Reversible Tote Bag Pattern

                               Two Tote Bags in One

                                                  Reversible tote bag Pattern

a kid friendly pattern-may need adult help

Materials

Two fat quarters

Thread

Sewing Machine

Pins

Iron

Rotary Cutter, mat and ruler or scissors

Note:

If you use scissors you will need to mark the cutting lines with a pencil or pen.  You will also need a measuring tape.

This works best with a rotary cutter, mat and ruler if possible.

Preparing the Fabric

Step 1

-Fold your fat quarter in half so the selvage edge is on the side of the fabric.  Repeat with second fat quarter.  Trim off the selvage edge.

-Square up both of your fat quarters as shown.  Make sure the fold is lined up with a straight mark on the ruler.

Making the Straps

-Cut (2) 2 inch strips from the top or bottom of each fabric.  

-You will have 4 strips.

Step 3

-Pin and sew strips right sides together with one fabric on one side and the other on the other side.  Only sew the long sides together, leave the ends un-sewn as shown.  Use a 1/4 inch seam.  Remember to backstitch at each end of each seam.

-Turn the straps right side out and press.  

Making the bag.

-Step 1

Fold and trim your two fat quarters so they are the exact same size.  They will be around 13 inches by 9 inches folded or 18 inches unfolded.

Step 2

-With right sides together pin each of your fat quarters together around the bottom and open side as shown. 

Using a 3/8 inch seam, sew the pinned side and bottom remember to backstitch on both ends.

-Turn the bags right side out. I use a pin to pull the corners out on the bottom of the bags.  Press the bags.

Step 2

-Pick one of the bag sections.  Measure from the edge to the center and mark 1 inch using a pin. Turn the bag over and measure one inch from the edge, just like you did for the other side.

-Place your finished strap, with right sides together, matching raw edges pin the straps to the bag as shown.  Repeat with the other side of the bag. 

Stitch the straps in place.  You will have one bag with straps and one bag without straps.

Sew Bag Together.

Step 1

-Turn the bag with the straps inside out.  Do not turn the other bag inside out! Put the other bag (with no straps) inside the bag with the straps with right sides together.  

-Using 2 pins, mark your starting and stopping places.  Give yourself a 3 inch opening. This will be the hole for you to turn the bag right side out.

-Match the right edges together and pin and then sew  around the top. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of this seam.

-Pull the bag right side out through the hole in the top.  Push one bag into the other bag.

-Press the entire top so you have an even edge.  Sew around the top.  This will close the opening.  Be sure to top stitch close to the edge.

-You will have an adorable bag that looks just like this,

and this.  

Happy Sewing!

Wednesday, Quilt Day

Every Wednesday a group of quilters meet at our local Lutheran Church from 10-2 to work on projects.  Each week, I look forward to stories, laughter, words of wisdom, goodies and inspiration.  Here are a few projects from last weeks get together.

Sally's finished quilt top.  She's been working on this for a couple of sessions.  She found this kit for a great price and couldn't resist. Check out the mitered corners.  

Sally's project for the day was to arrange these half square triangle blocks.  She brought her own design wall and her goal was to get half of the blocks placed by the end of the day.  The geometric triangles were made from the True Colors Pom Poms and Stripes 10 inch Charm Pack by Tula Pink.  Don't you love the gray she found for the background.

Hurray for Sheryl, another Quilts of Valor project.  This is also a kit.  Look at all of those precise points!

Marcy says she's sworn off purchasing new fabrics and plans to use what she has.  She is making a scrappy quilt with these random blue strips.  Don't you just love it.  She did get a gift certificate to my shop for have the prize winning quilt at our last quilt show, so she'll have to do a little shopping.

Linking to:

Easter Bunny

      I was digging through my quilts to find something to hang up for Easter.  Look what I found!  I made this quilt back in the ots.  I would guess this quilt is about 15 years old but it doesn't look a day over 5.  I worked on this quilt at a retreat and I was happily sewing on paper and cutting away when one of my fellow retreaters told me she just couldn't stand it anymore and she showed me how to paper piece the right way.  All of these little baskets are paper pieced.  The flowers, birds and bunny are all done with raw edge quilting.  This is on my wall for the holiday.  Happy Easter!!

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Linking to:  Midweek Makers, Finished or Not Friday, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop 

Humpback Whale Finish

Whew.... I'm finally finished.  I started this wall hanging a long time ago.  Last year I put it on my list of UFO's to finish and well, didn't finish it.  I left it out so I wouldn't forget about it and it made me feel guilty every time I walked by, so I buckled down and just put a border on it and quilted it.  This pattern is from Dana Michelle at Wildfire Designs. You can find it here. I didn't follow the color card she provides, I used what I had on hand.  It's a great raw edge pattern for your leftover batiks.

I posted about the quilting here.  I had a little fun trying a couple of quilting patterns on my Q20, that daunting machine in the corner of my sewing room.  

Linking to: Finished or Not Friday, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop

OMG March Finish-Citrus Cooler

I've finally finished Citrus Cooler.  It is my OMG finish for March.  

This is another of the patterns I've developed to use 10 inch squares.  It is actually just half square triangle blocks arranged in this pattern.  There are a million ways to arrange your half square triangle blocks to get a stunning result.  

I have posted the pattern for you to try too.  I used Robert Kaufman's  Kona Cotton Citrus Fruit Palette half stack and Kona Cotton yardage in white for the background.  You can use a 10 inch square pack of white Kona Cotton to make the blocks too.  The pattern lists what you need for the background fabric if you use just yardage and if you use the 10 inch squares and yardage.

You can see the pattern if you enlarge your screen

Linking to:  OMG, Finished or Not Friday, Can I Get A Whoop, Whoop, TGIF, Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Design Wall Monday, Moving It Forward Monday,  

Humpback Whale Wall Hanging

In October, I posted about UFO projects I wanted to finish in 6 months.  See the post HERE.  Most of the projects have been finished, but this one is still waiting to be quilted.  I purchased my new Q20 in December and had a month to play with it before leaving for 2 months.  While I was gone I picked up a couple of great quilting books.  When I returned, I had to re-learn how to use my Q20.  I sat down with the manual and figured out how to thread the machine and bobbin. After the review, I began quilting.

I decided to use a pattern in Stitching Pathways book by Wendy Sheppard. The pattern makes me think of the motion of water under the sea.  I will cover the water with this pattern, then I have to think about the mountains, the sky and the border.  This is a great project for my new Q20.

Linking to:

Forget-Me-Not Apron

I've just listed this apron on my Etsy site HERE.  It's the perfect spring kitchen accessory.