Valley Yarns #139 Tartan Tote

Valley Yarns Tartan Tote Woven Bag

Project Overview

The Valley Yarns Tartan Tote is a downloadable weaving pattern designed by Elisabeth Hill for creating a structured tote bag featuring a distinctive tartan plaid design. This project combines traditional plain weave techniques with color blocking to produce a finished bag measuring 16" x 16.5" x 1.5". The pattern incorporates both a main woven fabric component and a decorative inkle band accent, making it a comprehensive weaving project suitable for weavers with loom experience.

Weave Structure and Techniques

Plain weave serves as the foundation for this project, the most fundamental weaving structure where weft threads pass alternately over and under warp threads in a consistent pattern. The tartan effect is achieved through color blocking and striping techniques, where different colored yarns are introduced in the warp and weft to create the characteristic plaid pattern. The design requires seaming during finishing to construct the three-dimensional tote form and attach the inkle band trim.

The main fabric is woven on a rigid heddle loom with a 12-dent heddle at a sett of 12 ends per inch. The weaver winds four separate shuttles, each loaded with a different warp color, allowing for efficient color changes during the weaving process. The pattern specifies weaving seven repeated plaid blocks (approximately 40" of fabric) before transitioning to a single solid color for the front panel (25" additional weaving), creating visual interest and variation in the finished bag.

Stitches and Finishing Methods

While traditional hand stitches are not a primary component of this project, the finishing process involves several important techniques. Raw fabric edges are finished using either a zig-zag stitch or serging on a sewing machine to prevent fraying. The inkle band, woven separately at 7 picks per inch with doubled weft yarns, is sewn to the main bag body using matching sewing thread. The pattern notes that raw ends of the inkle band are treated with Fray Check before being tucked under the band and sewn in place, creating a professional, finished appearance.

Materials and Yarns

This project uses Valley Yarns 3/2 Cotton, a 100% mercerized cotton yarn available in multiple colorways. The main tote fabric requires specific yardages of four colors: Mosstone #5597 (499 yards), Lizard Green #5990 (188 yards), Eggplant #6256 (68 yards), and Pacific #5637 (90 yards). The pattern includes a substitution note, as Lizard Green #5590 has been discontinued; weavers may substitute with either Sponge #7360 or Mosstone #5597.

The inkle band component uses the same yarn base with different color requirements: Mosstone #5597 (88 yards), Eggplant #6256 (111 yards), and Pacific #5637 (28 yards). The 3/2 Cotton yarn provides approximately 1260 yards per pound, offering good yardage for projects of this scale.

Equipment Requirements

Successful completion of this project requires specific weaving equipment. A rigid heddle loom with a minimum width of 20" accommodates the 19.83" width in reed needed for the main fabric. The 12-dent heddle creates the appropriate sett for the 3/2 cotton yarn. Four stick shuttles are necessary for managing the multiple warp colors simultaneously during weaving. An inkle loom is required for weaving the separate decorative band component. Additional supplies include 1 yard of sturdy lining fabric, matching sewing thread, Fray Check for finishing raw edges, and standard sewing equipment for constructing the finished bag.

Warp and Weaving Specifications

The main fabric requires a warp length of 72" with 238 total ends arranged in the specified color order. The 12 epi (ends per inch) sett creates a balanced plain weave suitable for a structured bag. The inkle band is warped separately at 99" length, woven at 7 picks per inch with a finished width of 1.5". The pattern notes that the weaver may need to adjust the number of picks in each color block to achieve a square pattern, as beating to the specified 12 ppi may not be achievable with all looms or weaving styles.

Care and Finishing

After removing the woven fabric from the loom, edges are secured with a zig-zag or serge stitch. The fabric is then machine washed on a gentle cycle and machine dried until just damp, allowing the mercerized cotton to relax and set. This care