Make a Tyvek Shopper Tutorial

July 10th, 2008 in sewing, patterns & designs

Linda Lee, contributor

This tote uses house wrap, cotton fabric, webbing, and ribbon for accents.

Use the edge of your presser foot as a guide to sew an even distance from the edge.

Do not iron the Tyvek® unless you want a crinkled look. Experiment first.

This tote uses house wrap, cotton fabric, webbing, and ribbon for accents.

Photo: Linda Lee

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House wrap—it’s common, it’s cheap, and it’s cool. This tote bag incorporates the bold graphics of house wrap (we know it as Tyvek®) as its outer coating along with some fun cotton fabrics, webbing, and ribbon for accents.

The bag measures 14 inches wide x 15 inches tall. The Tyvek® forms external pockets, which are trimmed with fabric binding. Ribbon-clad webbing and a swivel/clip closure through a decorative grommet make this tote bag easy to carry and secure.

What You'll Need:
1 repeat (about 1-1/2 yards) of Tyvek® house wrap
1 yard of fabric for the bag
1 yard of fabric for the lining
1/2 yard of contrasting fabric for the binding
1-2/3 yards of 1-1/2-inch-wide natural cotton webbing
1-2/3 yards of 1-inch-wide ribbon
1 large decorative eyelet
1 swivel clip
1-2/3 yards of fusible web tape
Thread
Sewing machine

Preparation:
Cut two pieces of Tyvek® 15 inches wide x 10-1/2 inches tall
Cut two pieces of bag fabric 15 inches wide x 16 inches
Cut two pieces of lining fabric 15 inches wide x 16 inches
Cut two pieces of contrasting fabric 18 inches on the bias (the diagonal)
Cut two pieces of webbing 22 inches long
Cut one piece of webbing 12 inches long
Cut two pieces of ribbon 22 inches long
Cut two pieces of ribbon 12 inches long

Construction:

Use 1/2-inch seam allowances.

1. With right sides together, sew one strip of bias contrasting fabric to the top edge of each Tyvek® piece.

Use the edge of your presser foot as a guide to sew an even distance from the edge.

2. Finger-press the bias strip up and away from the Tyvek®. Fold the strip to the back side, binding the edge, and stitch in the well of the seam, catching the bias strip on the wrong side of the Tyvek®. Bind the top edges of both Tyvek® pieces. Trim the ends of the bias even with the Tyvek®.

Do not iron the Tyvek® unless you want a crinkled look. Experiment first.

3. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, install one grommet in the center of one Tyvek® piece just below the binding. It may be necessary to use a small scrap piece of fabric or a few layers as a backing and filler for the grommet.

Make sure your grommet will accommodate the size of your swivel clip.

4. With the wrong side of the grommeted Tyvek® piece to the right side of a bag piece, baste the two pieces together along the sides and bottom to make the bag front. Use the remaining piece of Tyvek® and bag piece to make a bag back.

Basting along the seam allowance line gives you a guide when stitching the bag together.

5. Sew the bag front and back together, with the right sides together, along the sides and bottom. Turn the bag to the right sides, trimming the inside corners if necessary.

Make sure the bound ends line up perfectly at the sides so that it looks continuous when the bag is turned right side out.

6. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, fuse a strip of fusible web tape down the center of each piece of webbing. Remove the paper covering. Lay the ribbon strips over the “glue” line and fuse to the center of each piece of webbing.

Test your ribbon first with the iron. Some do not tolerate heat.

7. Measure 2-1/2 inches in from each upper corner of the bag front and back. With the ribbon side of the straps facing down, pin the straps to the top of the front and back, using the markings to line up the outer edges of the straps. Baste in place along the top edge.

Keep the raw edges of the straps lined up with the top of the bag while basting in place.

8. With right sides together, sew the lining pieces together, leaving the top open and about 8 inches along the bottom.

9. Slip the bag into the lining, with the right sides together, and match the top edges. Sew around the top edge.

Check to see that the straps are sandwiched between the layers.

10. Pull the bag to the outside through the opening in the bottom of the lining. Stitch the opening at the bottom of the lining closed.

Tuck the seam allowances to the inside, and edgestitch along the folds at the opening.

11. Press the top edge. Topstitch around the top edge, if necessary.

12. Pin the shorter length of webbing under the bound edge of the back outer pocket. Stitch the webbing in place.

Make sure to attach the closure tab to the Tyvek® layer only.

13. Bring the webbing to the front of the bag. Feed the end of the webbing through the swivel clip. Adjust the length of the webbing so that the clip attaches into the grommet easily. Wrap to the wrong side of the webbing and secure with a row of reinforcing stitches.

Use a zipper foot to get even closer to the swivel clip if desired.

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posted in: sewing, patterns & designs, , tote, bag, Tyvek

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Comments (5)

eveh writes: Well, I will be haunting construction sites to see if I can find a piece of this. We probably used it when we redid the siding on our house. I'll bet I threw some away.. Goes to show you, if you craft, don't throw anything away. LOL

I love your bag. Posted: 4:04 pm on September 13th

sassysewer writes: This bag just makes me laugh! I love it! It's imaginative and fun. Gotta find me some Tyvek.... Posted: 2:54 pm on September 9th

TycheNitely writes: I could use a sturdy bag and this looks like a winner.
Now to find the Tyvek... Posted: 1:28 pm on July 16th

ManKnit writes: Tyvek is underwrap for the siding on your house. You can buy it at Lowes or HD or most local hardware stores (and it is is made by other manufacturers as well under the generic name, housewrap).

It comes in a role big enough to cover the side of an entire house, so unless you want to make 1,000 of these tote bags, your best bet is to find a scrap of it. If a house is being resided or remodeled in your neighborhood, the carpenter should have some laying around. Posted: 8:05 am on July 11th