cotton
- 1 yard of Studio Carta’s Fetuccia Ribbon, 1/4 inch in Natural
- A 110-yard spool of Gutermann’s Cotton Sewing Thread in a color that coordinates with the fabric
- A fabric marker
We used the following Spectrum Cotton colors for our Totes: Deep Currant, Neon Pink, Pink Tulip, Vintage Pink, Peach Macaron, Orange Coral, Neon Orange, Pale Melon, Fresh Buttermilk, Raincoat Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Whiskey Brown, Key Lime, Patina Green, Viridian Green, Duck Egg Blue, Pebble Blue, and Pacific Blue.
Size
Finished Dimensions: 18¾ inches wide X 15 inches tall, plus a 16-inch handle drop
Pattern
For the free pattern, visit our original Fold-Up Market Tote story.
So excited about these beautiful new cottons!! Is the ivory dress the woman is wearing in the pictures made out of the spectrum cotton? Also, is it one of your patterns? Just love it. Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for the question! The dress is not made of Spectrum Cotton, though that is a great idea! The dress is a store bought item and not one that we made.
Best,
Cassy
So fun to make and super quick! I made a large one and then a smaller one for kids.
I love the dress (or tunic) either!
So lovely! Would this fold up into a little triangle–so that it’s less bulky in my purse? Or perhaps an idea for a future pattern would be a market tote that folds into a self-contained pocket. Either way, it’s gorgeous!
Hi Joanne,
Great question! We have not tried folding these into triangles but the rolling of them does make them quite compact for throwing in your bag on the go!
Best,
Cassy
Thank you for this pattern! I made a few as presents for my son’s teachers and it was great. I completed one as directed but the second I used the ‘wrong’ side as the outside and a contrasting thread. Also used the triple stitch on my sewing machine so it looked like I was topstitching. Really pleased with the result. Also used a ripstop type fabric which worked fine (trying to use up my stash) but it doesn’t drape as well as the linen. Thanks again.
What a fun pattern and what beautiful fabric! I split the handle into two parts by cutting a 4″x17″ triangle out of the middle – you have to do more pressing and hemming, but it makes it much easier to put groceries into the bag. I also boxed the corners to make it look a little less like a pillow case.
I love that these are easier to wash than store bought reusable grocery bags. They’re also easier to carry around because they roll up so nicely!
I purchased spectrum cotton in 2 different colors to make one for myself and help my adult daughter, who’s just now learning to sew, to make one for herself. This past weekend she and I had a “sewing party.” Working with her to complete this small project was enormously fun for us both. The finished product is just as it looks in your pictures, and we all know that doesn’t always happen! The directions took me step-by-step, which is great because I haven’t sewn in a while, and helped my daughter and me to figure everything out on our own. Very satisfying! The spectrum cotton is a beautiful light (but strong) fabric with wonderful saturated color (green for her, peach for me!), perfect for a beginner or more experienced sewer, great to work with! The tote is now rolled up and in my purse, waiting for my next trip to the grocery store. Thank you for this!
Hellooooo. Love the Fold-Up Market tote. Would really love to get the pattern since I am really green at sewing. It is not clear to me from your directions what is the whole lenght of the bag or the fabric used. Sorry, I am a neophite at this. Best regards.
Hi Esther,
Thanks for reaching out! I am glad to hear that you love this bag, it is so adorable! We used 1 yard of our Spectrum Cotton, 1 yard of Studio Carta’s Fetuccia Ribbon, 1/4 inch in Natural, A 110-yard spool of Gutermann’s Cotton Sewing Thread in a color that coordinates with the fabric! For the pattern you can follow our Fold-Up Market Tote Story!
Please feel free to reach out with any more questions!
Gianna
I can’t seem to find the free pattern for the Fold up Market Tote.
Can you help. thank you
Susan
Hi Susan,
Thanks for writing in! Since this is an updated fabric for an older pattern, at the bottom of this page, under the PATTERN section, you will find a link that takes you to the original pattern! You can also find it here: Fold-Up Market Tote story
Warmly,
Gianna