SUPER Tote!

I hardly know where to start with my praise of this pattern. As you can see, I’ve made the Super Tote by Anna Graham of Noodlehead, and brace yourselves for the cliché because here it comes: it’s just. as super. as its name. SUGGESTS!

THE RUNDOWN

Faves:

• The fanciness. Gusset, magnetic snaps, piping, zippered lining, elastic pockets. This isn’t some onesie twosie bag. It’s top-notch, and so useful.
• The instructions. As with all her tutorials and patterns, you can’t go wrong with the clear instructions Anna gives. If you’re feeling intimidated, don’t! Take this baby step by step and you’ll be fine (not that there’s any way to sew something other than step by step, unless you have a wand?)
• The size. The bigger the better, as they say.

Things I did to it:

• Instead of adding an elastic pocket to both sides of the lining, I did the elastic pocket on one side and a zippered pocket on the other side. This was my first time making a zippered lining pocket, and here’s the info I used for guidance.
• Instead of doing a facing for the outside pocket, I did a sort of “faux” facing, which is actually just a pocket lining with a strip of different fabric pieced at the top to look like a facing.
• Shortened the main lining zipper so it doesn’t stick out as much.
• Interfaced the heck out of it.

Hardest part:

• Picking out the fabrics.

Easiest part:

• The piping! Seriously. I don’t know what I’d feared.

Materials:

• Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter
  • Drake in Slate (outside)
  • Korkek in Dandelion (pocket facing, straps, interior lining)
  • Olavi in Rosey Cheeks (interior pocket lining, zipper tabs)
  • Little Kita in Fog (interior elastic pocket)
• Bella by Lotta Jansdotter, Sunspray Mini Dot (front, above pocket)
• Kaufman black yarn-dyed Essex (outside gusset, straps)
• Kaufman yarn-dyed Essex Flax (piping)
• Zipper purchased from Zipit

Go make one!!