Leather Strap. materials and tools. step one. Print the pattern piece templates (pages 6-9).

Transcription

1 Leather Strap Tote materials and tools materials and tools 1¼ yards of fabric for the bag top 18ʺ x 24ʺ rectangle of contrast fabric for the bag base 3ʺ x 20ʺ strip of faux leather for the handle One package (approximately 60ʺ) of extra-wide double-fold bias binding (or make your own!) Clear quilters ruler Fabric marker Thread Scissors Classic design meets modern twist. This cool tote with boxed bottom can carry anything you throw at (or in) it. The leather strap simplifies the design and accentuates your style. Clean, classic lines mean it s easy to construct, so you go from zero to toteand-go in less time. It won t be long before this becomes your go-to tote. Created by Rachel Faucett step one Print the pattern piece templates (pages 6-9). The bag top is split into three pieces; cut them out and tape them together before cutting out your fabric pieces! 1

2 step two Iron your fabric, then cut out the bag tops (2) and bag bottoms (2). step three Stitch the bottom to the top for each side of the bag using ½ʺ-wide seam allowances. step four Press the seam allowances towards the bottom of the bag. step five Topstitch the edge of the base seam on each side. I used decorative stitch #401 on my BERNINA 580 E, with a width of 7.1 mm and length of 5.1 mm. Experiment with decorative stitches, or keep it simple with just a straight stitch. 2

3 step six With right sides together, stitch the side and bottom edges of the bag using a ½ʺ-wide seam allowance. Press the seam allowances open. step seven Using a clear quilters ruler, measure in 1½ʺ at the corners of the base of the bag as shown; mark with a fabric pen. step eight Cut the squares from the corners of the bag base. step nine With the bag still inside out, pinch the cut-out edges together as shown, making sure the previously sewn seams are pressed open. Pin in place. 3

4 step ten Sew the corner edges together with ½ʺ-wide seam allowances. This will create nice boxed corners on the base of your bag. step eleven On one side of the top edge of your bag, pin the bias binding in place. step twelve Sew the binding to the bag, stitching close to the edge of the binding (a scant ⅛ʺ) as shown. step thirteen For the second half of the binding, start by opening the binding at its main crease and folding the corners in slightly as shown. Then fold the end under ½ʺ; press. 4

5 step fourteen Pin the binding in place, then repeat the above folding technique once you reach the other edge on the point of the bag, overlapping the ends. Stitch the binding in place as you did in step eleven. step fifteen For the handle, fold the leather strip in half lengthwise; press (check a scrap first to make sure it won t melt). Fold under each outer edge ½ʺ; press. Finally, fold press the center crease again with all edges turned under. Stitch the open edges of the strap together close to the edge (a scant ⅛ʺ), making sure you catch both sides of the strap in your stitches. step sixteen To attach the handle to the bag, pin it to the points of the bag as the desired length. Stitch-in-the-ditch beside the binding and across the bottom of the handle, creating a triangle shape as shown. To make sure those handles are nice and secure, go over your stitching again about three times. Voila! Your sweet little market tote bag is complete! Enjoy! 5

6 Join pieces, then cut on fold + + = Top Part 1 of 3 Tape the three Top sections 1, 2, and 3 together. Pattern Templates After joining the top pieces together, cut two tops on the fold. Join Here

7 Join pieces, then cut on fold Top Part 2 of 3 Join Here Join Here Pattern Templates

8 Join pieces, then cut on fold Top Part 3 of 3 Join Here Pattern Templates

9 Bottom cut 2 on fold Pattern Templates Cut on fold