TOTE BAG SKILL LEVEL: Beginner/Intermediate
PRODUCTION TIME: 4-6 hours
The Oberlin
KLUMHOUSE.COM
Sharing handcrafted design from Portland, Oregon.
KLUMHOUSE.COM
Hello marvelous maker! We can’t wait for you to begin your Oberlin tote adventure! We designed this versatile bag with you in mind. The Oberlin combines rugged function with sleek style. Simple construction and minimal tools make this the perfect bag for a beginning stitcher. 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 Oberlin Maker Kit that accompanies this pattern: it comes with pre-cut fabric, hardware and leather straps! www.klumhouse.com/maker-kits Get ready to learn sweet sewing skills, gain confidence and create an Oberlin tote with “I made this!” bragging rights. Don’t forget to share your finished Oberlin tote with us using #YayOberlin.
We Believe In You,
ELLIE@K LUMHOUS E .COM
KLUMHOUSE.COM
@KLUMHOUSE
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
Versions ................................................................................ 3 Design Details ......................................................................
4
Preparing Fabric / Marking & Cut ting .................................
5
Pat tern L ayout ...................................................................... 6 Leather Cut ting & Pat tern..................................................... 7 Prepare Tote Facings ............................................................ 8 Fabric Straps / Leather Handles ........................................... 9 Main Tote Body ................................................................... 11 Ex terior Pocket s .................................................................. 12 At taching the E x terior Pocket s .......................................... 13 Preparing Base L ayer ........................................................... 15 At taching Base L ayer ........................................................... 16 Tacking Down Sides of Pocket s and Base ............................ 17 At taching the Fabric Straps ................................................. 18 At taching the Magnetic Snaps ............................................. 20 Interior Pocket ..................................................................... 22 At taching the Interior Pocket .............................................. 25 Securing the Bag Facing ...................................................... 26 At taching the Interior Pocket .............................................. 27 Sewing the Bag Together ..................................................... 28 Creating a Boxed Corner ..................................................... 30 At taching the Leather Straps ............................................... 31 Glossar y ............................................................................... 34 Pat tern Measurement s ......................................................... 35 Resources ............................................................................. 37
V E R S I O N S Version 1: Fabric Straps
Version 2: Leather Straps
Features sew-in fabric straps with leather handle detail.
Features leather straps with metal hardware attachments.
3
D E S I G N
D E T A I L S
Version 1: Fabric Straps Leather handles
Canvas straps
Magnetic snap closure
Sew-on fabric straps
Interior metal zip pocket
4-compartment exterior pockets
Reinforced base
Version 2: Leather Straps
Leather straps
Metal brads
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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. WAX MELTS. If you need to iron out wrinkle in your canvas, place a towel over the fabric and lightly press to remove wrinkles.
M A R K I N G
&
C U T T I N G
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 with all of the pattern information. Take note that some pattern pieces are either cut once or cut twice, this is listed on your pattern pieces. 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.
Note about waxed canvas: Part of the charm and allure of waxed canvas is that it naturally shows folds, markings, and wear. All these marks blend together over time to give your bag a distressed look. Keep this in mind when cutting the bag pieces. Rather than cutting the pattern pieces on the fold, cut them on a single layer of fabric if you would like to avoid having a permanent fold lines on your fabric.
Tip Âť If you plan to create this project multiple times, consider drafting your patterns (with all marks and labels) onto Swedish Tracing Paper or hard tack first. Then cut out all pattern pieces, lay them out on the fabric and transfer all marks onto the fabric before cutting out. Save and reuse as a master pattern for future personal-use projects.
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P A T T E R N
I N V E N T O R Y
6 4 5
5 1 3
2
1. Version 1 & 2: Oberlin Tote Main Body 2. Version 1 & 2: Oberlin Tote Base 3. Version 1 & 2: Oberlin Tote Interior Pocket 4. Version 1 & 2: Oberlin Tote Exterior Pockets 5. Version 1 & 2: Oberlin Tote Pocket Trim 6. Version 1: Oberlin Tote Straps
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L A Y O U T
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Pattern layout for your Oberlin 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 Oberlin 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.
L E A T H E R
C U T T I N G
Version 1: Fabric Straps Cut two 6”x2 1/4” rectangles from lightweight leather for optional handles.
Version 2: Leather Straps Cut two, 28” x 3/4” straps from midweight leather.
P A T T E R N
K E Y Cut along the line
Right side of fabric
C
Marks the center of a side
Wrong side of fabric
FOLD TO
Fold to meet this mark
Design Consideration: Pay special attention if your fabric has a print/pattern that is directional. Make sure to draw and cut it so the print faces the direction you want it to on the finished tote.
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Version 1: Fabric Straps PRE PARE
TOTE
FACIN G S
1.
Take your main tote body and cut off the short ends along the 3” CUT lines you marked. You should end up with two 3”x 19” pieces to be used for the top hem facing on the inside of the bag. Fold to the 1” FOLD TO mark on both facings towards the wrong side and press with a steam iron. Reminder » Only cut the facing off if making Version 1: Fabric Straps! 6”
3”
TO P-O F-PO CK ET
FO L D TO
C
2.
FO L D TO
C UT 1
C
FAC ING
MAIN TOTE B O DY
1”
FO L D TO
C
TO P-O F-PO C K E T
FAC ING
3”
6” C
FO L D TO
1”
One each facing, mark the center along the raw, unfolded edge on the wrong side. Mark 3 ½” out from each side of the center mark (resulting in two marks, 7” apart). These will be your placement marks for the fabric straps. Make sure both facings are marked. 7” 3½”
3½” C
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F A B R I C
S T R A P S
Take the two straps, and on each of the long ends, make a 1/2" fold towards the wrong side of the fabric. Press. Fold entire strap in half again and press. Using an edgestitch foot or all-purpose foot, stitch the open side of the strap (with the two 1/2" folds) closed, using a 1/8" seam allowance. Repeat for the other strap.
CENTER FOLD Fold en re strap in half resul ng in a 1
strap.
S tch open side of straps closed. Repeat for second strap.
L E A T H E R
H A N D L E S
1.
Lightly mark the centers of the long edges of the leather handles. Mark the centers of both straps. Find and mark centers of both straps and leather pieces. L
14” 14”
3”
3”
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2.
Wrap the leather handle around the center of the straps, with the wrong side of the leather facing the right side of the strap. Align the center marks of the leather handles with the unstitched side of the straps. The goal is to sew on the least amount of layers of fabric as possible, avoiding bulk. Use a few 1� pieces of Wash Away Wonder Tape to help hold the leather in place. Make sure to apply tape to both sides of the strap. After centering and positioning your leather around the straps, use clips to keep it in place. If there is excess leather on the edge of your strap, just trim it off with a rotary cutter.
Ap p l y Wa sh Away Won d e r Ta p e to b oth si d e s of stra p .
Center leather onto center of strap.
rap leather around strap to meet ends
ush with strap. Trim off any e cess leather.
Ends of leather should land on side of strap without s tches where your new s tch line will go.
3.
Switch to a leather needle. Sew leather handle onto fabric strap along three sides, starting from one short end of the leather and pivoting on the corners to sew the other two sides. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and the end.
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Version 2: Leather Straps P R E P A R E
T O T E
H E M
1.
Take your main tote body and make a 1/2" fold on one of the short ends towards the wrong side of the fabric. Only press with a steam iron if you are not using waxed canvas. If using waxed canvas, finger press. Make another fold along the fold marks you made (at 3” from the raw edges) and press again. Repeat for the other side.
1/2”
3”
3”
1/2”
2.
c
3½”
3½”
c
3½”
3½”
Re-mark the centers of each of the folded ends, and make sure the placement marks for your straps are still visible. 3 ½” out from the center mark on each short end of the piece.
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MEET ELLIE
Hi! I'm Ellie. I’m a maker & a teacher. I started Klum House, because I find teaching to be such fulfilling work. I love curating fun, educational, and empowering experiences that allow people to be adventurous with their creativity. Through hands-on workshops, I encourage and inspire people to make their ideas a reality, whether that takes the form of handmade products or a creative business. I've been a professional bag maker for 20 years through RE Load Bags, a custom messenger bag brand I co-founded in 1998. Over the years I fell in love with teaching sewing through training folks to make bags for RE Load. I really saw how those skills I taught opened up their creative potential and built a foundational skill. I now carry that love for teaching forward through Klum House Workshop, a patten company & creative education space that I founded in 2014. If you live in the Portland area or are traveling through, stop by Klum House Workshop and take a class! Our class calendar can be found at www.klumhouse.com.
INFO@K LUMHOUS E .COM
KLUMHOUSE.COM
@KLUMHOUSE
COPYRIGHT: All designs, patterns, and content ŠKlum House 2017. 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