Things you will learn

The finished tote measures 51 × 37 cm and has a 25 cm handle drop.
Start the body with 54 × 48 cm rectangles of outer fabric and insulation; mark quilting lines 10 cm apart.
The lining uses two 37 × 53 cm pieces, the pocket is 18 × 36 cm, and the handles are made from two 12 × 70 cm strips.

Finished winter tote

A 51 × 37 cm winter tote with 25 cm handle drop, insulation, a zipper, lining, and an interior pocket.

Materials and tools

Materials

Water-resistant outer fabric or Dewspo, 60 cm, The source requires waterproof or water-resistant fabric but does not state the fabric width.
Lining fabric, 40 cm, The source does not state the fabric width.
Zipper, 45 cm
Polyester batting (Thermofin No. 200), 60 cm, The source specifies a width of 1.5 m.
Narrow elastic, For the pocket; cut it 5–6 cm shorter than the side of the pocket.

Tools

Sewing machine, You will need a zipper foot.
Size 90 or 100 sewing machine needle, Choose the size according to the thickness of the insulation.
Serger, The source finishes the pocket edges with a serger.
Scissors, pins, and a hand-sewing needle, For cutting, securing layers, and hand basting.
Ruler, square, and tailor's chalk, For quilting lines, cutouts, fold lines, and handles.

Files and resources

Winter tote sewing video The author's external YouTube video cited in the source.
Winter tote sewing video

Preparation

Check the layout

The outer fabric and insulation are given as 60 cm lengths, but the outer fabric width is not stated. Before cutting, check that the 54 × 48 cm body, two 12 × 70 cm handles, and 5 × 9 cm zipper-end tabs will fit. The source specifies a 1 cm allowance only for the body side seams; verify every other seam and fold against the photos or the linked video instead of assuming an allowance.

Quilt and mark the body

Prepare the body

Cut 54 × 48 cm rectangles from the outer fabric and insulation, and pin them together. The finished tote in the example measures 51 × 37 cm and has a 25 cm handle drop.

Quilt the layers

Mark the perimeter at 10 cm intervals with tailor’s chalk and draw diagonal lines. Pin the layers along the markings, stitch with a size 90 or 100 needle, then remove the pins and trim away excess insulation at the edges.

Marking diagonal quilting lines on outer fabric with insulation

Trimming excess insulation from the edges of the quilted piece

Mark the cutouts

Find the center of the rectangle and draw the future bottom line. Measure 6 cm to each side along this line; draw perpendiculars through those points and measure 5 cm in each direction. Cut out two 6 × 10 cm rectangles. Then mark and cut 3 × 3 cm squares from all four corners.

Marking a 6 × 10 cm rectangular cutout on the quilted piece

Cutting a 6 × 10 cm rectangle in the lower part of the tote body

Cutting a 3 × 3 cm square from the corner of the quilted piece

Install the zipper and assemble the body

Sew in the zipper

Unzip the zipper and place one tape right side to right side with the outer fabric. Pin it, then position the second tape on the opposite side in the same way, taking care not to reverse the halves. Stitch with a zipper foot and backstitch at the ends. Turn the zipper to the right side and topstitch the seam allowance.

Finish the zipper ends

Close the zipper, leaving the piece right side out. At the corners of the previously cut rectangles, make 1 cm clips perpendicular to the zipper. Turn the side raw edges to the wrong side and stitch. Cut two 5 × 9 cm rectangles of outer fabric, wrap them around the zipper ends, and secure with stitching.

1 cm clips at the ends of the sewn-in zipper

Finishing one zipper end with an outer-fabric rectangle

Zipper ends finished with outer-fabric rectangles

Sew the sides and bottom

Pin and sew the side seams with a 1 cm seam allowance. To make the bottom, align the edges of the previously cut rectangles, pin, and stitch. Turn the body right side out and shape the corners.

Tote body with sewn side seams, viewed from the insulation side

Aligning cutout edges to form the insulated tote bottom

Form the top fold

Measure 7 cm from the zipper seam and draw a fold line. From that line, measure 4 cm upward and draw a second line. At the lower line, turn the top edge to the inside, secure it with pins, and baste.

Marking the fold line 7 cm from the zipper seam

Sew the lining and pocket

Cut the pieces

Cut two lining pieces measuring 37 × 53 cm and cut 6 × 6 cm rectangles from their corners. Cut an 18 × 36 cm pocket piece and serge it around the perimeter.

Make the elasticized pocket

Turn one pocket edge 1.5 cm to the wrong side and stitch. Center the pocket on the long side of the lining; choose the height yourself. Cut the narrow elastic 5–6 cm shorter than the side of the pocket, thread it through the turned edge, and stitch the pocket along three sides.

Centering the pocket on the long side of the lining

Threading narrow elastic through the pocket fold

Assemble and secure the lining

Sew the lining side seams and bottom. Insert it into the tote, matching the side seams, and tuck the top of the lining inside the body fold. Secure it with stitching along the second chalk line, 4 cm above the fold line.

Inside of the winter tote after joining it to the body

Make and attach the handles

Prepare the strips

Cut two 12 × 70 cm rectangles from the outer fabric. Turn both long edges of each piece 1 cm to the wrong side, stitch, and mark the center line.

Marking long strips for the winter tote handles

Add insulation

Cut insulation strips slightly narrower than the handle pieces. Pin them to the outer fabric and stitch down the center. Join the long handle edges first with hand-basting stitches, then with machine stitching.

Finished padded handles and top section of the winter tote

Attach the handles

Measure 11 cm from each tote side seam and attach the handles at the marks. Sew two lines: one in the fold seam and the other 2 cm from the edge.

Pinning a handle to the top of the winter tote

Sewing a handle onto the winter tote on a sewing machine

Sew a Quilted Winter Tote Bag