Today we finish our Field Study Totes! I hope you’ve enjoyed the sew-along and have learned lots of tips along the way. All that’s left to do is close up the lining gap and make the adjustable shoulder strap. Yay!

Closing the Lining Gap

Carefully turn the exterior bag right side out through the opening in the lining, working out the bottom corners and the zipper tabs at the top. Fold in the seam allowances at the gap and pin. I like to use quilt basting safety pins because I always poke myself with straight pins!

To invisibly sew the two folded edges together, we’ll use the ladder stitch. Double thread a needle. Bring the threaded needle up through the folded edge at the right of the gap. Insert the needle into the fold and poke it out 1/8-1/4” further to the left. Next take a stitch in the opposite fold in the same manner. Repeat until the seam is closed. Pull the stitches snug so the folded edges meet and the thread doesn’t show. Once the gap is stitched shut, knot off the thread. Then push the lining down inside of the exterior bag. Done!

Adjustable Strap

(If you are making the strap out of webbing, skip the strap assembly)

1) If you are piecing the Strap, layer the ends of two Strap pieces, right sides together, at a right angle. Draw a 45 degree line corner to corner.

2) Sew on the line, top left to bottom right across the ends. Trim the excess fabric 1/4” away from the seam line and press the seam allowances open.

3) Fold the short ends of the Strap 1/4” to the wrong side and press.

4) Fold the Strap lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press to create a crease that runs the length of the rectangle. Open the fold, then fold the raw edges into the center crease and press. Refold the lengthwise folds so that the raw edges are all enclosed.

Topstitch both long edges and ends at 1/8”.

Thread the end of the strap through the slider buckle and over the center bar. Fold back the end and stitch it to the strap about 2” away from the buckle by topstitching a square with an X in the center. Thread the other end of the strap though one of the swivel clips.

Lace the end through the buckle then through the other swivel clip.

Fold back the end and stitch it to the strap about 2” away from the swivel clip topstitching a square with an X in the center. Attach the swivel clips to either set of D-rings on the bag. (If you’ve found this application of hardware confusing, check out my how-to video on Youtube here.)

Congratulations! You’ve now finished your Field Study Tote!

See the rest of the Sew-along posts here:

Announcement
Supplies
Schedule and Prizes
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

We’d love to see your finished bags! Show us your photos in the Facebook Group. You can also share photos on Facebook and Instagram tagged #fieldstudysewalong or #fieldstudytotesewalong.

Prizes:
Two Sew-along participants will be chosen at random to win 3 Betz White Patterns of their choice! To be eligible for the prizes, be sure to add your tagged photos by Monday, June 15th. Please only add photos you don’t mind being shared on the blog!

Still need the pattern? Find it here!