Brown Fremont tote with black floral exterior pockets, black leather, and matte black hardware.

My Fremont tote worn as a cross-body.

After making a green Fremont tote to serve as a shop sample for my bag-making class at Modern Domestic, I knew I wanted to sew one in neutral colors for myself. My dad’s wife hinted that she’d like one of her own, so I made us inverted bags for Christmas. Both bags feature flax dry oilskin in the same color, coordinating Essex from Anna Graham’s Riverbend collection, and black leather. I think it’s the perfect size for an everyday bag and the black and brown go with everything!

Brown bag with black pockets (for me)

Fabric & Supplies

Main fabric: Merchant & Mills Flax Dry Oilskin (299 gsm / 8.8 oz) in Nicotine
Accent fabric (pockets): Robert Kaufman Essex from Anna Graham’s Riverbend collection (Seeds in Black)

Fused to lining fabric with Pellon 805 Wonder-Under fusible web for added structure

Lining fabric: Klum House Natural Army Duck Canvas (10.1 oz)

The Klum House heavy duck canvas lining is just the best—so much structure!

2 x 1” swivel hooks in matte black for removable cross-body strap attachment
Black cat patch
Thanks I Made It and Perfectly Imperfect woven labels
You can find a full list of hardware and tools used in my first Fremont Tote post.

I added swivel hooks to the cross-body strap to make it removable.

The leather zipper pull reads “Hi” when you open the bag and “Bye” when you close it.

Modifications

I used a lighter weight printed fabric for the exterior pocket by following the instructions for the Fremont Pendleton Wool Pocket Expansion. This expansion adds an additional pattern piece to ensure that the bottom of the bag is made from your exterior fabric.

I fused the accent and lining fabric as suggested using Pellon 805 Wonder-Under fusible web, but it was a bit overkill since my lining fabric was so thick! It made the double-fold hem difficult to sew through, and I think the pocket feels a bit too stiff in relation to the rest of the bag. I prefer how the pocket on my green Fremont turned out.

I used matte black hardware for this bag, with the exception of the brass zipper.
I added a second slip pocket to the interior. One pocket is made from the main fabric, the other is accent fabric fused to lining fabric.
I added a patch that reminds me of the derpy picture my veterinarian took of my cat for her patient file. I placed the rivet and leather washer securing the handle to mimic her missing right eye.

A little one-eyed cat peeking out of a pocket.

My vet took this photo of Kalli for her patient file!

I stamped both sides of the leather zipper pull so that it reads “Hi” when you open the bag and “Bye” when you close it.
I cut the cross-body strap to 38.5” long and stamped “pay attention — be astonished — tell about it,” from a favorite Mary Oliver poem.

Mary Oliver quote stamped on the cross-body strap.

Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Mary Oliver, “Sometimes,” Devotions (2017)

Black bag with brown pockets (for Sarah)

Black bag with brown exterior pockets, black leather, and brass hardware.

The lining has black florals on a natural background. I added a “Follow the Flowers” label to the interior pocket.

Fabric & Supplies

Main fabric: Merchant & Mills Organic Cotton Dry Oilskin (245 gsm / 7.2 oz) in Black
Accent fabric (pockets): Merchant & Mills Flax Dry Oilskin (299 gsm / 8.8 oz) in Nicotine
Lining fabric: Robert Kaufman Essex from Anna Graham’s Riverbend collection (Dry Florals in Oyster)

Pellon SF101 Shape Flex Fusible Interfacing to add structure to the lining fabric

2 x 1.25” swivel hooks in gold for removable cross-body strap attachment
Follow the Flowers woven label (Roadtrip Pattern Co. x Elana Gabrielle)
You can find a full list of hardware and tools used in my first Fremont Tote post.

Modifications

I did not use the pocket expansion pattern for this bag because the main and accent fabrics were both dry oilskin.
I used brass hardware hardware for the majority of the bag, except for the exterior pocket reinforcement rivet—for that I used a black rivet so it would be less noticeable.
I added swivel hooks to the ends of the cross-body strap to make it removable

I used 1.25” swivel hooks because that’s what I had on hand, but 1” swivel hooks to match the width of the strap with no wiggle room would have been ideal.

I cut the cross-body strap to ~40” long and stamped “You are so loved” in the middle.

“You are so loved” stamped on cross-body strap.

Sewing Notes

Dry oilskin is a wonderful alternative to waxed canvas for folks with sensory sensitivities. I love the look and practicality of waxed canvas, but I really disliked the feeling of wax all over my hands, legs, and machine after making previous Klum House bags. The Merchant & Mills dry oilskin is easy and pleasant to work with. The Organic Cotton Dry Oilskin is smooth and matte, while the Flax Dry Oilskin has more texture.
I added a second row of topstitching when attaching the interior pocket to the lining for additional durability and to better tack down the inside raw edges of the patch pocket.
The Klum House instructions say to install the exterior pocket reinforcement rivet through just the pocket and exterior panel, but the instructions come after the gap in the lining is closed up. If you don’t want the rivet to be seen on the lining, remember to install the rivet earlier! I added a leather washer on the interior of my bag because my rivet was a bit too long for just the fabric.
The zipper on my bag sometimes doesn’t open as smoothly as I’d like. I think I may have forgotten to tug the lining down before I punched holes for the rivets securing the handle, because the the lining bubbles up a bit on one side and sometimes gets in the way of the zipper.
I used small rivets for the cross-body straps because the medium rivets seemed too long for the leather thickness.
Remember to case (translation: wet/rehydrate) your leather before stamping to get a good impression. I use water in a fine-mist spray bottle.

Keep In Touch

Thanks very much for reading! If you’d like in-person support and instruction, please sign up for my classes at Modern Domestic or reach out to schedule a private lesson. If you have any questions, feedback, or corrections regarding this post, please don’t hesitate to contact me!