Rag Quilt Stamper s Tote Designed By: Carrie Rhoades January 2012 The Rag Quilt Stamper s Tote is the perfect accessory for any crafter. It will organize your essentials and it is so cute!!! Load it up with swaps, adhesive, Paper Snips, Bone Folder and more! Then you are ready to meet up with your crafting friends and get your stamp on! This tote is so cute and functional all your stampin friends are going to want one! What a perfect gift!!! Instructions Step 1 Print out the Rag Quilt Stamper s Tote Guide. Pick out the three fabrics you would like to use for your tote. Complete the Guide sheet; this will help you when sewing. Write down your fabric choices and map them out on the diagram. See my completed guide below. Step 1
Step 2 Cut your fabric into 5 squares. You will need a total of 30 squares, use your diagram to figure out how many of each fabric you will need. To simplify, I planned mine so that I would need 10 squares of each fabric. I use a rotary cutter, self-healing mat and acrylic grid to cut my fabric. Step 3 Using stiff felt (found at the craft store) for the batting to make your tote study enough to carry everything you need. Cut the felt into 3-1/2 squares. You will need 15 squares. Step 4 Cut the fabric for your handles, two 2-1/2 x 13-1/2 pieces. Step 5 For the inside of the handles cut two ¾ x 13-1/2 pieces of batting (I used cotton quilt batting). Step 6 Die cut your fabric squares using the Scallop Square Bigz Clear die and the Big Shot. Lay four layers of fabric on a Standard Cutting Pad. Center the die over the fabric. Laying it out this way will help ensure that the fabric does not sag into the clear die. Carefully pick this up and flip it over to make sure that it is centered. Adjust if needed. Add the second Standard Cutting Pad and run it through the Big Shot. Repeat until all 30 of your fabric squares have been die cut. Note: You may be able to cut more layers of fabric than four, experiment and see what works best for your fabric and your Big Shot. If you get too many layers, some of them will not be die cut all the way around; I have found this happens around seven layers. Step 6 Step 7 Layer your die cut fabric with your stiff felt square, making sandwiches. Repeat this with all the fabric squares and felt squares. Then stack them up, off setting every other one and take them to the sewing machine. Off setting them makes them easier to pick up from the pile.
Step 7 Sandwich = Fabric, Stiff Felt, Fabric Note: You can pin your fabric sandwiches together if you like. If you are comfortable with sewing you will find that it is not necessary. Step 8 One sandwich at a time, sew your square from one corner to the other corner, or diagonally, through the middle. There is no need to backstitch. Step 8 Step 9 When you get to the end of your square, pick up the next square and sew it the same way, do not cut your thread after the first square. Continue doing this until all your squares have been sewn diagonally. When finished you will have a chain of scallop square sandwiches. Cut the connecting threads and restack your squares as in Step 7. Step 9 Step 10 Sew your squares diagonally from corner to corner again, starting at an open corner. Continue sewing without cutting your string, creating another chain. Once you have sewn all 15 squares, cut them apart.
Step 11 Sew closed the top side of the seven squares indicated with a red line on the diagram below. Which is: Square 1 and 4 of row 2, Square 1 and 4 of row 3, Divider 1, Divider 2, Divider 3 Using a 3/8 seam allowance (use this seam allowance for the entire project, which is to line up the edge of the scalloped square with the first line to the right of your presser foot). Start stitching about one scallop in and stop sewing when you have about one scallop left. This will give the finished tote nice corners. There is no need to backstitch. Note: You may notice that the tops of these squares are not sewn closed in my photos. I did not do this when I made mine and I had a very hard time getting them all stitched closed at the end, so do not skip this step. row 1 row 2 row 3 row 4 divider 1 divider 2 divider 3 Step 11 Step 12 Sew the two squares for row 1 together, putting the insides of the squares together. You want the scalloped ruffle to be on the outside. Using a 3/8 seam allowance. Start stitching about one scallop in and stopping when you have about one scallop left. There is no need to backstitch. Use these same rules when sewing all your other rows.
Step 12 Step 13 Sew the squares together to create row 2, using the same rules as in Step 12. Make sure that squares 1 and 4 are placed so that the tops that are sewn closed are facing the ends. Step 13 Step 14 For row 3, stitch square 1 and 2 together. Then sew on divider 3 and square 3 at the same time. Lastly, sew square 4 to square 3. Again, make sure the squares with the tops sewn closed are facing the right direction, before you start sewing, squares 1 and 4 should face the ends, the divider squares closed top would face right when sewing. Step 14 Step 15 Sew divider 1 and 2 to row 3, one divider at a time. Stitch divider 1 to square 2, starting about one scallop in and stopping with about one scallop left. You will want to backstitch when you start and stop with both of these squares. Repeat, stitching divider 2 to square 3. Refer to the Tote Guide sheet if necessary. Make sure the tops that are stitched closed on the dividers are opposite the sides you are sewing to the row.
Step 15 stitching divider 1 to square 2 of row 3 Step 16 Sew square 1 of row 4 to row 3, pinning it to square 2. Fold the divider squares out of the way when you sew, so as not to stitch them in where you do not want them. Sew square 2 of row 4 to row 3, pinning it to square 3. Remember to start and stop with about one scallop in and on scallop left and backstitch. Step 16 pinning square 1 and 2 of row 4 to row 3 and sewing them together. Step 17 Sew where the dividers come together on the row 3 side only. We will do the row 4 side in a later step. Start sewing at the bottom and finish at the top. To do this you will need to fold the bottom pieces in half diagonally, see picture below. Step 17
Step 18 Sew row 2 and 3 together, only at squares 2 and 3. We ll leave the end squares for another step, where we will make the sides of the tote. You will need to pin all four of the squares together to hold everything in place, the tote is getting thick now! The divider will be folded down to complete this step. Step 18 Step 19 Sew row 1 and 2 together. Pinning square 1 of row 1 to square 2 of row 2. Step 19 Step 20 Sew dividers together on the row 4 side, pinning the three squares together at the top corner. Start sewing at the bottom and finish at the top, backstitching. Step 20
Step 21 Sew the left side together; pinning the squares together at the top and sewing from the bottom to the top. Remember to backstitch. Repeat this on the right side. Step 22 Sew the corners together. Pinning them one at a time and sewing them one at a time, from bottom to top, backstitching. Step 22 Step 23 For the handles take your two 2-1/2 x 13-1/2 pieces of fabric, fold the fabric in half the long way and iron both pieces. Step 24 Fold edges of fabric in ¼ and iron on both sides, repeat with second handle. Close handle and iron over top. Step 25 Insert the batting into the handles and pin in place. Step 24 Step 25
Step 26 Stitch the open side of the handle closed, stitching about ¼ away from the edge of the fabric. Stitch the folded side of the fabric, stitching about ¼ away from the edge of the fabric. Step 26 Step 27 Continue stitching down the handle, evenly spacing your lines, adding three more lines down the middle of the handle. Repeat with second handle. Step 27 Step 28 To attach the handles to the tote; pin one end of the handle to the inside of an open square, placing in between the stiff batting the inside piece of fabric. Slide it in about 1 down or a little less, get the handle as close to the edge as you can. Repeat with the other end of the handle pinning it to the square right next to the first one. Repeat with the second handle on the other side. Step 28
Step 29 To sew the handles to the tote on the side with the divider; you will be sewing across the entire length of the square that holds the handle. Backstitch when you start and when you get to the divider. Repeat with the square on the other side of the divider. The handle is now attached on the divider side. Step 29 Step 30 To sew the handles to the tote on the opposite side you will stitch across the entire length of row 1. There is no need to stop at the end of the square. Remember to backstitch. Your handles are now attached! Your tote is functional, but now it is time to make it cute! Step 30 Step 31 Add a button to the center of each outer square, stitching them on by hand with a needle and thread. Step 31
Step 32 To make the decorative flower, cut ten 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 fabric squares. Die cut them using Circle die #2, using the second to the largest circle. Cut in two batches, five pieces of fabric at a time. Step 33 Fold a fabric circle in half and then in half again, creating a triangle. String this on to a needle and thread, piercing the folded circle at the point. Step 33 Step 34 Continue with the remaining nine circles, until all ten are strung on the string. Step 35 Insert needle back through the first circle. Pull tight forming the strung fabric into a circle. Tie off thread in a knot, but do not cut the thread. Step 35 Step 36 Stitch flower to your tote just below a handle. Tie off and knot thread and snip end close so as to not leave threads showing.
Step 36 Materials: Stampin Up! Supplies: Item # Price (30) 5 x 5 Twitterpated Designer Fabric Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine 113439 $99.95 (2) 2-1/2 x 13-1/2 Twitterpated Designer Fabric Standard Cutting Pads 113475 8.95 (8) Twitterpated Designer Buttons Scallop Square Bigz Clear Die 115950 21.95 (15) 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 Stiff Felt Twitterpated Designer Fabric 125412 9.95 (2) ¾ x 13-1/2 Quilt Batting Twitterpated Designer Buttons 125579 6.95 Circles Die #2 114526 15.95 Non-Stampin Up! Craft Scissors 108360 29.95 Stiff Felt Quilting Batting Needle & Thread Sewing Machine Rotary Cutter Self-Healing Cutting Mat Acrylic Grid Ruler