Another day, another tote bag

Is it just me, or can you never have too many tote bags?  I have made several different varieties, but they have all been gifted or appropriated elsewhere, and I recently started a new responsibility at church which requires me to carry around several clipboards and papers and notebooks and a new tote bag was in order.

I found this tutorial, which is probably the best one I have found for a tote bag that is both simple and sturdy.  I also love that the pattern does not call for interfacing.  

For the main fabric I used a Cotton + Steel Tokyo Train Ride canvas print.  I liked it before I made the bag, and now I really love it.  There are so many great details and the color is subtle but a little funky.  The tutorial calls for an indoor/outdoor print and since the Cotton + Steel canvas is sturdy but a little floppy, I ended up using some SF-101 interfacing for the main panels (I know, I said that I liked that this tutorial didn't require interfacing, but it was only a couple pieces).  The blue fabric is Robert Kaufman Essex linen in Midnight.

I used another beloved print, this one from Chicopee, for the lining.  When I was picking out a lining fabric I found several different pieces of this print and realized that I have bought cuts of it FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES!  Denyse knows what she is doing.  

The only other change that I made was to the handles.  The tutorial has you cut 46" long strips and then attach them to the full length of the bag panel, but I cut my strips the width of fabric (44").  Then I wanted to make sure the straps were long enough to go on my shoulder, so I attached the straps about 5" from the bottom.  This way they were still encased in the blue fabric but the straps were longer.  

So if you are looking for a great tote bag pattern, this one is a winner.  And a quick gift option if you are looking for a last minute gift idea.