Neighbors All Are We Tote Bag and Table Runner Created by Kathy Stanley Sewing by the Sea, Trenton 207-664-2558 Neighbors All Are We Tote Bag and Table Runner Created by Kathy Stanley Sewing by the Sea, Trenton 207-664-2558 8
Materials needed for tote bag: 30 charm squares 5 x 5 ½ yard coordinating fabric for bag bottom and handles 1/3 yard coordinating fabric for background of paper dolls ½ yard for lining pockets and top binding 5/8 yard for lining Stabilizer for outside of tote: I prefer a fusible fleece here, but choose your favorite: 1 ¼ yards of 20 wide, or 2/3 yard of 45 wide stabilizer for inside of bag and handles: I prefer a woven fusible interfacing here, but other Interfacings are acceptable: 1 1/8 yard of 45 wide, or 2 yards 20 wide ½ yard paper-backed fusible web Materials needed for table runner: 30 charm squares 5 x 5 1/3 yard coordinating fabric for background of paper dolls ½ yard for backing ½ yard 45 wide batting ¼ yard for binding ½ yard paper-backed fusible web ½ yard 45 wide batting
Let s Begin! For either project, make the paper dolls and the half-square triangles. Have fun sorting the charms into boy or girl and the light/dark choices for the halfsquare triangles, or any sorting you would like to use. Then continue as follows: 1. Trace 10 paper dolls onto the paper side of the fusible web. (5 girls, 5 boys; all girls; all boys you choose)use the patterns on page 10. 2. Rough cut them apart and iron to the wrong side of ten of your charm squares. Heed manufacturer s advice as to how much heat is needed to achieve this! Cut out on the lines. 3. From the paper doll background fabric, cut 2 strips 5 wide x WOF. Recut into 10 rectangles 5 x 6 ½. 4. Remove paper from dolls and iron each one onto a background piece, centering or at least situating one arm 1/8 from an edge. 5. Stitch around the paper dolls using a satin stitch, a straight line, a blanket stitch, or any appliqué method you prefer. 6. Trim each square to 4 ½ wide. It is okay to have ¼ beyond each arm since they will connect in the seams. 7. Sew the dolls together in two rows of 5 for the tote or in one row of ten for the runner. (1/4 seams) Match the arms. This might leave the tops and bottoms uneven. No worries! You will trim these evenly before sewing the next steps.
8. Pair up the remaining charm squares into 10 sets. (I matched lights to darks.) Draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of the lighter square. Place these two squares right sides together. Sew a scant ¼ away from the line on both sides. Cut on the line. Press open and trim to 4 ½ square. You will have 20 squares. Here s where the instructions diverge. If you are making the tote, continue. If you are making the runner, skip to page 8. 1. Make the tote s handles: Cut two strips WOF x 5 wide. Cut two strips of interfacing 3 wide x WOF (if using 45 wide) or 4 strips x WOF (if using 22 wide) Iron the strips down the center wrong side of the tote s handles. Press the handle strip in half lengthwise to make a crease. Open. Fold the raw edges inward toward the center crease, almost meeting, and press. Fold the entire handle on the crease line. Press. Pin. Topstitch the entire length on both sides. Shorten the handle now if you do not want an over-theshoulder handle.
2. Sew the tote front together, inserting the handles into the seams as follows: Trim the row of paper dolls so that the top and bottom are even and have at least ½ above and below the dolls. 6 is a good amount here, but adjust as needed. Pair the half-square triangle blocks to arrange a chevron pattern. Sew two rows of 5 that are mirror images of each other. (1/4 seams). Then sew another set of 5. Adjust these to the same length as the paper doll rows if needed. They should measure about 20 ½ long and 4 ½ wide. Now sew one chevron to the bottom of the paper doll row. Cut a 5 ½ wide strip of the bag bottom fabric. Cut this to the same width as the chevron width and stitch to the bottom of the row of chevrons. Place the handles 3 ½ left and right from the center on the paper doll row. Baste in place.
Attach the mirror image chevron row to the top of the dolls and stitch across.. (The handle is folded up in this photo). Repeat this for the other side of the tote. Back each tote piece with the fusible fleece (or chosen stabilizer). Quilt and/or embellish as desired now. 3. Make the lining: Cut two pocket pieces 14 high x width of the tote (20 ½ )* Cut two interfacing pieces 7 high x width of the tote.* Cut two pieces for main lining 9 high x width of the tote.* Cut two pieces for main lining 12 high x width of the tote.* *These can be cut by cutting a strip across the WOF of the lining materials the height of the desired piece and then cutting on the fold and trimming to the correct width.
Iron a 7 interfacing strip to one half of the lining pockets. Fold in half wrong sides together and topstitch across the folded edge. Make two of these. Place a pocket on the bottom edge of the 12 piece. Baste on two sides and bottom raw edge. Stitch pocket divisions as desired. Sew 9 lining piece to bottom of the pocket matching raw edges, Press downward and topstitch along the pocket base. Make two pieces like this. Back the entire piece with interfacing. Trim piece to ¼ narrower than the tote outside and ½ shorter. You now have all the tote pieces except the binding. This you may cut 2 ½ x WOF and set aside until the final step. 4. To assemble the tote: First cut out 3 squares in the lower corners of both the outside and the lining. For the outside of the tote, place right sides together and sew down each side and across the bottom using a ½ seam. DO NOT SEW AROUND THE CUTOUT. Repeat for lining.
To make the square bottom, with the right sides still together, pull up the edges of the corner square and align the side and the bottom seams. Finger press the bottom and the side seams open as you stitch across ½ from the raw edges. Be sure to secure seams at both ends. Insert the lining wrong side out into the tote. Pin around the top. Baste. Make binding by fitting the binding strip around the top, sewing it into a tube, and pressing it in half the long way with wrong sides together. Stitch to the inside first aligning raw edges. Fold to the outside and topstitch. (This works like a quilt binding.) Fold up the handles and topstitch to the binding edge. Tah-dah! Your tote is finished..
And now for the table runner! 1. Sew your paper dolls into one long row of ten. Trim evenly across the top and the bottom. 2. Sew your half-square triangles into two mirror image rows of ten. 3. Sew a chevron row on either side of the paper dolls. 4. Layout runner with back and batting. Pin or spray baste and quilt. 5. Add a binding using 3 strips x WOF.