This one was the last project in my "week of sewing handmade gifts for friends" vlog, it's my favourite from the video and I have been getting so many questions on how to accomplish the hack. The night before I filmed, I sat down and compared a few stroller organizer bags that are already on the market against the sizing of the Jasper Tote, and it turns out the Jasper Tote was so close to being exactly that bag already. It just needed three small changes.
The Three Changes We're Making
- Made it a little wider. I widened the front/back panel by 2" and kept the height the same. It's just enough extra room without changing the whole shape of the bag.
- Added two clip-on straps. Between the recessed zipper area, I added two extra straps with a swivel hook on one side and a D-ring on the other, so the whole thing clips right onto the stroller bar, but you can still use the original shoulder strap like a normal bag.
- Swapped the tech pocket for elastic pockets. I didn't need the padded tech pocket on a stroller bag, so that came out in favour of a couple of stretchy elastic pockets instead which is better for things you want to grab quickly.
What You'll Need
- Your Jasper Tote PDF pattern (this hack builds directly off the existing cutting chart and instructions) for the Everyday size
- Exterior fabric for the straps. I used my woven gingham from Fableism
- A small amount of fusible fleece, to slip inside the straps and the handle covers for extra structure (I tried using webbing, but it got too thick to sew on a regular machine)
- Two (2) D-rings and two (2) swivel hook clips (mine were 7/8" hardware, size yours to whatever strap width you're working with)
- Elastic for the interior pockets, in whatever width you like for a snug-but-stretchy pocket edge
Step-by-Step: Making the Clip Straps
1. Widen the back panel first. Before you cut anything else, adjust your Jasper Tote cutting chart so the back panel is cut 2" wider than the pattern calls for, keeping the height as-is. Everything else below builds around that adjusted panel. This adjustment will be for the lining, exterior, foam, and lightweight webbing pieces.
2. Cut your strap fabric. From your exterior fabric, cut two rectangles at 3-7/8" x 6" and two rectangles at 3-7/8" x 12". The 6" pieces become your D-ring tabs, the 12" pieces become your swivel-hook straps. (Adjust that 3-7/8" width if your own hardware isn't 7/8" wide. Mine was, so I sized the fold to match.)
3. Assemble the straps. Fold the raw edges of each strip into the centre and stitch down both long sides. Before you close up the short ends, slide your hardware on. D-rings go on the 6" pieces, swivel hooks go on the 12" pieces. Then sew the ends shut around the hardware.
4. Reinforce with fusible fleece. Because the exterior is a woven gingham rather than something with more natural body, slip a strip of fusible fleece inside each strap as you assemble it for structure. I like to use a strip of cotton webbing for the bags main shoulder straps to prevent the fabric from going floppy under the bag's weight.
Finishing It Off
5. Cut your pocket pieces instead of the tech pocket. Skip the tech pocket piece from the pattern and cut a second elastic pocket piece instead.
6. Attach the straps to the bag. I placed mine along the outside edge of the existing handles. One bag panel gets both D-ring straps, and the other panel gets both swivel hooks, so they meet in the middle when you clip them over the stroller bar.
7. Finish per the pattern. From here, follow the rest of the Jasper Tote's construction steps as written. The hack is entirely in the strap addition, the width change, and the pocket swap; everything else comes together exactly like the original bag.
And that's it! A bag that clips onto the stroller when you need the extra hands, and unclips into a regular tote the second you don't. I really love how this one turned out, and I'd love to see yours if you give the hack a try.
@milkandhoneyquiltco If I knew it was this easy to turn totes into stroller bags I would have started making these are gifts a lot sooner
