Oilcloth tote

It is the season of rain, rain and more rain, and so last week I found myself in need of a waterproof bag for library books and the usual assorted overflow from the baby bag. I picked up this nice Boden-esque spotty oilcloth last weekend and had a go at making a) my first ever tote and b) my first ever anything made from oilcloth. After reading a few tutorials on sewing oilcloth I was expecting it to be difficult, but the body of the bag was absolutely fine. The straps were much tougher because the fabric just didn't seem to want to go through the machine.

I wanted my bag to be unlined but I didn't fancy sewing though 8 layers of oilcloth to finish the ends of the straps, so I copied another bag and made an interior border, attached like a lining and then topstitched 3/4" further down to secure. This was the trickiest bit as it just wouldn't lie straight whilst sewing, so the results aren't as neat as I would have liked.

But still, it's all useful stuff to learn, and next time I'll make sure I have masking tape to put on my presser foot as that's supposed to help.

And of course there was glorious sunshine today so I didn't really need my waterproof bag at all!