Redwood Tote
I sewed this Redwood Tote during second lockdown last year. It was sewn in fits and starts over a period of about four weeks as I waited for zips and hardware to arrive in the mail.
I do enjoy bag making! I hadn’t used Noodlehead patterns before, but I will again after sewing this one. Instructions were clear, everything fitted together perfectly, and I was really pleased with the finished bag.
The outer fabric and the lining are both Ikea drills that have been in stash for an extremely long time. Yes, there was some fussy cutting involved with the placement of the bird prints!
One of the fun things about bag making is working out what fabrics, straps and hardware combinations to use.
The leather that I used on the base and for the straps was harvested from a pair of too-small leather pants that a friend gave me a while ago. It’s very soft, which made it easy to sew but possibly a bit too supple for the straps.
I used rivets to secure the straps to the bag, and metal YKK zips for the outer pocket and the bag closure. As always, my tip to Australians with bag hardware is to buy QUALITY. Not the stuff you can get at Spotlight/Lincraft. I usually have to order online from saddlery or leather suppliers or specialist bag hardware shops. Bags like this take a bit of time to make, because there are lots of components, and they take more fabric than you would first think. Don’t spoil your lovely bag with cheap hardware!
There are slip pockets inside the bag, a zippered pocket on the outside, and another slip pocket on the outside. Plenty of places to stash things away! The zippered bag closure keeps the contents secure.
I’ll definitely give this pattern another whirl. I really enjoy sewing bags, and this one has proved itself to be a very useable bag for my lifestyle.
This bag looks great. I have had a look at Noodlehead now and they have a great selection of bag designs. Have bought the Runaround tote pattern – it’s simple and looks like it will be very handy. Also has potential for gift making. Thanks for your review.
Omg, Lara, I love this bag! Ikea always does the best bird prints and Scandi designs, perfect choice for the bag. You did such a beautiful job on this, the quality really shows.
Great looking bag agree with you regarding buying good quality hardware.
I must check out the pattern brand
Hey….just love your Redwood Tote…have made this several times, and added a crossbody strap out of fabric to complete my bag. If we ever get out of thIs COVID bubble I plan to teach a class using this pattern. YOU did a great job…..I like to shop on ETSY for my handbag hardware, and zips
Great Job!
Laura
Hi Lara, I just red your post about the second lockdown that you published nearly as year ago. This post is such a good read, and all you photos are very good to look at too. So, thank you very much for posting!
You say that you sewed this Redwood Tote during second lockdown last year, I must say, what you created there, looks really wonderful. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful pictures! 🙂
That’s a nice looking bag. I’ve looked at their patterns before but hadn’t come across a good review. Thanks for such good pics of the interior and sharing your experience. For straps, I usually wrap soft leather around some sort of trill or canvas tape to give handles more strength.
That’s a lovely bag, I am tempted to try making one myself and have purchased the pattern. Except for fabric, sourcing the various components seems tricky. Are you able to recommend any suppliers for the hardware ? Thankyou for sharing your sewing projects and providing inspiration, especially during another Melbourne lockdown.