Maritime Tote Bag Makeover with Blend Fabrics

Blend Fabrics Chelsea Market inspired me to pull in a beautiful natural linen and revisit on of my old designs. Using the pattern Tote Bag Digital Pattern that was in the April/May 2016 issue of Sew News magazine I made a few minor adjustments in supplies and an additional step or two to transform this tote with a paper pieced crazy quilt insert.

Maritime Tote Bag Makeover with Blend Fabrics

Maritime Tote Bag Supplies: StitchnSew EZ Quilt Block Sheets 1/2 yard HeatnBond Low Loft Fusible Fleece (coming soon!) 3/4 yard of Natural Linen ¼ yard each of 5-6 Chelsea market prints plus 1/3 yard of coordinating fabric for the handle 1/3 yard of coordinating cotton lining Aurifil Thread: Eight size 24 (5/8") heavy-duty snap fasteners Sewing Machine Removable fabric markering tool Snap fastener setting tool Hammer

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Maritime Tote Bag Makeover with Blend Fabrics Instructions:

Cut 2 strips of handle fabric 6-inches x WOF. Trim off salvage ends, sew strips together along short end with right sides facing, press seam open with Oliso Iron. Fold in half lengthwise and trim ends to a curved point as illustrated in the photo. Sew along raw edges from tip of point to opposite point, leaving a 3-inch opening. Trim excess fabric from the curved edge by notching fabric. Turn handle right side out through the opening, press handle. Top-stitch along the seamed edge to close and finish handle. Print 6 blocks on StitchnSew EZ Quilt Block Sheets. Use paper piece technique to create 6 crazy quilt blocks. Sew blocks together creating Two units of 3 blocks. Press seams open and press to Heat n Bond Low Loft Fusible Fleece. Top stitch with coordinating color threads using heirloom stitches for the authentic crazy quilt look. These units will be your center strip for your tote. Using pattern cut pieces of Heat n Bond Low Loft Fusible Fleece that will fit: top, lower and bottom pieces. Press these pieces to linen fabric. Pin and cut pattern from prepared linen fabric. Continue assembly as directed by the pattern. Place handle and snap flaps closed and tie a knot at the side of the back with handle ends. Save