Introducing Two Big Totes!
Tote bags have always been popular with fans of ByAnnie and we are excited to announce a brand-new pattern for extra-spacious totes in two sizes.
Two Big Totes not only has plenty of room to store larger items, but it has a variety of slip and zippered pockets to make smaller items easily accessible, too. An inner divider with two expandable sections is the perfect spot to store water bottles. You won’t need to worry about them falling over inside the tote!
Each tote features a zippered closure on the main compartment to keep your items safe. This zipper also falls flat against the inside of the bag to keep it out of the way when you don’t need it. Handy!
These totes are easier than you would expect to assemble. Most everything is done while the bag is flat. And the front and back pieces are constructed separately! That means you’re not working with a great big piece until the very end.
We designed this pattern to use a more durable material, such as vinyl or cork, for the bottom. This will protect your tote from wear and tear. Adding a sturdy acrylic base stabilizer makes it easy to carry heavier items.
Sturdy, over-the-shoulder handles provide comfortable carrying, whether you need a dependable travel companion or a roomy everyday bag.
The Two Big Totes pattern includes instructions for totes in two sizes:
Large: 13½"H x 16½"W x 6½"D
Extra-Large: 16"H x 22½"W x 8½"D
Two Big Totes have got you covered for everything from beach days and grocery runs to weekend getaways and sewing retreats!
Kelly, who is quite possibly the biggest fan of big totes, had a blast making her XL Two Big Totes with Tula Pink’s Moon Garden line.
Kelly also used Renaissance Ribbons’ Tula Pink webbing.
Kelly modified her bag by making a wider binding at the top and adding a trolley sleeve on the back. This makes it easy to attach her tote to the top of her machine’s trolley case.
Anna-Malin used some lovely Robert Kaufman and Marcia Derse fabrics from her stash to make these two awesome totes.
Cindy did a wonderful job on her Two Big Totes, and also gave us an interesting peek into what her construction process was like.
ByAnnie’s Double-Sided Basting Tape is especially important for this project and Cindy reiterated how much she loves it!
Cindy lives on the second floor and said that her Two Big Totes makes it much easier to carry her belongings while managing the elevator, keys, and sometimes the dog! She also finds the strap length to be perfect.
Nyree made her beautiful Two Big Totes using Jewelled Leaves by Robert Kaufman. Nyree loves how the totes stand up so well, and said the XL tote is especially great for letting your fabric take center stage.
Nyree also made a couple of large totes using waterproof canvas. Because that material is so heavy, rather than using Soft and Stable, she used a heavy interfacing to stabilize the tote.
She also skipped making an exterior zippered pocket and just put slip pockets on both the front and the back.
We love the quilting that Nyree added to the pink base!
Kristen made her Two Big Totes using Tula Pink’s Parisville Deja Vu, Slow and Steady, and Tiny Stripes lines. She included beautiful decorative stitching to add a vintage guitar strap feel to her bag. Stunning!
Oona chose fabric from her stash to make this striking large Two Big Totes. We really love the quilting!
Tula Pink was a very popular choice with our testers this time! We can see why, because Two Big Totes provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase a bold print.
Kim chose Tula’s Roar line for her large tote and also used Tula’s webbing by Renaissance Ribbons for the handles. She also added a handy key holder on the inside. What a great idea!
Kim gifted this awesome tote to her sister who is a school nurse. Kim's sister loved it so much that she immediately requested a matching tote in the XL size!
Jan made her stunning tote with Yuki by Debbie Maddy for Moda. Impeccable work, Jan!
Last but not least, Jennifer made this fantastic Two Big Totes using Tula Pink’s Homemade line.
She easily fit two standard-size pillows inside this XL tote and said there was even some room to spare!
Learn more about Two Big Totes!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about Two Big Totes and getting inspired by the work of our awesome pattern testers.
You can find more information on Two Big Totes by watching our An Introduction and A Closer Look videos.
As with all our new patterns, we created Add-on Videos to help you succeed in making your own Two Big Totes. The videos for this project will walk you through the following steps:
- V.B: Create Bellowed Pleats
- VI.B: Attach Zipper to Back Zipper Strip
- IX.C: Bind Sides and Make Boxed Bottom
For help with the remaining steps, check out our FREE ByAnnie Basics course!
Introducing Two Big Totes!