TOTE BAG SKILL LEVEL: Advanced Beginner
PRODUCTION TIME: 4-6 hours
The Fremont
KLUMHOUSE.COM
Sharing handcrafted design from Portland, Oregon.
Hello marvelous maker! The Fremont Tote is your superhero utility belt disguised as a sleek everyday bag. It features exterior pockets, zipper closure, interior pocket, and timeless leather straps. This teaching pattern is designed to help you learn how to sew bags. With fully illustrated & easy-to-follow instructions— you’ll be sewing like a boss in no time! This bag can be crafted on a home sewing machine with the fabric of your choosing. Our favorite material to use is durable water resistant waxed canvas. Make it easy on yourself by purchasing the Fremont Maker Kit that accompanies this pattern. It comes with pre-cut fabric, hardware and leather straps at www.klumhouse.com/maker-kits. Get ready to learn sweet sewing skills, gain confidence and create The Fremont tote with “I made this!” bragging rights. Don’t forget to share your finished tote with us using #YayFremont.
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T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
Prepare Fabric / Mark & Cut / Leather Straps............................. 3 Pattern Inventory / Layout Instructions....................................... 4 Prepare the Interior Pockets......................................................... 5 Attach the Interior Pocket / Prepare the Exterior Pocket.......... 6 Attach the Exterior Pocket............................................................ 7 Insert the Zipper.............................................................................. 8 Sew the Bag Together..................................................................... 9 Install the Tote Handles / Special Instructions........................... 10 Install the Cross Body Strap Tabs................................................. 11 Install the Cross Body Strap / Pocket Rivet / Zipper Pull.......... 12 Glossary / Resources.................................................................... 13 Pattern Measurements.................................................................. 14
Leather handles
Leather pull
Select one method to reinforce rivets:
Metal rivets Metal zipper Metal D-ring
Leather washers
Leather strap tabs
Metal O-rings
Interior Pocket
Leather reinforcement tabs
2 Exterior pockets
Leather cross body strap
Interior Pocket
P R E P A R E
F A B R I C
Prepare all fabric by using a steam iron to remove any creases or wrinkles. For waxed canvas: Do not iron directly on fabric, because the wax will melt. Note about waxed canvas: Part of the charm and allure of waxed canvas is that it naturally shows folds, markings, and wear. These marks blend together over time to give your bag a distressed look.
M A R K
&
C U T
Unfold and lay out the fabric on a flat surface. Cut out all pattern pieces and set aside, making sure each piece is labeled correctly and clearly marked. If drafting directly onto fabric: Using a ruler and fabric marking pen or pencil, carefully draw and mark all pattern pieces directly onto the fabric.
P A T T E R N
K E Y Rivet placement marks for straps
Right side of fabric
Placement marks Wrong side of fabric
FOLD TO
Fold to meet this mark Pocket placement marks
L E A T H E R
S T R A P S
Using the pattern templates and the measurements below, cut out all the leather straps & reinforcement tabs or washers from midweight leather (5 - 7oz). Mark & punch all hardware placement holes on both ends of all leather straps (Size 1: 3/32” for rivets & Size 6: 3/16” for Chicago Screws). Refer to Special Techniques on page 10. Note » Consider extending strap length if desired or if bag will be worn by someone above average height. Leather Cross Body Strap: 45” x 1” (Cut 1) Leather Handles: 14” x 3/4” (Cut 2) Leather O-Ring Tabs: 6” x 3/4” (Cut 2) Leather Zipper Pull: 4 1/2” x 3/8” (Cut 1) Leather Reinforcement Tabs: 1 1/2" x 3/4" (Cut 4) or Leather Washers: 5/8" (Cut 8) Tip » For a video tutorial on how to prep leather straps go to: www.klumhouse.com/blog/prep-leather
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P A T T E R N
I N V E N T O R Y 4
3 1
2
5
7
6
8
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Fremont Tote Main Body Fremont Tote Lining Fremont Tote Exterior Pocket Fremont Tote Interior Pocket Leather Cross Body Strap Template
Select one method to reinforce rivets:
9
10
6. Leather Handle Template 7. Leather O-Ring Tab Template 8. Leather Zipper Pull 9. Leather Reinforcement Tabs 10. Leather Washers
*Illustrations not to scale
L A Y O U T
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Pattern layout for your Fremont tote will vary depending on what fabrics you choose to work with. Layout choices will be determined by your fabric type, colors, and design decisions for each aspect of your tote. To conserve fabric, you may decide to mirror your pattern pieces instead of placing them on a fold. Waxed canvas, in particular, is sold in 60� bolts. We do not recommend folding waxed canvas in order to cut your pattern pieces, due to the fabric showing all the folds & creases. Consider purchasing a Fremont Maker Kit: @ www.klumhouse.com/maker-kits These waxed canvas kits come pre-cut and pre-marked and allow you to focus on building skills. Tip  If you plan to create this project multiple times, consider drafting your patterns (with all marks & labels) onto Swedish Tracing Paper or Tagboard paper. Design Consideration: Pay special attention if your fabric has a print/pattern that is directional. Make sure to cut it so the print faces the direction you want it to on the finished tote.
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P R E P A R E T H E I N T E R I O R P O C K E T
1.
Connect the FOLD TO marks along the upper edge of the interior pocket using a fabric marking tool. Fold the fabric to meet the lines by pressing a ½” fold to the wrong side once and then again, creating a double-turn hem. Pin or use craft clips to hold in place. Note: Finger press waxed canvas. Do not iron waxed canvas. Wax melts!
FOLD TO
FOLD TO
1” 1 ½” 1/2”
2.
Edgestitch the folded hem down using a 1/8” seam allowance. An edgestitch foot is recommended to help you keep an even, straight stitch parallel to the edge of the fold.
3.
Create a ½” single fold towards the wrong side on both sides and bottom of the interior pocket and press. Tip » It can be helpful to draw 1" FOLD TO lines to use as a guide for the ½” single folds.
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G L O S S A R Y Edgestitch: Stitching that is sewn between 1/16” to 1/8” away from an edge. Edgestitch presser foot: The official mascot of Klum House! This specialty presser foot features a center blade that guides the fabric when edge stitching. To use the edgestitch foot, position the needle towards either the left or right or the center blade, align the blade along a clean edge and stitch. Finger press: To use the pressure of the finger or fingernail to create a fold in fabric. Fold-to mark: The fabric’s raw edge is brought to these marks and pressed in place. Nested seam: To avoid bulk, nest the side seam and bottom seam into each other by pressing the seams in opposite directions. Rotary leather punch/Drive punch: Tools used to create accurately sized holes in leather. The rotary punch creates holes with the squeeze of a hand while the drive punch is used in correlation with a mallet. See manufacturer's instructions. Waxed canvas: Canvas fabric which is produced with the oil embedded into the canvas fibers, allowing the material to be water resistant. One of the allures of waxed canvas is it's ability to show wear & the story of use.
R E S O U R C E S Most items necessary for this project can be found on our website, at your local fabric store, leather store, or online. Below are suggested online resources. TUTORIALS:
How to Prep Leather Straps www.klumhouse.com/blog/prep-leather
How to Sew Pocket Reinforcement www.klumhouse.com/blog/pocketreinforcement
How to Fix Rivets www.klumhouse.com/blog/fix-hardware
Leather Straps www.klumhouse.com/blog/leather-strap
KLUM HOUSE RESOURCES: Fremont Maker Kits and Finishing Kits www.klumhouse.com/maker-kits
How to Install Rivets with Leather Reinforcement www.klumhouse.com/blog/set-rivet
Specialty, Materials, & Bag Making Supplies www.klumhouse.com/supplies
How to Sew a Clean Finished Zipper End www.klumhouse.com/blog/sew-zipper-turn
OTHER RESOURCES:
Chicago Screw www.klumhouse.com/blog/chicago-screw
Leathercraft Supplies www.tandyleather.com
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MEET ELLIE Hi! I'm Ellie. I’m a bag maker & sewing instructor. I started Klum House because I love inspiring people by teaching sewing tips & tricks through fun, handson workshops and patterns. I've been a professional bag maker for 20 years through RE Load Bags, a messenger bag company I cofounded in 1998. I carry that love for quality handcrafted goods forward to Klum House Workshop, a bag pattern & kit line, collaborative sewing studio, and creative education space that I founded in 2014 in Portland, Oregon. If you live in the Portland area or are traveling, stop by Klum House Workshop and take a class! Our class calendar can be found at www.klumhouse.com.
SU PPLI E S
TOO L S
FABRIC:
Edge-stitch presser foot
Medium-heavyweight textile such as canvas, waxed canvas or denim
Zipper presser foot
Exterior Fabric & Interior Pocket: 1/2 yard
Denim needle (Size 100) All-purpose thread
Interior Fabric: 1/2 yard
Craft clips
Exterior Pockets: 1/3 yard
Rotary cutter with cutting mat
NOTIONS:
Flathead screwdriver
(1) 14" metal zipper (non-separating & with a large opening in zipper slider to accommodate leather zipper pull)
Hammer
50" x 3/4" Medium weight leather strapping for leather strap handles, O-Ring tabs, & zipper pull (5/6 oz or 6/7oz)
Drive punch or rotary punch for Chicago Screws (Size #6: 3/16" or 4.75 mm)
60" x 1" Medium weight leather strapping for leather cross-body strap (5/6oz or 6/7oz)
OPTIONAL: Optional Malan Chicago Screw tool by Weaver Leather, Quilting ruler (18" x 6"), Cutting board for drive punch, Mallet, Industrial hand press fitted with the correct dies for double-cap rivets, Anvil or hard hammering surface
HARDWARE: (1) 3/4" Metal D-Ring (2) 1" Metal O-Ring (2) 1/4" Chicago Screws (12) Medium Double-cap rivets (Post length 5/16" or 8 - 8.5mm)
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Drive punch or rotary punch for rivets (Size #1: 3/32" or 2.5 mm)
FINISHED DIMENSIONS:
11"W X 101/2"H X 5"D
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COPYRIGHT: All designs, patterns, and content ŠKlum House 2018. This project is for personal use only and cannot be reproduced and sold. For commercial use, please purchase a Limited Use License at www.klumhouse.com/license