Hey everyone. Today we're making a sturdy tote bag, and we're letting a sweet birds-and-butterflies print carry the whole thing.
Here we go. Two panels. Two handles. One boxed bottom. Super duper easy, and really really useful.
Meet the fabric first
This is Birds and Butterflies Blue Meadow Blush 43"/44" Cotton Fabric Per Yard.
It is part of the Meadow Blush collection by Maywood Studio. It is 100% cotton, and it measures 43/44 inches wide.
The collection is a coordinated range of premium quilting cottons. Think focal florals, small bouquets, and paisleys. Think birds and butterflies, and geometric blenders too.
The collection colors are soft tan, white, pink, blue, and multi-color. This cut is the blue one, folks. Calm ground, lively birds and butterflies.
Meadow Blush is designed for comfort, durability, and ease of sewing. The description even names bags as a great use. So a tote is right in its sweet spot.
It also pairs with Maywood basics like Shadow Play and Beautiful Basics. Use one for a lining if you like. Completely up to you.
The project: a market-ready tote bag
A tote is just a lined fabric box with handles. Groceries, library books, your next project — it carries them all.
Why does this fabric suit it? It is quilting cotton, so it presses crisp and sews clean. It holds a crease. It does not fight you under the needle.
And that print, y'all. Birds and butterflies deserve a big, flat surface. A tote panel shows them off. No tiny piecing chops them up.
Our finished bag is about 14 inches wide, 15 inches tall, with a 4-inch boxed bottom. A real, usable size.
You have options here. Make it unlined for a quick market bag. Add a lining for a sturdier everyday tote. My preference is lined, with interfacing. It just stands up better. But bless the quick version too.
Materials list
- 1 yard of Birds and Butterflies Blue Meadow Blush — 100% cotton, 43/44 inches wide
- 1/2 yard of a coordinating cotton for the lining
- 1 yard of medium-weight fusible interfacing
- All-purpose thread in a soft blue or cream that blends
- A size 80/12 needle for your machine
- Rotary cutter, ruler, and mat, or sharp fabric shears
- Pins or clips, and a hot iron for pressing
Brief steps
- Cut two outer panels, each 16 inches wide by 17 inches tall. Cut two lining panels the same size.
- Cut two handle strips, each 4 inches wide by 24 inches long. That leaves you a comfortable handle drop.
- Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of both outer panels. Press well. Let them cool flat.
- Make the handles. Fold each strip in half lengthwise, press, fold both long edges to the center, then fold in half again. Topstitch both edges.
- Pin the outer panels right sides together. Sew the sides and bottom with a 1/2-inch seam. Leave the top open.
- Box the bottom. Flatten one corner so the side and bottom seams line up. Measure 2 inches in from the point, draw a line, and stitch across it. Trim the triangle. Repeat on the other corner.
- Sew the lining the same way, but leave a 4-inch gap in the bottom seam. We need that gap for turning.
- Pin handles to the outer bag, about 4 inches apart, raw edges up. Slip the outer bag inside the lining, right sides together. Sew around the top.
- Turn it all right side out through that gap. Stitch the gap closed. Push the lining down inside. Press the top edge, then topstitch all the way around.
Practical tips from my sewing table
Set your stitch length to about 2.5 millimeters. That is roughly 10 stitches per inch. Strong, neat, and just right for quilting cotton.
Backstitch at the handle ends. Twice. Those points take all the weight. I skipped that once, years ago. A handle popped loose with groceries in it. The extra backstitch is the fix.
Slow down over the boxed corners. That stack is thick. Slow down or the needle can deflect and snap. A few slow stitches and you are through it.
Press every seam as you go. It feels slow. It is not. A pressed seam makes the next step easier.
And here is your permission beat, folks. If a handle sits a little crooked, it is still a good bag. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. It is not a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. We're not reinventing the wheel here. Just like that, you have a tote you will actually use.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Birds and Butterflies Blue Meadow Blush 43"/44" Cotton Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
