Yoga mat tote PLUS GIVEAWAY!

This fabric says fall to me, and so it was time to feature it. But then I had designer’s block. I just couldn’t come up with a project for it. My husband pleaded for me to make him a shirt or pajama bottoms. But I think I put up with enough when I have to be seen with him in his holiday sweaters. So that was out. Then what? It didn’t quite work for any kind of decor in my house because of the colors.
Someone suggested a rifle bag, but I have no rifle and wouldn’t know where to start. I think it’s a pretty good idea, though. Finally, I decided to simply make a yoga mat bag. And I really like how it came out. This bag has a drawstring opening and a huge pocket for your necessities. 

Guess what? I’m giving this one away, so if you’d like to win it, please enter a comment below in the comments section. I’ll draw a winner on Thursday, Oct. 13. Only one entry per person will be approved.


Supplies

(Click fabrics for direct links for purchase at Warehouse Fabrics Inc.)

True Timber Camo - Snow Pink

Sew-in Velcro
You’ll need 1 yard of fabric and a small rectangle of sew-in Velcro, about 1″ long.

The pattern

For this lined, drawstring bag, cut out the following pieces: 


Main piece (cut 2) – 20″x30″
Strap (cut 1) – 4″x35″
Pocket (cut 2) – 8″x9″
Pocket flap (cut 2) – 4″x8″
Drawstring (cut 1) 2″x50″
Bottom – Yoga bag bottom. (Print at exact scale)

 

The process

We’ll start with the pockets. You need two pocket pieces, two flap pieces and a little piece of sew-in Velcro.
Choose which flap piece will face out and which will face down. On the one that faces down, mark the position for the Velcro by marking 4″ from the side (right in the middle) and 1″ from the bottom. Take note if you are using a directional fabric. You want the Velcro at the bottom of the piece when its top is up. 

Place the bottom edge of the Velcro on top of the dot so the Velcro sits above the dot.

Sew your Velcro in place and then place your flap pieces right-sides together and sew as shown. You will use a 3/8″ seam allowance for this. Leave a gap at the top to turn it right side out. Trim the corners and turn.
Press and top-stitch. There is still a hole at the top, but the seam allowances are pressed in so you can’t see it. You’ll stitch that closed when you stitch it to the bag.
To position the Velcro on the pocket, measure 4″ from the side (in the exact middle) and 2-1/4″ from the top edge. Place the bottom edge of the Velcro on the dot, so the Velcro is sitting above the dot.
Sew in the same manner as the flap, clip the corners and turn. Top stitch along the top.
Center the pocket on one of your main bag pieces. How far down from the top you want to go is up to you. Sew along the sides and bottom of the pocket and then place the flap along the top (so it’s in the open position) and sew along the bottom of the flap.
Fold your pocket down so the Velcro attaches and press. Look! It’s camouflage! You can’t even see my pocket. If you were in the woods, you’d totally blend in. Just like when my brother was a kid and would lie on the kitchen table in his camo pants and thought he was invisible.
Make the strap using our Non-Turn Strap tutorial.
Attach the strap to the bag piece with the pocket. Measure 4″ from the top and 3″ from the bottom and place the edge of the strap on the “inside” of those marks. In other words, the side NOT toward the bag top or bottom. None of this has to be that precise, really. Raw edges of strap should align with raw edges of the bag. Just make sure your strap isn’t twisted. Baste in place.
Fold your bag piece in half, right-sides together, with your strap sandwiched in between. Stitch along the long side with a 1/2″ seam allowance.
Mark your bag bottom circle and the bottom edge of your bag in quarters. For the circle, fold in half and mark the folds. Fold in half the other way and mark again. For the bag bottom edge, mark the seam and the fold across from it. Then measure half way between and mark on each side. Click the photo for a bigger image.
Right sides together, pin the bag bottom circle to the bag. Start by matching the marks and pinning. Then ease in the extra fabric and pin around. I used lots of pins to control the ease more. Sew with 1/2″ seam allowance.
Sew the lining of the bag in exactly the same way, but leave a gap for turning later along the long side.
Turn one piece right-side out and one wrong-side out. Place one inside the other so the right-sides are together and sew around the top with 1/2″ seam allowance. Ignore the purple line I drew in the picture.
Using the hole you left in your lining, turn the whole bag right-side out. Sew that gap closed by just top-stitching. Nobody will see it anyway. 

Hmmm. I seem to be missing a photo. Next, with the bag turned right-side out, create a casing for the drawstring by sewing two lines all the way around the top. The first one should be about 1-1/2″ from the top edge and the other one about 3/4″ below that.

Make the drawstring by again following the Non-Turn Strap tutorial, but fold in and press a 1/4″ on either short edge so it won’t have a raw end when finished.
This may seem a bit odd, but it worked. Using seam rippers, open up a few stitches between the casing seams on the outside of the bag. The reason I did it this way is because I initially just put elastic at the top of the bag, but it really didn’t work well with getting the mat in and out, so I took it out. But there is no raw edge here because your seam allowances are pressed in and secured by the casing stitching.
Thread your drawstring through using the safety pin method. Now, off you go for a bit of downward dog.

Other views

(Click for bigger views)