2 shorter strips rough cut the same length as one side

           The width is up to you. If you want a 4" finished border then cut the width about 6" to  allow for seam allowance and a little over. If you made an error in measuring you  won't have to recut a border if it is a little bigger than you thought you needed.

                                   2 longer strips rough cut                                            

             Rough cut the length of one side plus  2x the width of the two long borders   ( if your pieced top is 16" then add 4"-5" more on each end making your strip about 26")  You can make the border any size you want. If you use a wider border than 4"-5"   then add  the extra inches to your total. 

       Rough cut means cut off a piece of fabric without measuring. You do need to have  reasonably straight edges but don't go to the trouble of cutting a perfectly shape  piece  because you are going to cut it down later. 

                                                                           Tip: 

    Everyone uses a slightly differant seam allowance so to get the right fit you need  to use your pieced top as a guide to the size needed for the backing and pockets etc. instead of a preset measurement.     

                                                        Making the Pieced Top

            If you want to see illustrations just look at the hot pad directions. The front half is the same as the hotpad but remember to add the borders before you close the half.  You can also see my comments on quilting the pieced top in the hotpad directions. If you want you can quilt the back half. If you add pockets you wont need to quilt the back half. I am not great at quilting things down so I don't quilt the back half.

        First: place the strips on a cutting mat and with a ruler and a rotary cutter  cut a straight edge on one side.

        Next: lay the blocks in rows according to the picture above   Make sure you have the colors in the right places!!   Sew the blocks in rows and the sew the rows together                       

        Next: Place your pieced top on a cutting mat and with a ruler trim it even  - being careful to keep a 1/4" seam allowance.                       

        Now: using the shorter strips sew one on the left side and one onto the right side matching a staight edge to the edge of the pieced top. 

        Next: Open the  seams and iron. I like to iron  the seam open but that's up to you.  Trim the strips even with the ends of the pieced top.

        Next: Sew the long strips to the top and bottom edges. Do not trim these until you  have all four sides added to the pieced top.                                         

        Now: place your pieced top on a cutting mat and lay a ruler over a border. Trim it to the size  you want it to be. Probably about 4-5"

        Next: Trim the border across from the one you just trimmed. Continue trimming the other two borders.      

                                               Cutting the fabric for the back & liner                         

                                                                                 Tip: 

            Everyone uses a slightly differant seam allowance so to get the right fit you need to use your  pieced top                 as a guide to the size needed for the backing and lining  etc. instead of a preset measurement.                                                             

                                    Use regular pins and not ones with large heads for this next step!

     Rough cut out three layers of fabric slightly larger than your pieced top. Lay the pieced top face down onto the backing fabric and cut all three at the same time. The liners do not have to be the same fabric as the back. That choice is up to you.

     Pin the pieced top in place -lay the ruler along one edge of the pieced top and using theedge of the pieced top as a guide - use your rotary cutter to trim the back  to the same size as the top. Continue to trim the other three sides the same way. I usually rough cut around the top so I have a smaller piece to work with instead of working with a larger yardage. Then I put it on a cutting mat and trim it down.

                                       Assembling the  Front Half and the Back Half 

                                          Refer below for instructions to add pockets and velcro

      Choose a side on your pieced top to be the top of your tote bag. Place a pin in the edge of that side. Now pin the edge of each of  the other three layers on the same side as the pieced top. This marks the side of each layer so you know which side is up.

      You want to mark the layers- so after you  seperate the layers to work with them - you can put them back together the way you cut them. You probably won't have cut each side exactly the same and sometimes one  side will not match up exactly with another side when you try to put the liner back  together with the pieced top or the back. They may not evenly match. This makes it hard  to work with. Putting a pin in saves some wear and tear on your nerves and makes it easier to put this project together and come out with a nice looking product.

                       Now you need to sew your handles on. Refer to the directions for this below.  

     Now you need to have the pieced top and one lining face to face. Remember to match the top sides that we put a pin in to mark them earlier. Pin them together. Make sure the handle is laying down into the middle and not sticking up out. It should be sandwiched between your two fabrics. Also make sure it is in the center so you don't sew over it when you sew the two fabrics together. Pin the back and the other lining face to face and set aside.  Now  lay the pieced top half on the batting so the pieced top is facing the batting. It makes it easier to sew with the liner on the upper side when it is moving under your needlele -so you don't have to run over the seams all the time on the pieced top side. Reposition the pins to include the batting. Trim the batting to match the layers. Batting is optional. You don't have to have batting.

    Repeat this process with the other half ( the back and other lining)  Remember the pin to mark the top?  Make sure you have the two halves with the pinned top on the same side. They were all cut together so they should all be put together with that pinned side to the top of the totebag. Ok now begin at the bottom or the side opposite to the marked pinned side. Start about 1/3rd of the way from the left bottom corner. Sew around the pieced  half until you get back to the bottom. Leave an opening about 3" long so you can turn it right side out. 

    Repeat this with the other half. Turn each half right side out and using a turning tool or the tip of your scissors(very carefully) poke out the corners. Repin each half. 

    Starting at the bottom sew along the edge on all four sides til you get back to the bottom. Overlap your sewing. This will close the opening and give your bag a finished look.

    Now you need to quilt the halves.  I don't know how to quilt things down very well. All I know how to do is quilt in the ditch. This is stitching along seam lines. It hides your thread if you watch where you sew.  I sew along the dark fabrics and try to not sew into the lighter areas. You can match your  thread so it will blend a little better.  You can use whatever method of quilting that works for you.

                                                               Making the Handles

      First  you need to cut out 2 strips of fabric  4" wide by whatever length you want. You need to choose whether you want shoulder straps or hand grip handles. Measure yourself for the length you want  if you are making shoulder straps. Make sure you add a couple of inches for seams and the inches that will be used to attach the handles onto the tote bag. Allow about 2" on each end for attaching them.

       For hand grip size choose how long you want them to be. Now fold one strip in half lengthwise wrong side out. Sew the raw edges together creating a tube. Pin a large safety pin into the fabric at one end. Work that pin up through the tube til you get it to the other end. You will have to slide the fabric over itself until you get the tube turned right side out.

       Repeat this with the other strip. When you have both strips turned into fabric tubes. Roll the seam so it lies on the underside of the handle and iron it.  Repeat this with both handles.

                                                              Sewing on the Handles

      After you have ironed each handle flat you need to find the center of the top side of one liner. Look at the illustration below to see the placement.  Pin the ends in place. I like to sew from corner to corner of a box. Look       at the illustration below. I think this gives it strength and makes it less likely to tear out under stress.

      After you have attached the handle on both liners you are now ready to put your tote bag together.  Now go back to the directions for making the front and back halves of your tote bag.

                        Wrong           sewn                    Pin in                       Turn  Right                  Roll the seam               Pin and sew  handles                                                                          side out                                                                          side out                   to the under side            to the liner    

                                            Sandwich handle inside                             Sew around and                                     Turn right side out and                                                                                the back  fabric and liner                          leave a 3 " opening                                   sew around the edge              

                                                        Finishing your Tote Bag

       You now should have two "pillows" with a handle in each one. Your handle should have been pulled through when you turned your halves  right side out.

        Face your two halves face to face and pin at the corners and some inbetween. I like to sew along the bottom to keep it in place so it doesn't shift as you sew the two halves together. So start at one end of the bottom and sew across the bottom. I also like to tack the corners so they look good when i'm done. Otherwise one corner may stick way out and not match the other corner.

       Now go to the right hand top corners and start there. Backstitch several times and then continue to stitch down the side-across the bottom and up the other side. If you have problems getting that upper left corner to meet- start on that corner and backstitch several times. Then continue down that left side working the fabric so it lays straight as you sew. Sew over where you stopped sewing when you started from the right upper corner.A few small puckers are acceptable - you can sometimes smooth them out after you have sewn the seam.

                                   You can spay with sizing to give the cover a stiffer look and /or you can                                        spray it with Scotch Guard fabric protector to keep it clean longer.

                              You should have a beautiful tote bag now to show off all                                            your hard work and your talent!!!      

                                                              Adding Pockets

        If you want to add pockets - decide how deep you want the pockets to be. If you have a tote bag that is 18" deep and you want the pocket to be 12" deep then rough cut (Or measure if you prefer) a piece of fabric slightly wider that the liner and about 24" long. Fold this piece in half and baste on the sides and/or on the bottom. Iron this fabric flat. You can sew along the top to give it a finished look. Baste this in place on the liner before you sew that half together. After you sew the half together you need to trim the pocket fabric that is sticking out at the sides.

        You have options:  You can add more than one pocket. One pocket could be basted to the bottom edge of the liner. A second pocket (or more)could be added in higher up. If you want to add the pocket up higher then sew it into a tube before you baste it on. That way you don't have any raw edges where you don't want them. Make sure you iron it flat!  Another option is to sew down the middle to divide the pocket into two or more pockets. This is how I make credit card pockets in my billfolds.  It isn't hard -just remember to backstitch on each end so it will wear well with a lot of use.  I draw a line with a pencil down the center of the pocket to have a line to sew on.                                                         

                                                            Velcro

            I usually use a large snap if I use anything. You can add velcro if you like. Sew it on the liner before you sew the halves together

                                                                         God Bless You Today and Always!

                                                                                  Rhonda       

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