Trimmed tote bag

I think I am going to have to come up with a series of names for my bags... Maybe flowers?
"Trimmed Tote Bag" being the best I can come up with today (lonnggg first day back teaching after our Easter break!) here is a photo of what I produced:

It's a tote bag from strips of fabric.  For mine I used four strips of denim, two of the red contrast fabric, one more of the red contrast for the binding and four strips of blue edging.
I cut my strips 6 1/2" wide.  They came out about 16" long - but this depended on the length of the jeans.  I used the fronts from a pair of jeans, cut it as wide as possible (the other bag was made from 7" wide strips) and cut each strip in half length wise.  Then I cut the patterned contrast strips to the same length and width. The narrow edging was cut just 1" wide.
Press the narrow edging in half lengthwise.  Place the open edge in line with the long edge on a piece of denim, right side up.  Pin in place.  I put my pins diagonally with the heads sticking out at the open edge of the trim, which made it easier to pull out the pins as I sewed.

Place your contrast fabric on top of the denim, right sides together.  Sew a 1/4 inch seam, keeping all edges in line.

Open out and repeat at the other long edge of the contrast fabric.  Open and press carefully, pressing the narrow contrast towards the denim.

Repeat with the second side.  I then added a fabric rose I had stored away.  These were made from fleece fabric, but any decoration would work well.
Put your two body pieces together, right sides facing, and sew round two long edges and one short edge, which will be the bottom of your bag. Place this bag on top of your lining fabric and cut it to the same size.  Sew two lining pieces together.
To make the boxed base of the bag, I cut out a 2" square from the bottom corners of the main bag and the lining.  Open out the bag and place the cut edges together.  Sew across.  (There is a great tutorial on how to do this here if you want one).
Turn the outer bag right side out.  Cut your straps - I used webbing for mine, but you could use fabric cut to a 6" strip, press in half, press the sides to the middle and fold in half then sew down the edges).  Pin the straps in place, then put your lining inside the bag.  Match seams.  Sew the binding round the top of the bag, turn over the top and slip stitch the inside edge to finish.
Stand back and admire!

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