Today's Project: The Burlap Bag Part 1

I've had this rice bag hanging around my studio for a few years. I loved the graphic but really didn't know what to do with it. I've seen quite a few tote bags made with burlap bags - mostly with coffee bean bags. Call be a tender-skinned gal, but whenever I saw these the only word that came to mind was "chafe." Let's face it, burlap is really rough.

So I decided to test out one of my favorite products: Heat 'N Bond Iron-On- Vinyl. The only way I could figure out how to soften the burlap was to cover it, so I cut the bag and fused the vinyl to the burlap. And it worked. 

It's a bit crinkly sounding and sometimes I wonder if the vinyl is really fused on, but right now it looks good. Before I did anything, I fused some lightweight interfacing on the burlap (which I cut bigger than what I needed). I also cut the vinyl too big.

The back of the tote is plain denim. It's big - about 20" x 17" - so I sewed in a 3" gusset to add depth.

My next step it so add the lining and handles.

4/20/2012: Update - here is the final version!