León Tote Bag (Insulated Pocket)
A new project from Lulu Ferris: the León tote bag! Keep your food fresh in this roomy bag, perfect for grocery shopping or picnics. With an insulated front pocket and generous dimensions, it’s practical and adaptable.
Project preview
This video is for members
Join Lulu Ferris to watch the complete class and sew along at your own pace.
What you’ll make
The León is a roomy tote with a separate insulated front pocket for items you want to help keep hot or cold. The pocket closes with hook-and-loop tape and suits lunches, picnic food, or frozen groceries.
The main compartment has an elastic side loop to help hold a bottle upright. Short and long handles provide two carrying options.
What you’ll learn in this class
- Plan the base around the fabric’s print direction.
- Layer the insulated pocket and its backing.
- Apply hook-and-loop tape at the pocket opening.
- Shape boxed corners in the insulated pocket.
- Join the side panels to the bag base.
- Add an interior elastic bottle loop.
- Attach both handle lengths and line the tote.
Fabric and structure
The demonstrated tote uses canvas outside and lightweight cotton poplin for the lining. Insulated batting is layered into the front pocket and its backing.
The class addresses bulky layers and shows how to keep the presser foot level. Optional binding can cover visible seam finishing inside the insulated pocket.
Make it your own
Cut the base in one piece for a nondirectional fabric, or piece it for a directional print or different front and back fabrics. Omit the insulated batting when temperature control is unnecessary.
Add lining pockets with the Barcelona backpack or Salamanca backpack class.
For a zippered addition, refer to the DeLuca backpack.
Use snaps instead of hook-and-loop tape if preferred, though they retain temperature less effectively. The bottle loop can also be repositioned or repeated.
Finished size
The finished tote measures approximately 43 cm wide by 33 cm high by 8 cm deep.
The video class is paired with a downloadable project PDF containing cutting dimensions and a materials guide.
Pattern & materials
Patterns are included with membership
Active members can download every available PDF and materials list.
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