Wrap Pocket Tote

Our Wrap Pocket Tote is full of surprises! From the way an unexpected fold creates a wrapped pocket to the peek of a playful lining, the design of these bags may keep you on your toes, but making them will not, because the biggest surprise of all… They’re really easy!

To make one of your own, pick up our Wrap Pocket Tote Bundle. It includes Globalweave’s beautiful 100% linen canvas, colorful bias tape, a pretty lining fabric, thread and cotton webbing. Transform a beautiful stack of natural materials into a surprisingly fabulous spring tote!–Corinne

Materials

Our Wrap Pocket Tote Bundle includes (shown clockwise, from top left)…

Pickle

• Outer Fabric: 1/2 yard of Globalweave’s Tight Weave Linen, White
• Lining Fabric: 1/2 yard of Liberty of London’s Tana Lawn Classics in Phoebe, Lime
• Bias Tape: 4 yards of Purl Soho’s Bias Tape by the Yard (7/8 inch) in Pickle
• Thread: 1 spool of Gutermann’s 100% Cotton Thread in color #8915
• Webbing: 2 yards of Purl Soho’s  Sangle Cotton Webbing in Natural

Nectarine

• Outer Fabric: 1/2 yard of Globalweave’s Tight Weave Linen, White
• Lining Fabric: 1/2 yard of Robert Kaufman’s Doe Wide in Graphite
• Bias Tape: 4 yards of Purl Soho’s Bias Tape by the Yard (7/8 inch) in Nectarine
• Thread: 1 spool of Gutermann’s 100% Cotton Thread in color #4950
• Webbing: 2 yards of Purl Soho’s  Sangle Cotton Webbing in Natural

Silver

• Outer Fabric: 1/2 yard of Globalweave’s Tight Weave Linen, White
• Lining Fabric: 1/2 yard of Windham’s Citrus in Triple Line Coral
• Bias Tape: 4 yards of Purl Soho’s Bias Tape by the Yard (7/8 inch) in Silver
• Thread: 1 spool of Gutermann’s 100% Cotton Thread in color #9090
• Webbing: 2 yards of Purl Soho’s Sangle Cotton Webbing in White

Neon Yellow

• Outer Fabric: 1/2 yard of Globalweave’s Tight Weave Linen, White
• Lining Fabric: 1/2 yard of Robert Kaufman’s Manchester in Shadow
• Bias Tape: 4 yards of Purl Soho’s Neon Bias Tape, 3/4 inch in Yellow
• Thread: 1 spool of Mettler’s Neon Thread in Sour Apple
• Webbing: 2 yards of Purl Soho’s Sangle Cotton Webbing in White

You’ll also need…

• A straightedge ruler
• Your preferred fabric-marking tools (We used Clover’s Hera Marker and Water Soluble Fabric Marker.)
• Clover’s Wonder Clips

Size

Finished Dimensions: 11 inches wide x 14 ¼ inches high x 5 inches deep

Notes

Prewash all fabrics before starting. To limit fraying, I recommend finishing the raw edges of the Tight Weave Linen with a zigzag stitch before washing.

The Outer Fabric that we use here has no clear right or wrong side. If you are using this or a similar fabric, you may choose either side as the right side.

Backstitch at the beginning and end of all seams.

Pattern

Cut

From the Outer Fabric cut…

• Two 17 by 17–inch squares
• One 17 by 12–inch rectangle

From the Lining Fabric cut…

• Two 17 by 17–inch squares

Cut the Webbing into two 30-inch pieces.

Attach the Pocket

Finish one long side of the 17 by 12-inch rectangle (cut from the Outer Fabric) with bias tape. Here’s how…

Lay the rectangle out flat with its wrong side facing up and the two long sides running along the top and bottom.

Cut a length of bias tape slightly longer than 17 inches. Open up the fold on one long side of the bias tape. Starting at one corner, and with the wrong side of the bias tape facing up, pin the raw edge of the tape to the top raw edge of the fabric rectangle.

Sew the bias tape to the fabric with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, using the fold of the bias tape as a guide.

Now, flip the fabric piece so that its right side is facing up. Fold the bias tape over the raw edge of the fabric and pin in place.

Sew the bias tape to the fabric with an edgestitch.

Trim the edges of the bias tape so that they are flush with the edges of the fabric.

This is now the Pocket. The finished edge is the Pocket Top.

With its right side facing up, lay one Outer Fabric 17 by 17-inch square out flat.

With its right side facing up, place the Pocket on top, lining up the unfinished edges of the Pocket with the raw edges of the fabric square. Pin the Pocket in place along its top and bottom edges.

Using a straight-edge ruler and your preferred fabric marking tool (we used a Hera Marker), mark a straight line on the Pocket, perpendicular to the Pocket Top and 7 inches from the left side.

Now, mark a line parallel to this line, 5 inches to the right.

Sew along the two marked lines through both layers of fabric. Stop the seam at the top edge of the Pocket Top.

Sew the Outer Fabric to the Lining

With its wrong side facing up, lay one square in the Lining Fabric out flat. Now, with its right side facing up, place on top the Outer Fabric square with the Pocket attached, lining up all four raw edges. Pin in place along all four sides.

Sew around all four sides with a zigzag stitch.

This is now Panel A, shown above right side up.

Repeat with the remaining Outer Fabric and Lining squares.

This is now Panel B, shown above wrong side up.

Piece the Tote

With lining sides together and the Pocket Top running horizontally, stack Panel A on top of Panel B. Use the Wonder Clips to hold the Panels together along the left and right vertical sides.

Sew along the two vertical sides of the stack with a ¼-inch seam allowance.

Finish the Side Seams

Lay the pieced Panels out flat with Panel B facing up and the side seams running vertically.

Cut a length of bias tape slightly longer than 17 inches. Open up the fold on one long side of the bias tape. Starting at one corner and with the wrong side of the bias tape facing up, line up and pin the raw edge of the tape to the zigzag edge of the Panels.

Sew the bias tape down with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, using the fold of the bias tape as a guide.

Now, flip the pieced Panels so that Panel A is facing up. Fold the bias tape over the edge of the Panels and pin in place.

Sew the bias tape down with an edgestitch.

Trim the edges of the bias tape so that they are flush with the edge of the fabric.

Press the bias tape edge towards Panel B.

Repeat on the other sewn side.

This is now the Tote.

Sew the Gusset

With the lining side facing out, fold the Tote so that the two parallel seams on the Pocket line up.

Press the Tote flat in this position.

Sew along the bottom edge with a ¼-inch seam allowance.

Use your preferred fabric marking tool (we used a water soluble fabric marker) to make two intersecting lines in one bottom corner: one that runs 2 ½ inches above and parallel to the bottom edge; and one that runs 2 ¼ inches in from and parallel to the folded side.

Cut along these two lines and remove the rectangle of fabric.

Repeat on the other bottom corner.

Finish the bottom edge of the Tote with bias tape, as described in the Finish the Side Seams section, above.

Pull the two sides of the Tote away from each other until the two straight, raw edges of the cut rectangle are stacked on top of each other.

Flatten the bias tape to one side and pin the pieces together along the raw edges.

Sew along the pinned edge with a ¼-inch seam allowance.

Encase the raw edges of this new seam with a 5 ½-inch length of bias tape. Tuck under both the raw ends of the bias tape for a neat finish. Pin in place. Sew the tape down with an edgestitch, making sure to pick up both sides of the tape as you sew.

Repeat for the opposite corner of the Tote.

Finish

Turn the Tote right sides out and lay it flat.

Pin one of the pieces of webbing to the Tote, 4 inches in from one side. Line up one raw end of the webbing with the Top edge of the Tote.

Repeat with the other raw end of the webbing, 4 inches in from the other side of the Tote. Make sure that the webbing is not twisted before you pin.

Sew the webbing to the Tote with a 1/8-inch seam allowance.

Repeat on the other side of the Tote with the remaining piece of webbing.

Now, turn the Tote wrong sides out.

Cut a length of bias tape about 34 inches long. Open up the fold on one long side of the bias tape.

Starting in a spot along the top edge of the Tote that’s at the middle of a piece of webbing, and with the wrong side of the bias tape facing up, pin the raw edge of the tape to the top raw edge of the Tote.

When you reach the start of the tape, trim the bias tape piece so that there is about 1 inch of overhang. Fold one end of the tape ½ inch towards its wrong side and tuck it under the other end of the tape. Pin in place.

Sew the bias tape to the Tote with a 1/4-inch seam allowance, using the fold of the bias tape as a guide.

The seam allowance along the top edge of the seams that join Panels A and B will be quite bulky. To make a neat finished edge, trim off some of the bulk at these seams.

Now, flip the Tote so that its right sides are facing out. Fold the bias tape over the raw edge of the Tote and hold it in place with the Wonder Clips.

Sew the bias tape down with an edgestitch.

With your preferred fabric marking tool (we used a water soluble fabric marker), draw a ¾-inch line centered on the webbing, 1 inch down from and parallel to the sewn edge of the bias tape.

Sew along this line three times: First sew the seam forward, then backstitch over the length of the seam, and then sew the seam forward again.

Repeat on the three remaining webbing ends.

Now, fold the webbing up at the seam and press towards the top of the Tote.
Sew the webbing to the Tote with a centered 3/4–inch seam. Use the stitch line of the bias tape edge as a guide for placement. Sew over this seam three times, in the same manner as in the previous step.

Repeat with the remaining three webbing ends, and your Wrap Pocket Tote is finished!

Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!