Clarity Vinyl Tote

Today, I'm starting a series of blog posts about some of the projects from Crafting the Resistance. The first one is the Clarity Vinyl Tote, shown here in my very own backyard studio. Check in every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of August for more!

I had the idea to make this bag after we used clear totes at the Women's March on Washington.

I was a little afraid of stitching through heavy vinyl, but, in the end, it wasn't any harder than working with leather or any other tough material. I included tips, in the book, about managing it.

The bag was a lot of fun to sew and I also like the idea that you could use just about any color for the straps and zipper (assuming you could find matching colors!) Conquering my fear of vinyl was exciting, but so was discovering that webbing for straps comes in more than two colors. It's hard to see here, but those straps aren't black, they're a Navy blue that matches the zipper. You may have to hunt around a bit to find a match, but if you can, it really takes the bag to the next level. There's nothing wrong with fabric straps, but they do tend to look a little homemade.

It was important to me to use materials that I hoped anyone could get at their local fabric shop, and I managed to do that for just about every project, including this one. I love ordering online, thrift shopping and hitting my favorite warehouse store, but I know that all of those methods can take an investment of time that not everyone has.

If this bag appeals to you, I hope you take the plunge and try to make it! It's much easier than you would think.