How to Make a Reversible Quilted Shopper Tote Bag
Image credit: sprinkleofsewing on Instagram
The Fat Quarter Shop shares with us another DIY Quilt project. This time, Miniki Kim shows us a reversible quilted shopper tote bag, perfect for an adventurous beginner sewist.
Materials:
- Foam batting
- Exterior fabric
- Lining fabric
- Cloth iron
- Friction pen
- Ruler
- Binding strip
- Clips
- Poly strapping
- Double cap rivets
- hammer
Directions:
For the tote bag exterior, sew two pieces of fabric together. Then, using a cloth iron, press the seam open. Lay the exterior fabric on top of the foam batting. The foam batting should be ½ inch wider than the exterior fabric. Fold the exterior fabric and spray half of the batting fabric. Then. Press the fabric gently onto the foam batting neatly. Repeat on the other side.
Flip the exterior fabric and foam batting over. Spray the paste on the lining fabric and gently press it down.The lining should be wider than the foam batting. Flip the fabrics right side up, exterior facing, and clip the fabrics together to secure them.
For the quilt, the pattern to be used is the crisscross method. Place your ruler diagonally from corner to corner and mark with a friction pen. Repeat on the other corners. Set the seam guide at about 1 inch on your sewing machine and change the stitch length to three. 2311 is preferred.
Start quilting. Sew neatly, following one direction diagonally before sewing the opposite side. Repeat the process to make both sides of the tote bag.
Lightly press the fabrics with the clothing iron to remove the friction pen mark. Also, remove the clips.
Make another quilt with the bottom panel on the right side. To assemble, line the bottom panel strip with the wrong side facing over the main fabric, over the main fabric bottom fabric. Clip-in place. Place a binding strip on the bottom side of the bottom panel strip, clip in place, and sew everything in place.
For the excess binding fabric, neatly fold it together with the lining and sew. Use the clothing iron to firmly press the binding. Fold the binding again and topstitch it together with the main fabric lining. Repeat the same process with the other side of the main fabric to assemble.
When done, fold the fabric with the right sides facing together, and fold and clip the bottoms.
Take another binding strip and place it right side facing each other on one side of the tote bag. Repeat the process on the other side. Sew the binding strip and sides in place. Neatly press down as you go. Make sure to fold and secure the other side of the binding with a topstitch.
Turn the whole bag right side out. Fold the binding strip in half, press, and sew around the whole bag for the top binding. For the handle, cut a binding fabric on the side you want. Also, cut the poly strapping an inch smaller.
Fold the binding fabric over and press it into place. Place the poly strapping on one side of the binding fabric fold and cover the strapping inside the binding fabric. The strap should be pinned and sewn together. Repeat to make the second strap. Place each strap on the bag and secure with a clip. To assemble the strap with the bag, use a double cap rivet to secure it.
