Quilted Tote Bag Tutorial

My Curved Seams Challenge project is finally done!  I posted about the beginning stages of my project HERE.  I used a great tutorial by Leanne at She Can Quilt.  Leanne also includes a video--how nice is that!!!

So I made my own template, followed Leanne's instructions, made 8 drunkard's path blocks, sewed them into 2 big blocks, and then bordered the blocks with 4 inches of grey fabric.  Here's a pic of my 2 panels:

They were rather large 20" square panels, one for each side of my tote.  

Now, I have blogged about quilted totes before HERE.  I gave pretty good instructions on how to assemble the totes, but I came up with some new tricks in constructing this newest tote, so I thought I'd share them with you.  

If you'd like to have a flat bottom on a tote without adding a separate gusset, you have to match the side seams to the bottom center and stitch through the corners.  I explained this step in detail on my previous quilted tote tutorial.  You can see from the pic below that the overall shape of the bag changes drastically according to how much corner you cut off:

 When you start with square or rectangle front and back panels, the resulting shape of the bag is no longer square or rectangular after you create the bottom this way.  The top opening will always be wider than the width of the bottom.  HOWEVER, if you start with a trapezoidal (triangle with it's head chopped off) you can end up with a rectangular tote bag with a nice flat bottom!

So, I trimmed each of my panels so the top width was 4 inches shorter than the bottom width.  Or more simply put, I cut from the bottom corner to a mark 2 in. from the top corner on each side.  Was that simpler?    Perhaps this picture will be more helpful: 

I made the sandwich of the top panel, the batting, and the lining panel for each side, and then I machine quilted through all the layers.  The first panel I quilted in concentric circles.  I loved the effect, but all the stopping and starting was tedious.  On the other side I made one big spiral instead.  The effect was just as good and the quilting went much faster:

Another something new I tried with this tote was to add an interior pocket.  You can see the stitching on the outside of the bag, but I didn't think it was too distracting.  The alternative was to stitch it in by hand and I wasn't up for that.  Here's a couple pics of the pocket:

Next, I trimmed up the panels and attached them right sides together with bias tape.  I finished the top edge of each panel first, and then placed the panels together and finished the side and bottom seams.  I didn't bother with neat finishes on the bottom corners because I was just going to cut them off later anyway:

Here's some pics of how finished the corner seams.  Let me know if you have questions:

I added the handles, and the tote was done!  The most trying part was the quilting.  I have no patience for quilting and it ruins my back.  The best part was finally getting to try out some curved seams!  So here are the glamour shots of the finished tote.  I even pulled it inside out so you could see the inside.  I love the pallet and the mix of patterns.  I was into black and browns for a while, but grey is definitely my new favorite neutral.  I just love it with everything!

Here's a good shot taken by Mr. Ricochet.  You can see that starting with the trapezoidal shaped front and back panels resulted in a very rectangular-shaped bag:

You can learn about the Curved Seams Sewing Challenge here:

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,

Before you click away, I'd like to invite you to join in my current sewing/craft challenge.

Since this whole curved seams thing is new to me, I'm linking up to Celtic Thistle Stitches' New to Me in 2013 link-up party!  It's a great party to share what you've learned and get inspired by others' projects.

Scrappy Chenille Scarf

One of the participants from my scarf-making challenge made a chenille scarf that I really liked.  Her name is Linda and she wrote a great tutorial for her scarf that you can find HERE.  

Linda's scarf is made up of 7 layers of fabric.  The center layer of fabric is never cut and serves as a background color (black, in Linda's case)  for both sides of the scarf.  After I got 6 pieces of fabric cut, I thought my scarf was already looking very thick.  It's hard to tie and twist a really thick scarf, so I figured out a slightly different method to cut the scarf using only 6 layers of fabric.  

This is a diagram of a cross section of my scarf.
The center layers are grey flannel.
The white vertical lines show the stitching which goes through all 6 layers of fabric.
The black vertical lines show where I cut through 2 and sometimes 3 layers of fabric.
This is how I got away with using an even number of fabric layers.

The center layers were grey flannel.  The outer most layers were a blue/violet tie-dye pattern.
The top photo shows the royal purple I used under the tie-dye on one side.
The bottom photo shows the bright blue I used on the other side.
The sides are different, but the difference is very subtle.
Next time I try this I'm going to make the 2 sides much more different.

As you might be able to guess, I spent almost as much time taking photos of the scarf as I did making it!  I'm trying really hard to learn the manual settings on my camera.  I took a few photography courses in college, but those were years ago and we used real film.  I remember just knowing which adjustments to make to change the focal length and shutterspeed to use to get the photo I wanted.  Now it's a lot of hit and miss, referring back to my manual a million times, and head-scratching.  My biggest trouble now is with focusing.  Maybe my up-close vision is deteriorating as I approach 40.....?  I can't see well enough through my little camera view finder to know if my image is sharp or not.     

Linda said she made her scarf in 2.5 hours.  It took me more like 4 hours.  But I was dealing with very odd-shaped pieces of fabric and had some trouble finding the bias.  The grey flannel is from a set of sheets I bought at the thrift store.  That was a rather large piece of material to deal with.  The other fabrics were in small enough pieces that I had to piece it together to make them long enough.  

Overall I am very pleased with this scarf.  I love the softness and warmth provided by both the chenille effect and the flannel.  I spent no money making the scarf either.  I love to be able to finish a project without having to run to the store to buy supplies.  I chose not to make the tassels on the ends, opting for a simpler look.  But I love the way Linda's tassels look like twisty little caterpillars.....I may slice in some tassels down the road!

I'm curious to hear your comments on this post.  What do you think of this technique?  Would you ever try it?  Any tips on switching your camera over to manual settings would be greatly appreciated as well!

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,

Before you click away, I'd like to invite you to join in my current sewing/craft challenge.  

E-reader, Nook, ipad stand tutorial

Mr. Ricochet gave me a Nook e-reader for Christmas a couple years ago, and it's really been the best gift ever.  I use it everyday, several times a day.  Besides reading, I check my email, facebook, pinterest, twitter, blog comments, etc. If I could edit blog posts from it, I'd be in heaven!  But realistically, I'd never get any sleep if I could blog in bed!

Button hole pull-thru scarf

DIY Dog Coat

WARNING:

This post contains way too many photos of my dog!

They are not even very good photos!

I'm sorry!  I couldn't help myself!

After Pippa, our cockapoo, got her last haircut she transformed from a shaggy black sheepdog to a skinny legged lapdog.  Then temps dropped, and snow fell.  I worried about Pippa getting cold during our walks so I decided to sew her a little coat.  I found this free pattern that was for a very small dog:

After I printed out the PDF and did some measurements, I decided I could alter the pattern to fit Pippa.  You can see I used my blue tape to tape together the pattern and the pink marker where I made the alterations:

After tracing onto some freezer paper I came up with this:

Super Loxol Freezer Paper, With Long Term Protection of 12-15 Months, (Google Affiliate Ad)

Then I used the pattern on an old sheet and saw that I needed to make some adjustments.  I moved the belly strap up closer to the neck and chopped a few inches off the back.  My edited pattern looked like this:

Once I finished making the pattern, I gathered my supplies:

• Outer fabric
• Lining fabric
• Batting: Mountain Mist Batting 51055 Polyester Quilt Batting-Queen Size 90 in. x 108 in. FOB -MI (Google Affiliate Ad)
• Fleece
• Sew-on Velcro: Velcro Brand Industrial Strength Hook / Loop Tape - Tape (Google Affiliate Ad)
• Polyester Thread or Invisible thread: Dritz 82425 Invisible Thread 150 Yards -Clear (Google Affiliate Ad)

I cut out an outer and lining fabrics, adding a 1/2 inch seam allowance:

I sewed together some scraps of quilt batting to make an insulating inner layer without the seam allowance:

I decided the quilt batting wasn't going to be warm enough, and sewing together my scraps was tedious.  So I cut out an old fleece blanket (sorry Grandma!) and added that for extra warmth.  You can see from the above and below pics that I did a quick zig-zag stitch around the edges of the filling to secure them together:

I safety-pinned the batting/fleece to the outer layer of fabric, laying it evenly within the seam allowances.  Then I marked a grid to guide my machine quilting:

I quilted the batting to the outer layer:

I added the looped side of the Velcro to the outer tabs and the hook sides to the lining tabs.  I just used some Velcro strips I had in my stash.  I recommend using the sew-in, rather than the adhesive Velcro.  This part wasn't too hard, but I had to sew the hooked Velcro from the the back because it keep grabbing my top thread.  Here's what my Velcro looked like:

I lined up and pinned the outer and lining fabrics, right sides together, and stitched around the perimeter using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.  I left a 3 inch opening to pull it all through later.  I notched the curves and corners and then turned it all right side out.  I top-stitched the edges and I was done:

I think that Pippa likes her coat.  Well, she knows that we're going for a walk when I put it on her.  Perhaps she's just tolerating it because of the walk.  In any case, Pippa doesn't seem to mind wearing the coat.  She was apprehensive about the sound of the Velcro pulling apart, but cockapoos are notoriously skittish dogs.  

And now for more pics of Pippa:

She's pretty, isn't she?

She LOVES the snow!

One last photo: 

I made a Pinterest Board full of dog coat ideas and patterns.  So if you're in the market for a doggie jacket, that's a good place to start.

Many of the patterns and styles were quilted all the way through the coat and the raw edges were finished with bias tape.  I like the finished look of those dog coats, but didn't want to spend the time fiddling with bias tape.

I'm sure I'll be making more coats for Pippa this winter.  I think I'll alter the pattern again and move the belly strap up even closer to her front legs.  If you look at the pic of the inspiration pattern, you'll see that one front tab (that goes around the neck) is longer than the other, while the tabs on Pippa's coat are equal in length.  I might try that out for the next coat if I remember.

I'm also thinking about a doggie Halloween costume, a coat with a ruffled edge, a coat with some "bling" like silver studs, or a using a freezer paper stencil..... Lots of possibilities for such a quick and easy sewing project.

Have any of you, my lovely readers, ever sewn a coat for your dog?  Does your dog have a flashy wardrobe?  And I'm really curious about this:  Do you think Pippa needs some matching booties?

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,

P.S.  One more quick thing!  If you're looking for a good, affordable dog bed that can be machine washed and dried, click on this photo:

  

This is what Pippa uses and we love it!!!  I bought two rather pricey foam rubber beds with removable covers, but Pippa totally destroyed them both.  She pulled off or chewed through the covers and shredded the foam rubber to tiny bits.  No joke!  This bed is less than half the price of the others I brought.  It  is all one piece and fits perfectly inside the crate.  Pippa has slept on it for 2 months now without destroying it, so she must approve as well.  The other beds didn't last 2 weeks.  

Pattern Review: M5822

I needed to make a diaper bag to be auctioned off at a charity benefit. This lime green tote bag is what I came up with.  I started with a pattern by designer Kay Whitt.  You can see another Kay Whitt review I wrote HERE.  I love her clean designs that just cry out for bold fabric choices.  Here's a pic of the pattern I used for the diaper bag:

Kay Whitt Designs
Tote Bag in Three Sizes
M5822
[source]

This pattern from McCall's Fashion Accessories line allows you to make a tote bag in 3 different sizes.  The tote features a recessed zipper, an interior pocket, and two exterior pockets.  The pattern suggests you use novelty cotton fabrics or cotton blends, plus buckram (Coarse linen or other cloth stiffened with gum or paste and used typically as interfacing and in bookbinding. [dictionary def.]) and fleece for interfacing.  

Of course it is almost painful for me to follow a pattern exactly without tweaking it just bit.  I'm the same way with recipes--it must be a personal defect.  Anyway, the alterations I made were:

1. Skip the zip.  The zip would be nice for a purse, but diaper bags need to be accessible.  The tote is tapered so the opening is already small.  A zip would have made the opening even smaller.  It would have been very difficult to find important things like binkies and nail clippers in this deep dark bag.
2. Exchange novelty cotton fabrics for vinyl and corduroy.  The lime green vinyl and funky corduroy print were dying to be used together!  Plus, I had this soft brown vinyl that I used for the handles that went perfectly.
3. Customize the interior pockets.  One single patch pocket for a diaper bag is not optimal.  
4. Exchange buckram and fleece for Peltex heavy interfacing.

Here's some pics of my customized interior pockets.  

You can really tell which pics were taken in natural light and which were taken in my craft dungeon:

I made a patch pocket that mimicked the shape of the bag.  The pattern included a similar pocket, but I didn't feel like going through the trouble of cutting it out.  I added some bias tape to the top edge of the pocket.  With the excess bias tape, I attached a toggle clasp that I stole from a used purse.  This was a fast and easy way to include some handy hardware.  I attached the pocket to the lining with a double row of stitching in a light pink thread.

For the pockets on the other side, I simply cut a panel exactly the same shape as the lining, but about 5 inches shorter.  I finished the edge with bias tape again and basted the edges that would eventually be enclosed in the side seams.  I divided the pocket in half with row of stitching.  I knew the top of the center stitching needed to be very secure because it would experience a lot stress with regular use.  So instead of sewing a little square on the bias tape, I stitched a couple big hearts.  I didn't stop there either.  I took ended up adding some embroidery as well.  You can also see I added a row of my Ricochet ribbon that I blogged about a loooooooong time ago.

In straying from the recommended fabrics, I had to do some things differently.

1. You can't iron vinyl and Peltex sucks up glue.  Since I couldn't iron-on the Peltex to the vinyl I decided to glue it on.  I used regular old Tacky Glue in the gold bottle.  The Peltex sucked it right up and it didn't stick a lick.  So I took some Mod Podge and coated a side of the Peltex with it, effectively sealing it up or priming it to take the glue.  After it dried, I used the Tacky Glue with great results!
2. Regular polyester thread and 80/12 needles weren't going to cut it.  To effectively sew the vinyl I switched to a heavy-duty 110/18 needle, heavy-duty top-stitching thread, and increased my stitch length to 4.  [I sew on a Singer 4411 HD]
3. Watch out for bulky seams!  The curved sides and the thickness of the vinyl and corduroy were hard enough to sew without adding the bulk of the Peltex into the seams as well.  To remedy this, I trimmed all the Peltex to fit within the seam allowances.

In conclusion, here are the pros and cons, IMHO, of M5822:

Pros:

• Cute shape.

• Simple design.

• Easy to follow instructions.

• Easily customized. 

• Comes in 3 sizes.  I used the largest size.

Cons:

• Finishing the top with a strip of binding was tedious. I couldn't risk making extra holes in my vinyl so I ended up hand sewing the binding to the lining.  I prefer the method were you stitch the lining to the bag, right sides together, and then pull the whole thing through a opening in the lining.  

• The smaller 2 sizes don't appeal to me.  I would have preferred a even larger size though.

• The recessed zipper would make the opening very small, even in the largest size.  I suggest an inner tab with a magnetic clasp instead.

The tote is easy enough to sew that a reasonably knowledgeable sewist could duplicate it without having to buy the pattern.  Once you made the front/back panel, all the rest of the pieces are rectangles.  Easy, right?

I'm thinking about making my own tote based off this pattern from the brown vinyl I used for the handles.  I have enough of the green vinyl to use as an accent.  Neon colors are so "in" right now.  I hope I can finish and use my tote before they are "out"!!!

Hope you all find this review useful.  I would love some more pattern suggestions for large tote bags, if you have any.  Are any you Kay Whitt fans like myself?  What's the last pattern you've sewn?

Happy crafting and big hugs from Montana,