Quilted tote bag with embroidery on the front panel

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Jungle Vines Quilted Tote Bag with Embroidery

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to sew a stylish quilted tote bag featuring a beautiful floral embroidery panel on the front. We will guide you through the steps of piecing, quilting, and adding the embroidered design. This project is perfect for anyone looking to practice sewing and machine embroidery while creating a functional and decorative accessory.

We used designs from the Art Nouveau Flower Panel Set.

The finished size of the bag is about 12 1/2"W x 13 1/2"H x 4"D.

You can purchase this tote bag from our Etsy store!

Finished tote bag with embroidery of bright yellow flowers and green leaves on the front panel.

You will need :

embroidery threads,
about 1 1/2 yard of black cotton fabric for the outer bag and lining;
light-weight cut-away stabilizer;
low-loft polyester batting;
for the handles, you can either use 1" wide webbing of matching color, or sew the handles out of black fabric.

You will also need:

quilter's ruler;
rotary cutter and/or scissors;
tailor's colored chalk pencil;
iron;
#12 universal needle, and sewing thread;
#16 univeral needle and extra strong thread;
#12-14 quilting needle and black quilting thread;
sew-on snap 1" large.

Embroidery:

Cut 2 pieces of black fabric, about 19" x 19" each.

Stabilize one piece of fabric with light-weight cut-away stabilizer and hoop tightly.

Prepare threads. Upload one of the floral files from the Art Nouveau Flower Panel Set into your machine and embroider it.

Repeat with the other piece of fabric.

Trim one of the long edges of each stitch out to 1/2". Align these edges, pin, stitch together. Press the seam open.

The 2 stitch-outs sewn together into one front panel.

Cutting:

Out of black fabric, cut

3 squares 18" x 18" each,
1 strip measuring 6 1/2" x 13" for the pocket and
1 strip 2 1/2" wide and the length of the width of the fabric for the binding.

Out of batting, cut 2 squares 18" x 18" each.

Quilting:

Prepare 2 "sandwiches": place 2 black squares on a flat surface (table) face down. Cover each with batting squares. Spread the piece with the stitch-out over one, spread the remaining black square over the other.
Pin all layers together.

We quilted in a free-motion style all over both panels. On the front panel, start from the embroidery, and echo-quilt each flower and leaf, then proceed from the center to the outer edges.

After quilting is done, press with heavy steam. Trim: the front panel leaving 2 1/2" margin on the upper edge, 3 1/2" on the bottom edge and 3" on the side edges. Measure the result and trim the back panel to the same size.

Finish the side and bottom raw edges with zig-zag stitch or on a serger/overlock.

Inner Pocket

Fold the 6 1/2" x 13" strip widthwise in half, face inside. Stitch the sides together, seam allowance 1/4". Trim the corners. Turn the piece right side out. Press.

Tuck the unfinished edges of the pocket 1/2" inside, press. Topstitch closed.

Pin the pocket on the back panel's wrong side, so that it's positioned 3 1/2" from the upper edge and equal distance from the side edges. Stitch in place, seam allowance scant 1/4".

Assembly:

On the lower edge of both panels, cut out 2" x 2" squares at the corners.

A 2" x 2" square cut at the bottom corner of the front panel.

Position the panels face to face, align all edges. Pin the bottom. Stitch together with seam allowance 1/2".
Open and press the seam.

Topstitch 1/4" on both sides of the seam.

Bottom stitch topstitched 1/4" on both sides of the seam.

Cut the webbing in 2 pieces, choose the length of the handles yourself.
Pin one handles to the upper edges of the front and back panels, equal distance from the side edges, 1/2" protruding beyound the upper edges.

Pin the handle to the upper edges of the front panel.

Topstitch the handles to the panel, seam allowance 1/4".

Fold the working piece, face inside, align the sides. Working with one side at a time, stitch together with seam allowance 1/2". Open and press the seam. Topstitch 1/4" on both sides of the seam.

Repeat for the other side.

To shape the bottom, fold the bottom of the bag so that the bottom and the side seams align. Pin.
Stitch. Seam allowance 1/2". Stitch several parallel lines.
Finish the raw edge with zig-zag or overlock.

Measure the circumference of the upper edge of the tote. Out of black fabric, cut a strip 2 1/2" wide and the length of the circumference plus 1 inch.

Fold one of the long edges of the strip back about 1/2" and press.

Keeping the folded edge down and wrong side facing, fold the right short edge 1/2" and press.

Right side to right side and raw edge to raw edge, starting with the folded short edge of the strip, pin the strip along the upper edge of the tote. In the end overlap the unfinished short edge with the folded short edge.

Stitch with seam allowance 1/2".