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A beginner-friendly quilt block in pretty floral fabrics makes this tote bag an ideal weekend project!
A beginner-friendly quilt block in pretty floral fabrics makes this tote bag an ideal weekend project!
YOU WILL NEED
■ Canvas fabric: 1yd
■ Lining fabric: 1yd
■ Pink solid fabric: 61/2in square
■ Green solid fabric: one (1)
fat eighth
■ Floral print fabric: 61/2in square e
■ Leather (or similar): 2in x 27in
■ Foam interfacing (28in wide): 1yd yd
■ Lightweight fusible interfacing
(35in wide): 1/ 8yd
■ Batting: 12in square
■ 11/2in wide webbing: 21/2yds
■ Metal snaps: two (2) (optional)
FINISHED SIZE
■ 17in x 13in x 5in
Find the centre of one handle trim piece, and align with the centre of the webbing. Use a few dabs of glue to hold in place. Once the glue is dry, topstitch around the edge of the trim (Fig B). Repeat with the other webbing and trim piece.
PIECING THE OUTER POCKET
Sew a lining and green solid 11/2in square 12
together. Then sew a green 11/2in x 21/2in strip to the bottom to make one cornerstone (Fig C). Repeat to make four cornerstones.
Place a pink and floral 3¼in square 13
RST. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of one square. Sew ¼in from either side of the line, then cut along the line to make two HST units. Press open and trim each unit to 21/2in square. Repeat to make a total of eight HST units.
Arrange the cornerstones and HST 14
units with two lining and two green 21/2in squares as shown in Fig D. Sew the units together in rows, then sew the rows together to complete the star block.
Place the star block on top of your 15
batting, RS up. Baste and quilt as desired (Fig E). Debbie chose a diagonal wavy line pattern. Square up to 81/2in square, trimming away excess batting.
Place the outer pocket lining WST with 16
the quilted star block. Machine baste around the outer edge.
Take the outer pocket binding piece. 17
Place RST with the quilted pocket, aligning the raw edges at the top. Sew across the top using a ¼in seam. Press the binding strip up. Press the remaining raw edge under by ¼in.
Fold the binding over to the back of 18
the pocket and clip in place. Sew in the ditch, from the front of the pocket,
making sure to catch the folded edge on the back of the pocket as you sew.
Attach the socket half of one snap to 19
the top centre of the pocket, approx ½in below the top (Fig F).
Take the front panel, and arrange on 20
your workspace with the long edges at the top and bottom, RS up. Place the pocket on top, also right side up. Align the bottom of the pocket with the bottom of the panel, carefully centring along the width. Baste in place along the sides and bottom.
ADDING THE HANDLES
Measure 6¼in from either side along 21
the bottom edge of the front panel, and mark with a pin.
Arrange one handle, so the outer 22
edges meet your marks, and pin in place. Make sure the long edges of the handles cover the raw edges of the pockets by ¼in, adjusting the handle placement as necessary (Fig G).
Baste the handles in place along 23
the long edges. Return your stitch length to normal and, within the seam allowance, staystitch the bottom edge of the handle at each end.
Repeat steps 22–23 to add the other 24
handle to back panel, making sure it is in the same position as the front panel, so that the handles will line up neatly when the bag is complete.
COMPLETING THE OUTER PANELS
Sew one base to the bottom edge 25
of the front panel. Press the seam towards the base, then topstitch either side of the seam to secure in place.
Sew one trim piece to the top of the 26
front panel, making sure to fold the handle out of the way, so it’s not caught in the seam. Press the seam towards the trim and topstitch in place.
Place the front panel on top of one 27
piece of the foam interfacing. Baste around the outer edge, then trim away the excess foam interfacing.
Beginning at the base of one side of the 28
handle, topstitch along one edge. Stop with the needle down just below the trim. Pivot to sew across the top and back down the other side. Make sure to anchor the stitches with a few backstitches at each end.
Repeat step 28 in order to attach 29
the other side of the handle. Remove any basting stitches.
Attach the other half of the metal 30
snap for the outer pocket, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Repeat steps 25–29 with the back 31
panel of the bag.
PREPARING THE SLIP POCKETS
Take one of the slip pocket pieces, 32
and fuse the interfacing in the centre, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Place the interfaced piece RST
33
with another slip pocket piece. Sew around the outer edge using a ½in seam allowance, and leaving a turning gap along the bottom long edge.
Trim the seam allowance to ¼in 34
and clip the corners. Turn right side out and carefully press, turning the raw edges in at the turning gap. The turning gap will be closed when the pocket is topstitched in place.
Repeat steps 32–34 to make the 35
second slip pocket.
MAKING THE LINING
Sew one facing to the top of each 36
of the lining pieces. Press the seam towards the lining pieces, and then topstitch on that side.
Place one slip pocket on top of one 37
lining piece, both right side up.
Align the top of the pocket 5¼in below 38
the top of the facing, centring the pocket horizontally. Make sure the turning gap of the pocket is at the bottom and then pin the pocket in place.
Carefully stitch the pocket in
39
place along the sides and bottom. Backstitch several stitches at the beginning and the end of the line of stitching, to secure. Draw one or two vertical lines along the pocket if you want to divide it into sections. Sew along the line (or lines), backstitching at each end.
Repeat steps 37–39 to add a slip 40
pocket to the other lining piece.
Fuse the 2in square of interfacing
41
on the wrong side of one lining piece, in the centre of the facing (Fig H). Attach the stud side of one metal snap, following the manufacturer’s instructions, approx 1¼in from the top of the facing.
Place the two prepared lining pieces 42
RST. Sew along both sides and the bottom, leaving a turning gap in the centre of the bottom, backstitching at each end, to secure.
Cut a 3in square in the bottom two 43
corners of the lining (Fig I). Take one corner and bring the side seam down to meet the bottom, bringing the raw edges together. Sew along the corner, backstitching at each end to box the corner. Repeat with the other corner.
FINISHING THE BAG
Take the two outer panels and place 44
RST. Sew together and box the corners as in steps 42– 43, but do not leave a gap in the bottom.
Turn the outer of the bag right side 45
out. Place down inside the lining, aligning raw edges and side seams. Pin or clip in place, making sure the handles are pushed down between the layers and will not be caught in the seam.
Sew around the top edge. Turn the 46
bag right side out through the gap in the lining. Stitch the turning gap closed, by hand or machine.
Push the lining down inside the bag, 47
easing into the corners. Press, then topstitch around the top edge.
Attach the other half of the metal 48
snap to the outside of the bag, going through all the layers, so it matches neatly with the snap in the lining to finish.