Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote

Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter

The Quilted Tote is a quick project for using up existing quilt blocks or for busting through your stash of fat quarters. You can gift it to another crafter (it makes a great project bag), pair it with a book or tablet (it’s also a cute, padded carrying case), or use it as gift wrap.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. My sewing machine sponsor is Baby Lock. Additional materials for this post were generously provided by Fairfield World and Fiskars.

I’ve included instructions for piecing the quilt blocks for the bag front and back, but you can substitute existing 8.5” square quilt blocks for the front or back of the bag instead. I made my Quilted Tote small enough for my tablet, but you can adjust the basic parts of the pattern to make it larger or smaller. If you’re resizing, cut the lining and batting to the size of your finished squares for the front and back, and cut the bag straps to 2.5” (6.5 cm) wide by about 2.5 to 3 times the length of the front of your bag. It’s always better to make the straps longer than necessary because you can tie a knot or use a decorative pin to shorten them, but if the straps are too short, there’s not much you can do to fix the bag!

This is the eighth pattern in the Little Gifts Sew Along. Are you just hearing about the Little Gifts Sew Along? Get all the details here.

  • You can join in by sewing the projects as you have time.
  • Share your progress and post pictures of your finished projects. Tag your projects and posts #sewlittlegifts and #stockingstuffersal on all social media.
  • If you’d like to chat with other sewists, join the Underground Crafters Facebook group.
  • By the end of the SAL, you’ll have up to 25 handmade gifts.
  • Use the button below on social media. Right click (on desktop) or tap and hold (on mobile) to save.

Quilted Tote

Sewing Pattern by Underground Crafter

Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter

The Quilted Tote is a quick-to-sew project you can gift to your favorite crafter (as a project bag) or to a techie or reader (as a padded carrying case for a tablet or book). You can also use it as gift wrap! This is the eighth of 25 free sewing projects by 12 bloggers in the Little Gifts Sew Along.

Finished Size

  • Tote: 7.75” (19.5 cm) x 7.75” (19.5 cm).

Tools

Materials

  • 100% cotton fabric.
    • I used most of 2 batik fat quarters for my version, and some “ugly fabric” muslin for the backing. You could also use 3 fat quarters.
  • Cotton thread
  • Fairfield Poly-Fil Project Fleece Small or a small piece of batting (see measurements below).

Instructions

Prepare fabric and batting

  • Iron your fabric.
  • Layer 2 fat quarters on top of each other with the right sides facing. Trim the edges so both pieces are the same size.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | cutting fat quarters with Fiskars rotary cutter
  • Cut pieces for the quilt blocks, lining, and straps in the following sizes through both layers. With each cut, you will make 2 pieces, or 1 piece in each fabric.
    • Lining fabric: 8.5” (21.5 cm) square.
    • Strips for quilt blocks: Cut 2 strips to 3” (7.5 cm) x 18” (46 cm). You will have 4 strips since you are cutting through 2 layers of fabric.
    • Bag straps: Cut 2 straps to 2.5” (6.5 cm) x length of fabric (approximately 22”/56 cm). You will have 4 pieces since you are cutting through 2 layers of fabric.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | cut fabric
  • For the backing, cut 2 pieces of 8.5” (21.5 cm) square. This will not be seen so you can use an “ugly” fabric, muslin, or scraps.
  • Cut 2 pieces of 8.5” (21.5 cm) square from the batting.

Make quilt blocks for front and back of bag

  • Note: If you are using existing quilt blocks for your version, skip down to “Quilting the blocks.”
  • With the right sides together, sew the strips for the quilt blocks together along the long edge with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
  • Press the seams flat on the strips.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | fabric strips
  • Trim strips to 8 pieces, each measuring 4.5” (11.5 cm) long.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | cut fabric strips
  • Place a trimmed strip with right sides facing perpendicular to another trimmed strip and sew together with 1/4″ seam allowance. Repeat until you have 4 sets of blocks.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | piecing blocks
  • Trim each block to 4.5” (11.5 cm) square.
  • With a 1/4″ seam allowance and with right sides facing, sew 2 blocks together for the front and 2 blocks together for the back.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | assembling blocks
  • Trim your new blocks to 8.5” (21.5 cm) square (or, to the same size if they are smaller or larger).

Quilting the blocks

  • Make 2 “quilt sandwiches” for the front and the back of the bag.
  • Layer the quilt blocks right side up at the top, put the batting underneath the block, and put the backing fabric underneath the batting.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | quilt sandwich
  • Quilt the blocks. I used the “hand-look quilting stitch” (#17) on my Baby Lock Jubilant and the Stitch Guide Foot from the Quilting Foot Kit and started by working a diagonal line across the center of the blocks.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | quilting
  • I used the Stitch Guide Foot’s ruler to create lines that were the same distance from previous quilt line.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | quilting
  • Trim the quilted blocks if necessary.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | quilted block

Make bag straps

  • Position the strips for the bag straps right sides together and sew closed along each long edge with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
  • Turn right side out.
  • Press flat and trim straps to the same length.

Assemble bag

  • Position the quilted blocks right sides together and sew closed around 3 sides with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Turn right side out.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | bag front
  • Place the lining fabric pieces with the right sides together. Sew closed around 3 sides with a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a 4” (10 cm) opening on one of the side seams.
  • Pin the short edges of the straps to the bag as pictured below. With the first strap, pin one short edge to the top of the front and the second short edge to the top of the front of the bag. Repeat with the other strap on the back of the bag, being sure to line up the straps.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | bag front with straps
  • Using your machine’s free arm and with the right side of the bag facing up, sew a 1/4″ seam allowance along the top edge of the bag, sewing the straps in place. Remove pins as you work.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | sewing on straps
  • Place the quilted part of the bag with the right side out inside of the lining. The lining should still have the right sides together/wrong sides out. Pin in place.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | bag liner with bag inside
  • Using your machine’s free arm, sew a 1/4″ seam allowance along the top of the lining, sewing the quilted part of the bag with the straps in place to the lining. Remove pins as you work.
  • Turn the bag right side out, pulling through the 4” (10 cm) opening in the lining.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | open seam in fabric liner
  • Sew the opening in the lining closed.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | sewing up fabric liner
  • Put the lining back in the bag. Leave some of the lining (about 1/4″/0.5 cm) visible at the top.
  • Working on the right side of the bag and using your machine’s free arm, make a seam using a decorative stitch. I used the “hand-look quilt stitch” and the J presser foot on my Baby Lock Jubilant.
  • Trim threads and enjoy your tote.
Sewing Pattern: Quilted Tote by Underground Crafter | finished tote

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