Uptown Tote

The Uptown Tote is perfect for an every day bag. Sturdy construction and fully lined. Inside has a
zippered pocket and four deep slip pockets with the option to add more. The extra roomy interior
makes you able to fit your iPad, wallet, phone, and so much more. Comfortable 1” shoulder straps
makes it easy to carry. Main magnetic snap closure. Color block designs are endless. Easy to sew!
Finished Size: 16” top width x 11” height x 4” depth and 12” bottom width
Materials Needed

● ½ yard main fabric (solid blue canvas used)

● 1/3 yard main fabric (blue and white coral print canvas used)
● ½ yard lining fabric (solid tan outdoor “sunbrella” fabric used)
● 2 yard Pellon 931TD fusible interfacing
● 3 ½” x 12” piece of stabilizer for purse bottom (Pellon 71F used)
● 8” zipper (or longer for inside pocket)
● Four 1 ¼” or 1 ½” purse rings (round or square)
● 3/4” magnetic snap for purse closure
● 4 double cap rivets (6mm post)-optional
● Washable marker
Getting Started

1) Print and cut out all pattern pieces and tape together on dotted lines as instructed on pattern
pieces. I recommend using card stock to print pattern instead of paper as this makes tracing and
cutting fabric pieces easier. Set your printer at actual size or do not scale. Fuse your interfacing
to your fabric backsides before cutting. Cut fabric using pattern pieces 1-5 following the directions
printed on each pattern piece.

Cut additionally

● 1 lining fabric at 17”w x 14”h (for lining slip pocket)

● 1 fusible interfacing at 17” x 14” (fuse to back of lining slip pocket)
● 1 purse lining pocket at 14”l x 9”w (for inside zippered pocket)
● 1 fusible interfacing at 14” x 9” (fuse to back of zippered pocket)
● 2 main fabrics at 4”w x 28” l (for tote handles)

Ironing fusible interfacing to the wrong side of your fabric before cutting makes a stronger bond with
your fabric and considerably “stiffer”. If you want your fabric more rigid, add a second layer. Optionally
you can use sew-in or fusible fleece as your interfacing on either the lining or the main fabrics. I found
that my fusible fleece (Pellon 987F) caused wrinkles on the main fabrics after fusing—so I opted for the
Pellon 931TD and it worked great. I could of used the “sew-in” fleece with great results and added loft.
The canvas I chose for my main tote is considerably stiff so the heaviness of the fleece was not needed.
You really should experiment which interfacing works best with your fabric choices first on scrap pieces.

4
4

Slip
pocket
3 1 2

5
Tote handles
Zipper
pocket

1
Main Tote Construction

1) With right sides together, place pieces 1 & 3

on piece 3 as imaged. Sew from top to bottom
using ½” seam allowances.

1 3

2) Open seams and press flat.

3) Top stitch ¼” on each side of seam from

bag top to bag bottom.

4) Repeat steps 1-3 with other main tote

pieces.

This is the time to add a handbag tag to

your bag if you wish.
2
5) Place tote front and back right sides
together. Pin to secure. Sew bottom seam
only.

6) Open tote and press seam allowance flat.

Optional is to top stitch ¼” on both sides of
tote bottom seam as done previously on
front/back panels.

7) With right sides together, place front and back

tote together again. Pin to secure. Sew sides
together. Press side seams open.

3
 Side
8) To make bottom boxed corners on main tote,

seam
pull fabric corner cutouts away. Align the bottom
seam with the side seam. Pin to secure. Stitch,
making sure to back stitch to secure the start and
ending seams. Trim seam allowance to 1/4”.

9) Cut a piece of firm stabilizer 3 ½” x 12”

and round the corners slightly.

10) Place the stabilizer on the bags bottom wrong

side and fuse using a pressing cloth in between the
iron and the stabilizer. If your stabilizer is not
fusible then sew it to the bag bottom wrong side.

Slip a heavy shoe box into purse to give a firm

flat surface to fuse stabilizer.

9) Turn your main tote right side out. Examine

all seams that they align. This is where you can
make any corrections if needed. Press seams flat
with iron. Next we place the ring holders....

4
Ring Holders

1) Place two ring holder fabrics right sides together 5

(if your fabric is of lighter weight fuse interfacing to
backsides 1st.) Sew together using ¼” seam allowances
as imaged of side edges only. Cut out triangles at pivot
marks to reduce bulk of fabric after turning. (see note below)

Using a washable pen, place

“pivot marks” ¼” in from side
edges at the narrowest part
of the ring holder. This helps
keep your sewing line precise.

2) Turn ring holder to right sides out and press well.

Top stitch ¼” from each side edge. (you may want to
place a pivot mark again at each center)
Top stitch again 1/8” away from the first stitching
line.

Repeat steps 1 & 2 with other three ring holders.

3) Fold ring holders in half. Place a ring inside

each holder and stitch to secure ring inside 3/8”
from raw edges.

5
 ½”

4) Place each ring holder ½” away from each seam

Tote top edge
made when sewing main panels together with
raw edges all even. Sew ring holders in place to
secure 3/8” from raw edge.
Repeat with other main panel and 2 ring holders
so all 4 ring holders are placed at main totes top
edge.
Set the main tote aside and start the lining...

Inside Slip Pocket

1) Fold the 17 x 14 slip pocket piece in half

lengthwise so you have a 17”w x 7”h pocket
with right sides together. Sew a seam along the
bottom raw edge only (this will be the bottom
of the pocket).

Bottom pocket edge

2) Turn slip pocket right side out and

press flat with iron. Top stitch along the
upper edge 1/4” from the top and again
1/8” from that. Note that the side edges
are left unfinished.

Bottom pocket edge

3) Place your pocket on one lining piece 3” up

from the bottom edge. Sew pocket to lining
along the bottom pocket edge at approx. 1/8”.

4) Next make the dividers for your pockets.

Using the washable marker and a ruler, mark 3”
in from each side edge and another centering
between these (red lines). Sew along these lines
back stitching at ends for pocket strength.

6
Inside Zippered Pocket
1 ½”

3”

1) Right sides together, place the 9”w x 14”l zippered

pocket on the other lining piece 1 ½” from the top
lining edge and centered. Pin in place to secure.
Next place the zippered template on the pocket piece
3” down from the top lining edge and centered.
With a marker or pen trace around the template—this
will be your sewing line.

2) Using a smaller stitch length sew completely

around this pen mark.

3) Using a seam ripper just to start the cut, cut through

all layers of the red lines on the template. Be careful
not to cut through your stitching lines at corners with
scissors.

4) Push the pocket piece through the cut made

all the way to the linings back side. Press well
keeping corners squared as you press.

5) Hand stitch the open end of your zipper closed.

7
 6) Flip piece to right side. Place the zipper
under the zipper hole just made and hand
baste to secure well before machine sewing.

7) Using a zipper foot or other (¼” foot quilting

guide in image) Sew as close as you can to the
opening (1/16”-1/8” for a professional looking
finish.
Remove the basting threads.

8) Flip lining over. Fold the bottom edge of

the pocket piece up to the top edge of
pocket piece and pin to secure. Sew a ¼”
seam allowance at both sides and top edge
of pocket piece only. (NOT the tote lining)
Trim closed end of zipper if there is excess.

Optional is to add another slip pocket

on the bag lining side with the zipper.
To do this make another slip pocket
as you did previously and place on
the lining piece with the zippered
pocket. Placed 3" up from the lining
bottom edge as before. Make sure
to keep the zippered pocket up and
out of the way of your stitching.
8
Magnetic Snap Placements

1) Place the washer piece of magnetic snap set

perfectly centered and 1 ½” down from the top
edge of each lining piece. Using a marker, make
a mark at each prong placement hole.

2) Using a seam ripper make a tiny cut (1/8”) Prong placement marks
at each prong placement mark made. A small
Cut is all that's needed because your fabric
will stretch to fit the prong—too big a cut and
it may be seen after you place the snap.

3) Push prongs of the female part of snap through

the tiny cuts made--front to back.

4) Cut 2 squares of
stabilizer, fleece, or
doubled fabric 1 ½” x
2” and make prong
placement marks in the
center of these. This is
used to give strength
to snap area with the repeated opening and closing.

5) Flip lining piece to back side. Place one stabilizer

square over the prongs. Next place the washer piece
over the prongs and press the prongs outward firmly.

6) Place the male part of snap set on other lining

piece exactly as in previous steps 1-5.
9
Finishing The Bag

1) Place both lining pieces right sides together and

matching all edges. Pin to secure. Sew front and back
together as you did with the main tote piece and using
½” seams with the exception of leaving a 6” opening
on one side edge to be used for turning the bag later.
Press seam allowance open.

2) Box both bottom corners of lining piece as you

did with the main tote. Trim seams to ¼”

3) With right sides together, place the lining inside

the main tote matching side seams. Pin to secure.
Sew lining and main tote together completely around
the top edge. You may need to use a zipper foot
attachment when sewing at the snap area to get the
clearance you need.

10
4) Turn tote to right side out through the
opening left in the lining.
Inspect your tote. You can easily make
any corrections or seam adjustments at
this point.
Press the seam allowance to the inside of
opening used to turn your bag if not done
yet. Sew opening closed close to folded
edge.
Push lining inside main tote and press
top edge.

5) Top stitch ¼” from bag edge completely

around. Again, using a zipper foot gives you
clearance if needed at magnetic snap sites.
Removing the accessory case makes sewing
easier by exposing the free arm.

Tote Straps

1) Fold ¼” under at each short strap end and press.

Repeat with other tote strap so all four ends are
pressed under. If your fabric is not heavyweight,
add fusible interfacing to the tote strap backs here
to give your straps the strength they need.

2) Fold strap in half lengthwise and press

forming a center crease. Fold each long
half to the center crease just made and press.
This will give you a strap width of 1”. Repeat
with other tote strap.

3) Edge stitch (1/8”) along each long edge of

strap and again ¼” from the edge stitching.
Repeat with other strap.
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4) Wrap one short end of strap around a ring of
tote front 1 ¼”. Using a ruler and disappearing
ink marker, make a sewing guide line 1” from
folded edge and sew to secure. You really want
these seams nice and straight and the guideline
helps with this.

5) Take the same strap from step 4 above

and wrap the free end around the other ring
of tote front and secure in the same manner.
Note one strap is for the tote front and one
strap for the tote back.

6) Place the other strap on the tote back

as done in steps 4 and 5.

Finished!

Image included here to

show strap placement.

The next page is a tutorial on how to place

double cap rivets on the tote handles.

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Supplies Needed
1
1) Hammer
2) Anvil
3) Setter
4) Double Cap Rivets
2 4 5
5) Leather Hole Puncher
Or 6
6) Hollow Hole Puncher (small) 3

1 2

1) Make a mark where you 2) Punch a small hole at mark ...using the hollow hole punch
want your rivet placed. made with hole puncher or... and tap with a hammer.

3 4 5

3) Place the rivet with post
through the hole made.
4) Flip piece over and place the
rivet cap on post and press
firmly to hold.
5) Place anvil under rivet with
curve side up fitting the curve
of the rivet. Place the rivet
setter on top matching curves
again and tap with hammer
5-10 times or until set.
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 Tape at dotted lines matching arrows
Pattern Piece 1 Pattern Piece 1
Cut 2 Main Fabric
Cut 2 Interfacing
Copyright 2018 MergeBags Patterns
Uptown Tote
allowance
1/2” seam
Tape at dotted lines matching arrows

Pattern Piece 3 Pattern Piece 3

Cut 2 Main Fabric

Cut 2 Interfacing

Copyright 2018 MergeBags Patterns

Uptown Tote
square
2” test Pattern Piece 2 (bottom left)
Main Tote
 Uptown
Inside Pocket
Pattern Piece 2 (top left) Zipper Guide
Main Tote
Tape at dotted lines matching arrows
Pattern Piece 2 (bottom right)
Main Tote
Cut 2 Main Fabric
Cut 2 Interfacing
 ¼ seam allowance
Cut 8 Main Fabric
Tote
Grain line

Ring Holders
Uptown Tote
Pattern Piece 2 (top right)
Main Tote
Tape at dotted lines matching arrows
1/2” seam
allowance

Uptown Tote
magnetic snap placement

Cut 2 Lining Fabric

Cut 2 Interfacing

Pattern Piece 4 (top left)

Tote Lining
Pattern Piece 4 (top right)
Tote Lining
Tape together at dotted lines and matching arrows

Pattern Piece 4 (bottom left)

Tote Lining
Tape together at dotted lines and matching arrows

Copyright 2018 MergeBags Patterns

Pattern Piece 4 (bottom right)

Tote Lining