Poolside Tote
I sure have been on a Noodlehead kick lately! Here’s another one I’ve been wanting to make since I saw someone in my sewing class with one. I do water aerobics at the YMCA and haven’t been able to do it in over a year. Well, they are back open and I’ve been really enjoying being in the pool again! It’s amazing how much better my body feels doing exercise in the pool. Anyway, I usually use the first pool bag I made a few years ago (before I really knew anything). It’s been getting the job done but I didn’t use any interfacing so the canvas I used has been tearing at the sides where all the pressure is. I also wish I had made the handles longer and I wish I had added more padding so it wasn’t so floppy.
I bought all these gorgeous tropical canvas prints from Fabric.com around Christmas when I was making aprons as presents and dreaming of the day I would be back in Hawaii. I had picked out this particular print based on an amazing Pinterest photo I found of a chic resort bag. When it came time to make this pattern I knew that this is the fabric I wanted to use for my bag but still hemmed and hawed over using one of the other beautiful prints. I finally went back to my original plan but was worried about pairing this with the natural canvas I wanted to use for the handles and lining. I was afraid that the background of the palm fronds on the pattern would clash as it’s slightly whiter than the natural canvas. Turns out that I didn’t need to worry about that - you can barely see the difference in the final product.
This pattern was really hard for me to visualize. I had to read several steps multiple times to make sure I was doing it right. There are several times where they have you use basting stitches to get the curve right before pressing the edge over. I guess I just haven’t come across this one and really don’t like wasting the thread and then my time when I have to go back and unpick all the basting stitches. I was able to avoid this on the handle accent pieces because that has you cut the interfacing at the same point you need to fold over. So I just pressed it over using the edge of the interfacing as a guide. For the facing of the top I went ahead and tried the basting method. This was especially useful as the curve in the front and back are very deep and the pattern has you gather the fabric using the basting stitches. This assures that you have the right fabric distribution around that deep curve. I don’t know if I would do it differently next time. I can see making the interfacing on this piece shorter (the same way I did on the handle accents) but not sure I would get everything as neat around that curve.
The rest of the bag came together very nicely. I really appreciated the way the pattern has you sew the facing in so that you don’t have to turn the bag. It’s basically a drop-in lining without the headache of trying to finish the tight corners through your sewing machine. The facing also adds a nice design element and allows you to add a nice key holder into the seam. I decided to add a slip pocket for my phone in the lining at the last minute. I like the zip pocket in front but I know that it’s just faster for me to access my phone this way. I put the pocket pretty high up in the lining so that it’s easier to get to and will keep my phone dry. All-in-all I really enjoyed this pattern. The size of the pieces were quite unwieldy and hard to find space for while I was working on different pieces. But I think the end result is a nice big bag that can hold towels and everything I’ll need for water aerobics and the beach. I’m not sure about selling these as they do take quite a while to make but I think they look more elegant and chic than the other simpler pattern that I used for a beach tote.
Update: After using this bag for several weeks I’m still loving it. I really wish that I had put a layer of Peltex at the bottom to give it a little more structure. I’m loving the key holder! It really helps you have fast access to your keys. I got lucky as I chose a pretty easy swivel hook design - one that I can easily maneuver with one hand. I would suggest putting some thought into that piece and what hardware would be easier to open. That inside slip pocket for my phone was just perfect and I’m glad I added that in. I think next time I’ll make the handles longer. I had also interfaced the canvas and it didn’t really need the extra bulk. I’m also not sure that the rolled handles work well with the canvas. I think I would either need to leave out the interfacing or not roll the handles.
The Details:
Pattern: The Poolside Tote by Noodlehead
Zipper: #5 Emerald Green by My Handmade Space
Interfacing: SF101 and Fusible Fleece
Finished bag size: 14.5”w x 14.5”h x 7.5”d
Fabrics:
Exterior: Tempo Tropical Botanics Canvas
Lining: Natural Canvas
