This tutorial will guide you through making a tote bag using quilted panels and cork fabric. The bag features machine embroidery designs of a Celtic Knotwork Fox and Bear on a sturdy quilted base. You will learn how to sew the bag, quilt the panels, and add embroidery for a bold look. The combination of cork and fabric makes this a unique and durable project.
We used designs of Celtic Knotwork Bear Set and Celtic Knotwork Fox from our Celtic Collection. The designs are available in several sizes. We used the large hoop size (5" x 7").
The finished size of the bag is about 14"W x 12 "H x 5"D.
|
|
You will need :
- embroidery threads of colors of your choice,
- about 1 yard of brown fabric for the front panel and back panels and the lining;
- a piece of of faux cork fabric measuring 12" x 52" (available e.g. on Amazon.com, Jo-Ann fabric stores);
- light to -medium-weight cut-away stabilizer;
- low-loft polyester batting or polyester ceabt felt.
|
You will also need:
|
- quilter's ruler;
- rotary cutter and/or scissors;
- tailor's colored chalk pencil;
- graph pencil;
- iron;
- #12 universal needle, and sewing thread;
- #18 univeral needle and extra strong thread;
- #12-14 quilting needle and quilting threads of colors matching the fabric;
- sew-on snap 1/2"- 1" large.
|
| Handles: |
Out of faux cork cut 2 strips measuring 2" wide and 52" long.
On the back of the strips, with a pencil and ruler, draw a lengthwise line dividing the strips in half. |
Working with one long side at a time, fold the long side to the line and topstitch in place.
Repeat for the other side.
Make another handle out of the remaining strip.
You'll get 2 handles 1" wide and 52" long. Set the handles aside for the time being. |
Embroidery:
|
Out of brown fabric, cut 2 pieces measuring about 15" x 18".
Mark the position of the embroidery in the center of each piece.
|
Prepare threads. Upload the files from the Celtic Knotwork Bear and Celtic Knotwork Fox into your machine and embroider them one by one. Don't forget to stabilize the fabric with light to- medium-weight cut-away stabilizer and hoop tightly.
|
Quilting:
|
| Remove the stabilizer. around the embroidery. Place the stitch-outs on low-loft bating or polyester craft felt and quilt them in a free-motion style. We always echo-quilt the embroidery first, then the rest of the working piece. |
Press the working pieces and trim to 13" W x 16" H, keeping the embroidery in the center.
Finish the raw edges with zig-zag stitch. |
Preparing the Fabric Panels:
|
On the back side of the stitch-outs, measure 1 1/2" from the upper edge, fold and press with steam.
On the right side of the stitch-outs, on both sides of the embroidery, draw parallel lines, spaced 6" apart.
Measure 1 1/2" from the creased line (3" from the upper edge) along the drawn lines. Mark with short perpendicular lines. The long lines mark the position of the handles, the short perpendicular lines mark the place up to which the handles will be stitched.
Measure 2 1/2" from the parallel lines on both sides and draw another pair of parallel lines. |
|
| Repeat the marking for the other piece. |
Side Panels:
|
Out of the faux cork fabric, cut 2 pieces measuring 8 1/2" x 16" each.
On the wrong side, measure 1 1/2" from one of the short edges, draw a line. Fold and press with warm iron. The crease will not hold well, but that's okay.
Also draw a line from one short edge to the other, dividing the piece in half. |
Overlap a cork panel with the fabric panel, align the edge of the cork with the second drawn line. Topstitch in place with several parallel stitch-lines, 1/4" apart.
Repeat with the other cork piece. |
|
| In the same way, sew the remaining fabric panel to one of the cork panels. |
|
| Assembly: |
| Working with one handle at a time, align it with the first parallel line and topstitch in place stopping at the marks. |
|
| Fold the working piece, aligning the open cork and fabric adges as described above and topstitch them together. |
|
| Turn the tote wrong side out. Fold, aligning the handles and the panels. Pin the bottom. |
|
| Stitch the bottom with several parallel lines. Trim the corners of the cork and press the seam open. |
 |
| To make box corners, separate the front and back sides at the corners. Center the central line on the side with the bottom seam. |
|
| Measure 2" along the seam from the corner. Draw a line perpendicular to the seam across the corner. |
|
| Top-stitch along the line several times. Trim the corner, leaving a seam allowance of 1/2". |
|
| Repeat for the other corner. |
Lining:
|
| Out of brown fabric, cut a piece measuring 20" x 28". Fold it widthwise in half and press. |
To make pocket/s, cut 1-2 pieces measuring 9" x 9". Fold the piece in half, face inwards. Stitch along 2 sides. Seam allowance for the pocket is 1/4".
Turn right side out. Press. Tuck the raw edges 1/2" inside, press and topstitch.
Repeat for the second pocket.
Position the pocket on the lining piece, about 4"-5" from the shorter edge and an equal distance from the sides. Pin.
Topstitch along the side and bottom edges in place. |
|
| Fold the lining, right side inside, align the edges, stitch the sides together. Open and press the seams. |
To make box corners, separate the front and back sides at the corners. Center the seam on the side with the bottom creased line.
Measure 2" along the seam from the corner. Draw a line perpendicular to the seam across the corner. |
|
| Top-stitch along the line. Repeat for the other corner. |
|
| Fold the corners to the side seams and stitch them to the side seams by hand. |
|
| Finishing: |
With wrong sides together, insert the outer bag into the lining. Align the side edges of the lining with the side lines on the cork panels. Lift the folded upper edge and tuck the lining under it up to the folded crease.
Fold the upper edge back onto the lining. Pin. |
|
| Topstitch along the upper edge twice - 1/4" and 1" from the edge. |
Sew on the snap onto the wrong side of the bag between the handles.
|
|
| Have fun! |
|
|
Back to Celtic Knotwork Bear Set , Celtic Knotwork Fox or Celtic Collection.
|
Back to Projects Page
|
Menu
Shopping Cart
Check Out
