Tote Bag Tutorial

Learn how to make a Tote Bag in these easy steps.

The Jacobean Peacock Tote Bag used to illustrate these instructions includes 12 4x4 blocks. These 12 blocks make up the full picture of the Jacobean Peacock sized at approx 15" (39cm) x 11.5" (28.5cm). Stitch out all 12 blocks x 2 for the front and for the rear of your bag. Decide on the blocks your would like to use as side and base panels and stitch out 28 blocks which will make up the base and 2 x side panels. Stitch out another 8 blocks for the front and back top sections of your bag. This makes it a total of 60 blocks to have a tote-bag of 15"(38cm) x 15"(38cm) x 7.5"(19cm).

Front & Back panels: Sew together the 12 blocks in the sequence as indicated in your PDF file.

Sew 4 blocks to each other and stitch to the width of the top section of the panels.

Sew 2 x strips of 2/5 blocks to left side of the designs.

This is what your bag should look like now.

Add another strip of 4 blocks to the base as indicated in this picture. You now should have 2 sets of blocks looking like this one. The one will be used as a front and the other as a back panel. Place the 2 panels on top of each other and sew them together. Butt together and stitch with a zigzag stitch and invisible thread.
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Turn your bag inside out. At the base fold a "V" in each side by flattening the corner. Now stitch horizontally with a straight stitch where the scissors indicate. Do both sides.

Fold bag back again and you should have these perfect corners at the base of your TOTE-BAG

Straps - Sew a strap on the front and back sides of your TOTE-BAG (we used 1.4”(3cm) wide ribbon

Your Jacobean TOTE-BAG is finished! Use it as a shopping bag, take it to the beach …

 

 

 

 

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