Welcome to our tutorial on creating a charming Quilted Tote Bag adorned with a delightful Heart of Roses embroidery design. In this step-by-step guide, we'll explore the fusion of sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery to craft a stylish and functional accessory. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned crafter, join us on this journey to create a personalized tote that's as unique as it is practical. Let's dive in and bring your creativity to life!
The design we used on the front panel is Heart of Roses.
The finished size of the bag is about 14"W x 13"H x 5"D. |
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You will need :
- embroidery threads, according to our color card;
- 1/2 yard of medium-weight dark blue fabric for the outer bag;
- about 1 1/2 yard of cotton fabric for the backing and lining (alternatively you can use different fabrics for the backing and the lining);
- a piece of white fabric for the embroidery;
- medium-weight cut-away embroidery stabilizer;
- 1" wide webbing for the handles;
- low-loft polyester batting;
- quilter's ruler;
- rotary cutter and/or scissors;
- tailor's chalk pencil;
- iron;
- #12 universal needle, and sewing thread;
- #14-16 universal needle and extra strong thread;
- magnetic snap closure or sew-on snap closure 1/2" large;
- decorative cord (optional).
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Cutting:
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Out of the fabric for the outer bag, cut 2 pieces measuring 20" x 19" each.
Out of the fabric for the backing, cut:
- 2 pieces measuring 20" x 19" each
- a piece for the lining measuring 30" x 20" and
- another piece for the pocket measuring 14" x 8".
Out of the batting, cut 2 pieces measuring 20" x 19" each.
Out of the webbing, cut 2 pieces 26" long each.
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Embroidery:
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Open the color card, select threads. Stabilize a piece of white fabric with medium-weight cut-away stabilizer. Hoop the fabric tightly. Upload the Heart of Roses file into your machine and embroider it.
Cut out, leaving about 1/2" margins. |
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Notch the margins, fold them back and press.
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Quilting:
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Out of the 20" x 19" pieces make 2 sandwiches: backing - batting - outer bag fabric. Align the edges.
Quilt both sandwiches in a free-motion style.
Trim both quilted panels to 19" (W) x 18" (H), check that the panels are equal.
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| Sewing: |
With the quilter's ruler and chalk pencil measure 2 1/2" from the upper edge of each panel. Draw a line. Fold the upper edge by this line back and press with heavy steam.
Unfold for the time being. |
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Position the stitch-out of the heart on the front panel. Pin. Topstitch in place.
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| You can also decorate the edges of the embroidery with a cord. |
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| On the lower edge of both panels, cut out 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares at the corners. |
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Place the panels with right sides together, aligning all edges.
Stitch the bottom, with seam allowance 1/2".
Open and press the seam. Topstitch 1/4" on both sides of the seam. |
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Pin one handle to the upper edge of one of the panels, equal distance from the side edges.
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Topstitch the handle to the panel within the folded area.
Attach the handle to the other panel in the same way. |
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Fold the working piece, face inside, align the sides. Working with one side at a time, stitch with seam allowance 1/2". Open and press the seam. Topstitch 1/4" on both sides of the seam.
Repeat for the other side.
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Fold the bottom of the bag so that the bottom and the side seams align. Pin.
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Stitch. Seam allowance 1/2". Stitch several parallel lines.
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Fold the upper edge back, handles out, pin. Topstitch along the upper edge and over the handles, seam allowance 1/4".
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The Lining:
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Fold the 8" x 14" piece widthwise in half, face inwards. Stitch along 2 sides, seam allowance 1/4". Fold the upper, unfinished edge 1" back and press. Trim the lower corners.
Turn right side out. Press.
Topstitch the upper edge closed.
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If you are making 2 inner pockets, repeat for the remaining piece.
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Fold the short edges of the 20" x 30" lining piece 1 1/2" back and press.
Fold the piece widthwise in half, align all sides. Press the folded line to mark the center of the bottom.
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| Pin the pocket 3" from one of the folded edge and equal distance from the sides. Topstitch the pocket in place. |
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Unfold the upper edges. Fold the lining widthwise in half, face inside. Align the edges. Stitch the sides together, seam allowance 1/2". Press the seams open.
Fold the upper edges back. You can topstitch the folded edge in place, optional.
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To make box corners, separate the front and back sides at the corners. Center the seam on the side with the bottom crease. We show these steps on a different fabric for better viewing.
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| Measure 2 1/2" along the seam from the corner. |
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| Draw a line perpendicular to the seam across the corner. |
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Stitch along the line.
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Turn the corners up onto the sides and stitch by hand to the side seams.
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Turn the bag wrong side out, insert it into the lining. Line up the side seams.
Pin the upper edge of the lining to the bag, overlapping the folded edge slightly by 1/4".
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If you use a magnetic snap, attach it now. If you use a sew-on snap, you can sew it on later. Stitch the lining to the bag by hand.
Sew on the snap.
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| Have fun! |
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