Tote bag using a Clover template

I made this bag from a really easy to follow Clover template, here's how I made it... I didn't follow the instructions exactly as I didn't have all the ingredients, such as bag feet and magnetic clasp to fasten the sides together, but the instructions with the template are really clear and explain how to do this easily.

You'll need about a meter of fabric, the same of lining, bag feet and 2 magnetic clasps if you want to use them, strap-maker [fusible], fusible stabiliser, about 1m, a packet of bag base, and I used 4 buttons to decorate. Clover make all the furniture, stabiliser and base, everything apart from the buttons and fabric!

1. Firstly fold the two contrasting outer fabrics in half.
2. Lay the template on the fold of the fabric, draw then cut around. Do this for both the front and back sides, so you have two top sections and two bottom.
3. Sew the tops to the bottoms right sides together.
4. Open out and press,
5. Lay these sections wrong sides to the shiny side of your fusible interfacing, and press to adhere.
6. Take one side, lay on top of the lining fabric, and use this as a template to draw around, then cut out two linings.

 7.

Place the two outer sides of the bag together and sew across the bottom

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8. Open out and press.

9. Cut the bag base to the size of the bottom of the bag, use basting tape to secure, then sew in place.

10. For the handles, cut four strips of fabric to the length you'd like, mine are about 16" long, iron on some fusible strap stabiliser which is 2 1/2 " wide. Follow the instructions on the packaging, turning the sides of the strap inwards and top stitching to hide any raw edges.

11. Using the pattern template, cut out the pocket and pocket lining.

12. Sew, right sides together, across both the bottom and the top of the pocket section and turn the right way out. Press.

16. Place the template back over the top and with air-erasable pen, draw on the pocket stitch lines.

17. Lay on top of one side of the lining, and sew over the pen marks.

18. Take the outer side of the bag and sew down the sides.

19. Pinch the cut out squares at the base of the bag and sew across to give it shape.

20. I didn't have any bag feet, but if you're going to use them, attach now, and the magnetic clasp is attached at this stage too.
21. Sew together the lining of the bag, across the base and down the sides.

22. Turning the right way out, and drop inside the outer section of the bag, keeping this side inside out. Basically you'll need the two right sides of the bag facing each other.

23. Sew together the straight 'shoulders' of the bag, leaving the curved handle section open.

24. Turn the right way out and press.

25. Pin then sew bias tape around each curve, holding the outer and lining sections together.

25. According to the pattern, this bias actually becomes the handles, but I folded over the top of the bias tape and trimmed it, then sewed my handles on top, using a button to hide the stitches.

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