How to make an ita bag (clear window tote)

1. Materials & tools

Materials (standard size, fits A4)

• Outer fabric (11 oz canvas or oxford cloth) — about 110 cm wide × 80 cm
• Lining fabric — the same amount
• Clear vinyl, around 0.3 mm thick — about 30 cm × 40 cm
• Heavyweight fusible interfacing — enough for the outer
• Backing panel fabric (a plain color, or felt) — about 30 cm × 40 cm

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Bags” → “Ita bag (clear window tote)” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the finished width and height, the gusset, the window border width and the handle length. Presets cover standard (A4), small and large.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace four shapes: body, gusset, handles and window. Mark on the body where the window opening goes.
2. Cut the pieces
   Cut 2 bodies in the outer and 2 in the lining, 1 gusset in each, 2 handles and 1 window in vinyl.
3. Fuse the interfacing
   Fuse heavyweight interfacing to the outer body and gusset. The area around the window especially needs the support — do not skip it.
4. Handling the vinyl
   Never press clear vinyl. It melts. If you need a crease, finger-press it, or use a pressing cloth on the lowest setting for a moment only.

4. Sewing

4-1. Cut the window

1. On the piece that will be the front, cut out the area inside the marks. Rounding the corners slightly makes the next step much easier.
2. Lay the clear vinyl behind the opening, overlapping by 1 cm all round.
3. Topstitch 3–5 mm inside the edge of the opening, all the way round, to hold the vinyl in place.

4-2. How to sew vinyl

1. Vinyl sticks to the presser foot and refuses to feed. Lay tracing paper over it, sew through both and tear the paper away afterwards.
2. A Teflon foot is the reliable answer. Failing that, a strip of tape on the sole of an ordinary foot helps a lot.
3. Do not use pins — the holes stay. Use clips.
4. Stitching cannot be undone either. Every hole is permanent, so check the position before you sew.

4-3. Build the bag

1. Fold the handles in four, topstitch, and baste them to the top edge of the outer body pieces.
2. Place the front body and the gusset right sides together, matching the center of the gusset to the center of the base, and sew. Clip into the gusset seam allowance at the corners so it turns.
3. Attach the back body the same way to form the bag.
4. Sew the lining the same way, leaving a 15 cm opening in the base.

4-4. Join outer and lining

1. Turn the outer right side out and slip it inside the lining, which stays wrong side out.
2. Sew around the top opening. Backstitch where the handles are caught in.
3. Pull everything through the opening in the lining and close it.
4. Topstitch 5 mm from the top edge all the way round. Slide the backing panel in behind the window and it is ready.

✏️ Never press clear vinyl. It melts instantly and takes the mark of the iron permanently. Do all your pressing before the window goes in, and plan the rest of the construction on the assumption that no iron will touch the bag again.

5. Tips & variations

• The backing panel does the work: swapping the fabric behind the window completely changes how the badges read. Make a few in different colors.
• 0.3 mm vinyl: thinner creases immediately, thicker will not feed through the machine. Buy what is sold as bag-weight.
• Keep the window modest: the bigger the window, the weaker the bag. Leave a border of at least 3 cm.