Denim Chevron Tote Tutorial

This project is the perfect way to use up those old jeans you have collected over the years! The re-purposed denim and belt handle in this project makes the bag super strong and sturdy. Use it for shopping or it also makes a great weekend break bag.

 MATERIALS

• 4-5 pairs old jeans – wider legs are best. Keep to similar weights of denim and avoid anything very stretchy
• 1 or 2 old leather belts 
• 1 or 2 old shirts for lining (I managed to use just one but had to join two sections together to get enough for one of my larger panels)
• 50cm medium iron on interfacing 
• 16 tubular rivets 3-4mm depth, 7.5mm diameter and hammer
• Topstitch thread
• Chalk marker or pencil
• Quilting ruler
• Jeans needle for sewing machine 
• Leather hole punch

 GOOD TO KNOW

• Finished bag size is approx. 16" x 13½" x 2½" but you could easily use the same process to make a bag to your preferred dimensions. 
• The seam allowance is ½" throughout.
• Depending on the size of your jeans you many need extra pairs, especially if they are skinny fit.

 TO CUT

Denim:
–  Cut 10, 2½" x 18½" strips for front chevron panel*
–  Cut 10, 2½" x 13½" strips for front chevron panel*
–  Cut 2, 3½" x 17" strips for sides
–  Cut 1,14½" x 3½" for base
–  Cut pockets off back of the jeans for internal patch pockets. Keep original topstitching by cutting fabric as close to the pocket as you can
* I had four shades of denim so cut 3 very dark strips, 2 dark strips, 2 medium strips and 3 light strips for each side in each size. Bear in mind that the first and last strip will only be visible a little bit once the bag is finished. Try to cut the strips out on the grain of the denim – use the hemline of the jeans as a guide. The grain is likely to be at a 90° angle to the hem. 

Shirt/lining fabric:
–  Cut 2, 17" x 14½" for front/back lining
–  Cut 2, 3½" x 17" for side gusset lining
–  Cut 1, 14½" x 3½" for base gusset lining 

Belt(s):
–  Cut off buckle then cut in half, width ways, to make two straps

TO SEW

1.  To make one chevron panel, take ten longer strips and ten shorter strips. Arrange them as a mirror image of each other, staggered by 1½" from the top edge of each strip as shown in the diagram.  

2.  With RST, sew the strips together, remembering to keep the pieces staggered. Press seams open. On unsewn sections, press fabric towards the wrong side of the fabric by ½".

3. From these panels, cut strips on the diagonal measuring 3¾" x 16¼". You’ll have space for three on the larger panel and two from the smaller panel. Make sure that you have the corner of each strip on the second seam line down as shown in the picture. Line the 45° angle on the quilt ruler up with the seam lines to make sure the panels are cut out accurately across all the seams. It is best to use a chalk maker or pencil to draw this out before cutting.

4.  Alternate the new strips to create the chevron pattern. Starting from the top edge, sew the strips together, making sure that the diagonal seam lines match up. You should be able to slightly stretch or bunch up the strips as needed to make sure the seam lines match. Press seams open.
Once sewn, you may have an uneven edge at the bottom of the panel, trim to shape. 

5.  Repeat steps 1- 4 to make second panel.
6. Cut two strips of interfacing 3" x 14½", iron onto the top edge of the front and back panels. If you used lightweight fabric, you may want to interface the whole panel to give the bag more body. 

7.  Sew the side gusset strips to the base gusset strip, stopping ½" from either end. 

8.  Sew gusset to one front/back panel with RST, using a ½" seam allowance. Stitch each side and the lower edge separately (i.e. don’t pivot at the corners like you might normally do). Stop ½" from the bottom, fold the gusset back, sew along with bottom edge of the bag. 

9.  Press the seam allowances towards the front/back panel and using topstitch thread, stitch the seam allowances in place to the panel ⅛" from the seam line, with the front of the bag facing you. This will help frame the bag. Continue on the lower edge and other side, sewing them as separate lines of stitching as it will be too tricky to pivot at the corners.

10. Sew the other panel onto the gusset in the same way, sewing each side separately and stopping ½" from the bottom. Topstitching the seam allowances to the front/back panel will be a bit trickier but just take it slowly.  
11. Sew the patch pockets from the jeans onto one of the front/back panels of the lining fabric with a little triangle at the top corners. This will make them stronger and help prevent the fabric from ripping. Position them to your preference – just make sure they are at least a few inches from the edge. 

12.  Construct the lining in the same way as you did the outer bag but omit the topstitching. 
13.  Sew the lining to the outer bag around the top edge with the RST, leaving a 5" gap along one of the edges for turning. 

14. Turn the bag and lining right way out, gently pushing them though the gap. Press seam flat, making sure that the lining is hidden inside the bag. Tuck the raw edges of the gap in, press and pin gap closed. 

15.  Topstitch all the way around the top of the bag, with the outside of the bag facing you. This will also seal up the gap.

16.  Using a hole punch, make four holes in the belt. I made mine ½" then 1" up from the bottom edge of the belt, but this may vary depending on the size of your belt/strap. The strap should overlap onto the bag by 1½". Make corresponding holes in the bag, again using the hole punch. 

17.  Using the tubular rivets attach the strap onto your bag. Push the longer side of the rivet through the strap first, then though the bag. Then click on the smaller side of the rivet. Secure in place using a hammer and the little circular disc that comes with the rivets to protect the surface you are working on.