Someone’s got a brand new bag. And it’s not Papa. Take a look:

The pattern is Bow Tucks Tote by Penny Sturges of quiltsillustrated.com. It’s 13″ wide, 11″ high, and 5″ deep. As you can see from the picture below, I made the handles on my tote several inches longer:

It’s easy to see how the pattern got its name:

Are you wondering why I am calling it my Central Park tote? It’s all about the fabric! This is what I used for the lining:

I love New York, and when I saw this print last year from the Central Park line by Timeless Treasures Fabrics, I promptly bought some. It features slightly retro and very chic young women walking their dogs, bicycling, and picnicking in Central Park. When I chose the fabric for the outside of the bag (from the Doodle line by Alice Kennedy, also for Timeless Treasures),  it occurred to me that this fabric would go well with it. And it would make me smile every time I looked inside.

Did you notice the New York skyline in the fabric above? I fussy-cut that scene and added a pocket on the back side of the tote:

A close-up of said pocket:

The inside of the bag has divided pockets that go around all four sides:

What a great feature! A tote with lots of pockets is a very good thing. On the bottom of the bag is a rectangle of 1/4″-wide foam core covered with a fabric sleeve. The foam core provides stability and helps the boxed corners keep their shape.

The pattern calls for a button-and-loop closing. I dug around in my vintage button collection and found a button just the right shade of green but too small. I paired it with a larger plain black button, aligned the holes, and sewed both of them onto the bag together:

This is the first tote bag I have ever made for myself. I think I will enjoy using it!