Everyone needs a good tote bag in their life. Check out my latest pattern, the Tess Tote, a fully featured tote bag perfect for everyday carry (EDC), travel, a weekend adventure to the farmers market, or even the gym.

The Tess Tote is designed for a confident beginner who wants to level up their bag making and MYOG (make your own gear) skills. All straight line sewing, this pattern has a lot of optional features that can be customized to fit your individual needs. Give yourself a weekend, and you will have something truly special.

Tess Tote sewing pattern, front view showing exterior billow pocket and handles

The Tess Tote stands up on its own, and you can carry it over your shoulder or at your side.

Let’s talk about pockets. It has four customizable pocket configurations. You can swap the interior and exterior pockets to fit your personal carry style. It also features an optional zipper top, a suitcase handle pass through, and dedicated water bottle pockets inside.

Tess Tote sewing pattern packed and open, showing interior pockets and water bottle pocket organization

The great thing is that all of the pockets and the zipper top are optional. If you want to make a simple streamlined tote, you can do that. If you want a fully featured bag with lots of versatile organization, the Tess Tote pattern can do that too.

If you’ve already made the Earl Grey or the Livingston, both pouches fit perfectly inside the Tess Tote. All of these patterns work together as a complete carry system.

Tess Tote sewing pattern, back view showing full exterior, suitcase handle pass through, and handles

What you’ll learn:

The Tess Tote uses classic gusset construction. The sides and bottom wrap around two large side panels creating a three dimensional bag. This is a common bag making technique and a great skill to have in your toolkit.

  • Gusset construction – step by step instructions for assembling the panels and sewing the gusset around the exterior
  • How to install a zipper – clear and detailed zipper installation you can apply to a lot of projects
  • How to finish zipper ends – a clean finishing technique that shows up across all kinds of bag making
  • Pleated billow pockets – how to add depth to a pocket using simple pleats, no curves required
  • How to sew a zipper pocket – adding a zipper to an interior pocket to make the contents more secure
  • How to sew a full lining – how to sew and insert a lining for a clean and professional finish

The pattern includes a full set of written instructions with diagrams for each step. There is also a complete step-by-step video on YouTube that goes into depth on each part of the construction.

With the suitcase handle pass through and zipper top, the Tess Tote can easily be a personal item for your next flight. A closed top keeps your items secure while moving through security, and the ability to place the tote over your suitcase handle lets you roll both bags together through busy airports.

I think I’m going to use my tote as a ceramics class bag. Every week my wife and I have a ceramics class. We often need to bring water bottles, a snack, and various tools with us. The organization built into the pattern is perfect for keeping all of these items organized. We also have a small rolling cart full of glazes that has a suitcase-style retractable handle. The Tess Tote will easily slide down over the handle for easy transport in and out of the ceramics studio.

Resources

The Pattern:

Tess Tote Sewing Pattern

Related Patterns:

The Earl Grey – Classic Box Pouch Sewing Pattern, EDC organizing pouch

The Livingston – Slim EDC Pouch Sewing Pattern

Fabric & Materials:

Ripstop By The Roll — quality technical fabrics perfect for EDC pouches and bag making
Rockywoods — another great source for technical fabrics, webbing, and hardware

Tools:

Note: These are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps support me and lets me make more tutorials and patterns.

Gingher 8″ Fabric Scissors: https://amzn.to/4cBXBaT
Small Fabric Scissors: https://amzn.to/4s6g7Nm
Rotary Cutter: https://amzn.to/4bw0EQK
Self Healing Cutting Mat: https://amzn.to/4s6jgNa
Seam Ripper: https://amzn.to/4uazRki
Chalk Wheel: https://amzn.to/47Cr0OD
Chalk Refill: https://amzn.to/47Cr0OD
Fabric clips: https://amzn.to/3NeIQjU
Rulers: https://amzn.to/3NeNxKz

Common Questions

Do I need a serger to make the Tess Tote?
No. The tote is mostly finished with a full lining. Any other raw edges are finished with a zigzag stitch, so a regular home sewing machine is all you need. No serger required.

What size zipper do I need for the top closure?
#5 or #8 nylon coil zipper, 1.25 – 1.5″ wide, 25″ long (metal teeth zipper not recommended) (32 mm – 38 mm wide, 63.5 cm long)

Can I skip the optional features?
Yes. All four pocket configurations, the zipper top, and the suitcase handle pass through are optional. You can make a simple, streamlined tote with none of them, or add as many as you like.

What fabric works best for this pattern?
Exterior — Medium weight, 5oz – 10oz per sq/yd (170 to 339 g/m²)

Lining — Light to medium weight, 3oz – 7oz per sq/yd (101 to 237 g/m²)

How much fabric do I need?

Exterior — ¼ yards (1.15 m) wide, 45″ (114 cm) long to cut the gusset with the grain

Lining — 1¼ yards (1.15 m) wide, 45″ (114 cm) long to cut the gusset with the grain.

Is this pattern beginner friendly?
It’s designed for a confident beginner. It features all straight line sewing with no curves, but it’s a more involved build than the Earl Grey or Livingston pouches. Give yourself a weekend if you’re including all the optional features.

About the name: The Tess Tote is named after a foster kitten my wife and I took care of in the summer of 2026. She was the only girl in a litter of six kittens with five wild brothers. Not only did Tess hold her own, but she was easily the smartest of the group and very sweet by the time they were ready for adoption.

A kitten named Tess, grey tabby on a white background