Fika Tote Pattern

Fika is a Swedish word, meaning ‘to have coffee’.  The classic clean lines of this mid-sized tote give a nod to my Scandinavian heritage.  The Fika Tote has plenty of features you’ll love, like front pockets, a back lapped zipper pocket, recessed zipper closure and padded pockets.  Take this tote on your next visit with friends!

Special features:

  • two front pockets for things you need to keep close at hand
  • back lapped zippered pocket
  • optional recessed zipper (it's optional, but I know you'll love it!)
  • makes a great work or student bag, padded interior pockets can accommodate most laptop sizes
  • made entirely of rectangles, no need to cut out templates (see Purchasing Information below for details), utilizes a corner rounding template that will need to be printed
  • inches only, written in English

Skill Level/Dimensions/Materials:

Skill Level: Intermediate (this is a fairly straightforward sew, but due to the number of pieces and size of the tote I classify this pattern as Intermediate) an adventurous Advanced Beginner could also tackle this project - just takes a bit of organization 

Approx. Finished Dimensions: 17” wide, 15” tall, 5” deep

Materials needed:

Requirements based on 44”-wide fabric.

  • 1 yard Exterior Fabric
  • 1/2 yard Accent Fabric
  • 2 yards Lining Fabric (includes interior pockets)
  • 3 yards Fusible Woven Interfacing (Pellon SF101 - 20”-wide)
  • 3/4 yard Foam Stabilizer (byAnnie’s Soft & Stable (58”-wide) or 2 yards Pellon Foam Flex (20”-wide) or 1 yard Pellon 987f fusible fleece (44”-wide)
  • (1) 18”-20” zipper (closed-ended or separating) for recessed zip closure
  • (1) 30” handbag (head-to-head or single pull) zipper for back exterior pocket (will be shortened)

    Recommended Fabrics: Lightweight canvas (7-9 oz. weight) or medium weight quilting cotton for exterior fabric. Quilting cotton for Lining and Accent fabric.

    Additional supplies + tools: Polyester thread, water-soluble pen/tailor’s chalk, cutting mat, ruler, rotary cutter, glue pen (Sewline glue pen is my favorite), size 14 or 16 denim or Microtex needle, turning tool, pinking shears

    Pattern/Download Information:

    This is a measure and cut pattern. It does include a corner rounding template which will need to be printed. You will need a rotary cutter, gridded ruler, and self-healing cutting mat. Cut the pattern pieces straight from the fabric - saving time and paper. All pieces are rectangles. If you prefer, you can transfer the cutting measurements to paper (or a template material) to create your own paper template/pattern piece for the remaining pieces.

    For Digital (PDF) pattern:

    • Please download (and save) the pattern file to your computer!
    • You will have 9 download attempts, keep in mind each time you open to view the file counts as an attempt.
    • This PDF pattern includes:
      • rotary cutting instruction/measurements (no printing necessary!)
      • label sheet for keeping organized
      • corner rounding template
      • includes detailed step-by-step instructions and professional illustrations
    • The file is an instant download. Please be sure to check the email address you entered at checkout, the instant download link will be sent to that email address. After purchase is complete you will also be redirected to a page with the download link.

    Sell finished items! You (the purchaser of this pattern) can sell finished sewn items made using this pattern (on a home-based scale), credit to Anna Graham at www.noodle-head.com is appreciated!

    NOTICE: It may not be possible to download a PDF file directly to your iPad or Android tablet/mobile device without a download app. I use Acrobat Reader in combination with Dropbox to download files using my mobile device.

    Frequently Bought Together