Hey everyone. Today you'll learn how to make a festive Christmas tote bag that shows off a beautiful holiday bloom print.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
We're working with Adorn Bloom Red. It comes from the Adorn Collection. Makower UK designed it for Andover Fabrics.
This is 100% premium cotton. It is 44/45 inches wide. It is sold by the yard. It cuts clean and presses flat.
Look at the print. You get poinsettias, holly leaves, and delicate blooms. You get sparkling snowflakes, classic ornaments, and graceful scrolls. Then there are metallic gold accents running through it.
The collection colors are rich and traditional. Think green, cream, red, and burgundy. This colorway is the red one. That red feels warm and classic Christmas to me. The blooms and gold really pop against it. We are not reinventing the wheel here. We let the fabric do the talking.
Why this fabric suits a tote bag
A tote bag is a simple, open carryall. You can use it for gifts, groceries, or a sewing day out.
You want a print that reads well in big, flat pieces. This bloom print does that. Cut the sides wide and the poinsettias stay whole. A tiny, fussy cut would chop all that beauty up. Big pieces are faster too. You can finish this in a weekend, easy. Super duper fun for a holiday gift, or for yourself.
Materials list
- 1 yard of Adorn Bloom Red for the outside and handles
- 3/4 yard of a coordinating cream, green, or burgundy cotton for the lining
- 3/4 yard of fusible fleece or medium fusible interfacing
- 50-weight cotton thread for piecing, in red or soft gold
- An 80/12 needle for most seams
- A 90/14 needle on hand for the thickest handle seams
- Rotary cutter, ruler, mat, pins or clips, and an iron
Finished size is about 16 inches wide by 15 inches tall, with a 4-inch boxed bottom. That holds a small quilt or a gift box, easy.
Brief steps
Step 1: Press and cut big. Press your fabric flat. Cut two outside pieces, 17 inches by 16 inches, from the Adorn Bloom Red. Center a pretty bloom or two when you can.
Step 2: Cut the rest. Cut two lining pieces, 17 inches by 16 inches. Cut two fusible fleece pieces the same size. Cut two handle strips, 5 inches by 24 inches, from the remaining red fabric.
Step 3: Fuse and make the handles. Fuse the fleece to the wrong side of each outside piece. Fold each handle strip in half lengthwise, press, open it, fold the raw edges to the center, and fold again. Topstitch both long edges at about 10 to 12 stitches per inch.
Step 4: Sew the outside bag. Pin the outside pieces right sides together. Sew the sides and bottom with a 1/2-inch seam. Leave the top open. Box each bottom corner 4 inches across, trim the little triangle, and press.
Step 5: Sew the lining. Sew the lining sides and bottom the same way. Box those corners too. Leave a 5-inch gap in the bottom seam for turning.
Step 6: Add handles and join. Pin one handle to the front, raw edges up, about 4 inches in from each side seam. Do the same on the back. Slip the outside bag inside the lining, right sides together. Sew around the top with a 1/2-inch seam. Slow down where you cross the handles, or the needle can snap on that thick spot.
I have rushed a tote top seam before. Oh my goodness, yes. One handle twisted right around. The fix was simple. Rip that section, pin it flat, and sew slower. Nobody could tell.
Step 7: Turn and finish. Turn the bag right side out through the gap. Push the lining inside. Sew the gap closed by hand or machine. Press the top edge flat. Topstitch all the way around, about 1/4 inch down from the top.
Practical tips from my sewing room
Press well before you cut. A wrinkled cut turns into a crooked tote, every time.
Fussy cut one front bloom if you like. Or let the print fall where it falls. Both ways look good. Completely up to you.
Let the metallic gold do the sparkle work. You do not need glitter thread too.
Take your time, it's not a race. If a corner sits a hair off, it is still handmade. It does not have to be perfect. You're your own worst critic, I promise you that. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Alrighty. Press it, cut it big, and sew it slow.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Adorn Bloom Red 44"/45" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
