TOTE TALK! (Plus free tutorial and pattern)

You know by now this isn't a "craft" blog, although you probably also know by now that I am a fan of all things artsy and craftsy!    So, I just had to share my latest little project, the tote bag pictured above.

Here's the back story.  A girlfriend invited me and several other friends to her home for a two-evening quilted tote bag class.  This was supposed to be two classes of 2 hours each: four hours total.  The teacher, "Miss Nancy", gave us handwritten instructions copied onto pink paper.  I am not a sewing newbie, yet I was perplexed and often lost during the class.  We stayed late (very late!) both nights, and still had about 10 hours of "homework" to do on our own.  I kid you not!  It did come out adorable, but there is just NO WAY I wanna spend THAT MUCH TIME on a tote bag, no matter how stinkin' cute it is!

As we were making this tote, I kept getting ideas on how it could be done easier and faster.   So when the class was over and the tote fiiiiiiiiinally done... I decided to put my money where my mouth is and make a second bag, trying out my ideas.  *SUCCESS!*  Yep, the second bag, using my "tweaked and revised" directions, only took a few hours, start to finish.  It was a very fun and "instant gratification" type of a project.  Just the kind I like when I don't want to make a long term commitment to a quilt!  LOL!

So with many thanks and all-due-respect to Miss Nancy, herein I present...

“MISS NANCY’S PATCHWORK TOTE BAG”

(w/ LYNN’S REVISIONS AND SIMPLIFICATIONS!)

FINISHED SIZE:   Approx  17” (wide)  x  14” (tall)

This tote can easily be made with 5 fat quarters and 1 yard of coordinating fabrics. 

(Or simply “mix and match” from your stash, and cut pieces to size as below.)

Also needed:  Warm and Natural, or other thin cotton batting.   

(Approx. 60” x 40”; or in pieces a little larger than:   18” x22”;  18” x 14”;  18” x 8”;  5” x 96”)

NOTE:  Photos below are from various stages of both totes... the one I made in class (the flowered one) and the one I made on my own (the kitty one).   I apparently didn't have the wherewithall to get all the pictures from one project!  ;o)

CUTTING:

BODY OF TOTE:

5” x 22”    Side #1, cut one

5” x 22”    Side #2, cut one

10” x 22”  Middle, cut one

BOTTOM:

18” x 14”, cut one

OUTSIDE POCKETS:

18” x 16”, cut one

STRAPS:

5” x 48”, cut two (For 1.25” wide finished straps)

TIES, OPTION 1: 

Makes softer, floppier ties:  3/4" wide finished (2 fabric layers)

2” x 12”, cut 4  

-or-

TIES, OPTION2:

Makes firmer, stiffer ties:  5/8” wide finished (4 fabric layers)

2.5” x 12”, cut 4:

LINING:

18” x 36”, cut one  (NOTE:  Depending on exact finished size of tote body, this may be approximate.  Do not cut this piece until tote body is done and you can double check this measurement.)

INSIDE POCKET(S)  --  OPTIONAL:

18” x 16”, cut one for one inside pocket , or cut 2 for two inside pockets

BINDING (top finish):

6” x 36”  (for 1” finished binding)

PIECING/QUILTING

(NOTE:  ALL SEAMS ARE 1/2” unless otherwise noted.)

BODY OF TOTE:

Sew one 5” x 22” piece on each side of the 10” x 22” piece along long edges .

Press seams toward darker fabric.

Size of tote body at this point should be 18” x 22”.

Cut a piece of batting larger than 18” x 22” and lay the tote body (right side up) on the batting and carefully smooth it out.  Pin the tote body and the batting together with quilting pins (large straight pins).

Using your favorite method, mark two diagonal, intersecting 45 degree lines (I use a Hera marker, which only creases the fabric.   Hera markers are available online or in most quilt or fabric stores.)  If you don't have a Hera marker, use a water soluble or disappearing marker, chalk, etc.

Then, using a walking foot with a guide, quilt the tote body in a diagonal “grid” pattern, with lines 1” apart.  (NOTE:  If you don’t have a walking foot with a guide, you will have to mark ALL of your grid lines.)
Press, “square up” and trim batting even with tote body.

This is the front side of mine (before trimming batting) :

This is the back (batting) side of mine:

Carefully measure and cut tote body in half crossways, making 2 pieces, each 18” x 11”.

TOTE BOTTOM:

Cut a piece of batting larger than 18” x 14”.

Lay the tote bottom piece on the batting, smooth out, and pin as above.

Mark with two diagonal, dissecting 45 degree lines, and quilt in a 1” diagonal grid pattern as above.

Press, “square up”, and trim batting even with tote bottom.

OUTSIDE POCKETS:

Press 18” x 16” pocket piece in half lengthwise, right sides out.  (Will now measure 18” x 8”)

Cut a piece of batting 18” x 8”.

Place the batting carefully between the layers of fabric, edges even, smooth out, and press.

Topstitch 1/4" from the fold.  (This will be the top of the pockets.)

Pin the 3 layers together and mark/quilt as above in a 1”diagonal grid pattern.

Cut pocket piece in half crossways, making 2 pieces, each  9”x 8”. 

ADD OUTSIDE POCKETS TO TOTE BODY:

Using the photos of the completed bags as your guide, place one pocket in the center of each tote body half, raw “bottom edges” of pocket and tote body even.    Stitch pocket to tote body along both sides (long edges) of pocket using a 1/4" seam.  (The straps will cover these raw edges later.)   

(Note: if you want the side pieces of your tote bag to be alternating fabric between front and back as mine are, then “flip-flop” second tote body piece before adding pocket.)

STRAPS:

Press each strap in half, lengthwise, right sides out.  (At this point, straps will measure 2.5” x 48”)

Then open, and with wrong side up, turn each long edge into center fold, wrong sides together, and press.  (At this point, straps will measure 1.25” x 48”.)

Cut 2 pieces of batting, 1 1/8” x 48”.

Open each strap and insert batting between either of the fabric folds.  Refold carefully and press.

Stitch 1/8” or 1/4" (your preference) along each long edge.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

ADD STRAPS:

Position one strap on one tote body piece as follows:

Center a strap over the seam between the pocket and the side piece of the tote.  Being careful that strap isn’t twisted, center the other end of the strap on the other seam between pocket and side.   Pin in place.

Following your previous strap stitching, stitch strap to bag, starting from the bottom.  Extend your stitching 1” past pocket (toward top of bag).  Reinforce stitching at top by triple stitching, or stitch a decorative “barn door” pattern:

Repeat with other strap on other tote body piece.

BOTTOM:

With right sides together, sew a tote body piece to each long edge of the bottom. 

At this point, you should have:

Press each seam toward bottom and topstitch on bottom 1/4" inch from seam.

LINING:

Measure size of open tote shell.  Cut lining the same size.   Set lining aside for now. 

TOTE SIDES:

With right sides together, fold tote in half; stitch each side.  Press.   

BOX CORNERS ON TOTE:

While still inside out, make mitered/box corners by pressing each corner into a flat triangle, matching the bottom seam to the side seam.  Measure down the seam 1.75” and sew horizontally across the triangle.  Your seam should be 3.5” long.   Stitch again to reinforce.  See diagram below (borrowed from HERE).  

Repeat on other corner.   Turn tote body right-side out.

OPTIONAL :

If making inside pockets, add these to lining now:

Press each 18” x 16” piece in half, making an 18” x 8” pocket piece.

Top stitch 1/4" from folded edge.

Sew to right side of lining, stitching pocket on both sides and across bottom, with pocket top (opening) 4.5” down from each raw, short edge of lining.   

NOTE:  After attaching to lining, pockets can be divided by stitching one or more vertical lines as desired.

With right sides together, sew lining in half along sides.   Turn right-side out.

Make box corners as above. 

With wrong sides together, place lining inside tote, and line up the top raw edges.  Pin and baste.

  

BINDING:

With wrong sides together, press one short edge of binding under 1/4".

Then press binding in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.  

Starting with the 1/4" turned down edge, position binding along top raw edge of tote.  Pin.  (TIP: start binding where it will be hidden by the strap.)  Leave the first 2” unsewn.  Stitch in a scant 1” seam,  tucking in and overlapping ends about 1”. 

Blindstitch vertical overlap where binding meets. 

Turn binding to back (lining side) and hand stitch (blind stitch) in place.

  

TIES:

For OPTION #1 ties:

Press each strap piece in half lengthwise, right sides together;  sew 1/4" from raw edge, to make a “tube”.   Turn right-side out.  Press, tucking in each raw edge 1/4".  Edgestitch short ends. 

For OPTION #2 ties:

For each strap piece: Turn both short edges in 1/4" (wrong sides together) and press.  Then press fabric in half lengthwise.  Then fold in each long edge to the center and press.  Edgestitch all four sides. 

Position and stitch straps on outside of each tote side, approx. 1.5” from strap toward side seam and 2.5” down from top of tote. 

STABILIZER FOR BOTTOM (OPTIONAL):

Cut a piece of plastic mesh (the kind used for plastic needlepoint projects, and readily available in craft and fabric stores) the size of the bottom:  3” x 17”.    If desired, cover with fabric to match lining. 

Place stabilizer in bottom of tote; tack in place if desired. 

ENJOY!

So, how fun are these bags?!  And just perfect for totin' around your *stuff* or giving as a gift.

If you like this bag, please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know.  And if you make one of your own, I would love to see what you've done!

And before I end this post, and because you also know that I am certifiably CAT CRAZEEE, I just haaaaad to share a couple of pictures of my chief sewing companion and right hand helper, my Ragdoll kitty Bentley (aka "Squeak").  OK, HOW FUNNY IS HE???!

Grieving is Not for Wimps

If you read my last post, you know that my mother died in January. She'd been with us in our home, with Hospice support, for a month before her death.

I think about her and miss her every day.  In ways large and small, she is always still *right there*... in my mind, and in my heart.

Apparently sometime when I wasn't looking, the traditional, well-known "5 stages of grief" became 7 stages.  I do agree.  I never thought that denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance could really encompass it all... and that was before I'd ever even had this kind of up close and personal experience with grief.  The 7 stages of grief, according to recoverfromgrief.com are: shock and denial; pain and guilt; anger and bargaining; depression, reflection and loneliness; the upward turn; reconstruction and working through; acceptance and hope. 

Yeah... I'd say that pretty much covers it all.

I'm surprised at how accurate that is.  I don't think I ever really felt the anger and bargaining part... but other than that... oh yeah.  Been there.  It is getting easier, though.  Thank goodness or I'd have never lived through it.  The first 2 weeks were horrific.  Truly torturous, suffocating pain.  The next two weeks, not much better, but at least I could breathe.  Then slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, I started to feel better.  Hour by hour, day by day, the veil of hurt started to lift a little.

Oh, it hasn't gone away... and I know it never fully will.  And I wouldn't want it to.  But I also know that she wouldn't want me to feel that way forever, either.  She would hate that.

So I'm carrying on... trying to be strong... trying to learn to live without my mother.  *sigh*   I guess I'm doing OK.

A few things really blindsided me, though.  Once she was gone, every photo, every letter, every little memento of her took on such new significance with me.  Pictures I had for years suddenly became incredibly precious, because the dawning reality was: there would be no more.

And every morning at 8:00 I still think, "Time to call Mom ---"  Oh.

Every time I drive by her apartment building, I still think, "I'll stop and visit Mom ---"  Oh.

When I'm planning dinner for family or friends, I still think, "I want to invite Mom ---"  Oh.

When I read or hear a corny joke that I know she'd love, I still think, "Gotta tell Mom ---"  Oh.

I wonder how long that will last?

My humble (though admittedly rookie) advice to others who are dealing with grief after losing someone they love?  Be gentle with yourself.  Give yourself time.  Take a nap, take a walk, take a bath.

Keep a journal, if that helps you.  Two weeks after my mom died, I wrote her a letter.  I knew she wasn't ever going to read it, but it helped me immensely to put all those powerful, swirling emotions and feelings down on paper, giving them identity and a voice.

Treat yourself and others kindly.   I think that is so incredibly important.  Sometimes when we are in terrible pain, the human tendency is to strike or lash out at those closest to us.  Try not to forget to appreciate and cherish those who are still with you.

Allow yourself tears, but remember it's OK to laugh and smile, too.

But most of all, find peace and joy in remembering -- because every precious memory that you carry in your heart means that in some very special way, they are still with you.



Top photo credit:  HERE