Insanely Easy Tote

I had just the right amount of fabric left over from the porch swing revamp for a tote bag. I came home from aerobics last night and whipped this little baby up in no time flat. Well...no time flat once you subtract all the time I spent wandering into the other room to watch Little Miss Sunshine. Did you ever catch that flick? I love it hard. You should try and see it if you haven't--it's a bit goofy, but sweet, and different. Ok...the tote. Yes, the easy tote.

Because I make so many bags I often feel that even when I make something simple, like a tote, that I need to interface the wazoo out of it and add all kinds of details. But simple can be good, too. Really really good. And oddly satisfying. That's how this project was. Now, mind you, if this was a large tote intended to carry heavy loads I would have triple-stitched and interfaced and blah blah blah, but with this one it's the lining and the exterior and that's it. A simple bag in a simple print--perfect together.

See? It just works. It doesn't get any simpler--the lining is plain old unbleached muslin, for mergatroid's sake!

Lest you think I sewed 2 rectangles together and did a little dance over this accomplishment, I must direct your attention to the bottom corners--

I boxed them a little differently than I normally would (I just learned the technique and was eager to use it again). Usually I flatten the corners into a triangle and stitch across, but not with this one. When you load it up the bottom flattens out, but when it's empty it goes flat so you can fold it up and tuck it away nice and easy--

I realize now this would be a more helpful photo if I had put something near it for scale, but it's a good size to slip into your handbag and keep there for any unforeseen toting. I was trying to create a tote that would work for something like a few magazines, a book, a bottle of water--the kind of tote you'd take to sit on a park bench and read or people watch for a few hours, if people even do that sort of thing anymore. It fits a sewing book and a drawing pad perfectly too :)

I gave this one to my mumsy, since she is madly in love with the fabric. She loves simple, and it doesn't get any simpler, either in design or fabric, than this.

So that's that. Would you guys be interested in a quick tote tut on how to do those bottom corners? The bag itself you could do in your sleep, but the corners might be a nice little technique to add to your bag of tricks. Leave a quick note in the comments and I'll whip something up this weekend for you :)