Nutcracker Tradition Blog Tour: Focal and Four Tote

Greetings, friends! It’s Belinda from Blue Ribbon Designs, and I’m delighted to be sharing a festive project with you today as part of the Nutcracker Tradition Blog Tour. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Therm O Web to showcase my Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern, featuring fabrics from the enchanting Nutcracker Tradition Collection by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs.

There’s something truly magical about the holiday season, and the timeless story of The Nutcracker captures that wonder perfectly. The Nutcracker Tradition collection brings all the charm of this beloved Christmas classic to fabric with elegant nutcrackers, graceful ballerinas, perfectly packaged gifts, sparkling ornaments, shining stars, and adorable Christmas mice, all brought to life in a rich palette of seasonal reds, greens, pinks, and blues. From whimsical holiday motifs to beautifully coordinated prints, each fabric feels like a page from a treasured Christmas story, making the collection both nostalgic and delightfully festive.

The storybook charm of these fabrics made them a perfect choice for my Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern. Designed to highlight large focal prints while combining coordinating fabrics in a fresh and eye-catching way, this tote provides the ideal canvas for showcasing the collection's stunning details. To bring even more holiday magic to the project, I added touches of shimmer with the coordinating HeatnBond Sparkle Stencil and Sparkle Paste by Jennifer Long of Sew a Story, creating accents that catch the light like freshly fallen snow. By incorporating Therm O Web products throughout the construction process, the finished bag has both structure and durability, making it just as practical as it is beautiful for holiday outings, gift giving, or carrying your favorite seasonal projects.

So, let’s get started! Gather your Nutcracker Tradition fabrics, Therm O Web supplies, and sewing essentials, then follow along as I show you how to create a festive Focal and Four Tote Bag filled with holiday charm. Whether you're making one for yourself or stitching up a special handmade gift, this project is sure to bring a little Nutcracker magic to your Christmas season.

What you need:

• HeatnBond Fusible Fleece
• SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray
• HeatnBond Sparkle Stencil–Nutcracker Tradition by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story
• Nutcracker Tradition Sparkle Paste Bundle by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story (or your favorite coordinating color)
• Pressing Paper Fabric and Craft Sheets
• A Selection of Fabrics from Nutcracker Tradition by Jennifer Long of Sew a Story for Riley Blake Designs (model used fat quarters, but the pattern is 10” precut friendly)
• Coordinating fabric yardage for linings, handles, and outside bag base (model used Dapple Dot from Riley Blake Designs C640-SUGARPINK)
• Focal and Four Tote Bag Pattern by Blue Ribbon Designs (available in my Etsy Shop) Digital or Paper Pattern
• Palette Knife or Craft Brush
• Basic Tools (sewing machine, coordinating sewing thread, iron, wonder clips or pins, cutting tools and rulers, etc.)

How to Make a Focal and Four Tote Bag
Finished Size: 15” W x 15” H x 5” D (plus handles)

This tutorial focuses on using Therm O Web products to get the best results. For detailed instructions and measurements, please refer to the Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern.

1. Create handles. Apply HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to the back of the handle fabric to provide structure and durability.

• • Pre-heat iron to a medium setting, no steam.
  • Place the rough side of the Fusible Fleece on the wrong side of the handle fabric.
  • Cover with a lightweight, dry pressing cloth.
  • Press and hold iron with medium pressure for 10-15 seconds. Repeat by lifting iron to a new area, slightly overlapping previous area until the entire surface is bonded.
  • Allow it to cool.

2. Create inside pockets. Apply HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to the back of the inside pocket patchwork blocks to provide stability and padding.

• • Pre-heat iron to a medium setting, no steam.
  • Place the rough side of the Fusible Fleece on the wrong side of the inside pocket patchwork blocks.
  • Cover with a lightweight, dry pressing cloth.
  • Press and hold iron with medium pressure for 10-15 seconds. Repeat by lifting iron to a new area, slightly overlapping previous area until the entire surface is bonded.
  • Allow them to cool.

3. Create outside pockets. Use the outer pocket template provided in the pattern to cut the outer pocket fabric, outer pocket lining fabric, and outer pocket fusible fleece. For quick, easy, and accurate cutting, use SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray to temporarily adhere the paper template to your fabrics and fusible fleece.

• • Protect your workspace. A HeatnBond Pressing Paper Fabric and Craft Sheetis perfect for protecting your work surface from overspray and keeping cleanup quick and easy.
  • Shake well.  Hold can upright, 12 inches from the back of the paper template.
  • Press the spray pad button and apply a light coating of adhesive using a sweeping motion.
  • Let dry for 1 minute.
  • Place the paper template onto the selected fabric or fusible fleece, repositioning as needed. If additional tack is required, repeat the spraying process.
  • Cut out each pocket piece, following the black cutting line on the template.
  • Reuse the same sprayed template to cut all six pocket pieces.
  • Before storing the can, hold upside down and press the spray pad button for a short burst to clear the nozzle.

Apply Heatnbond Fusible Fleece to the backs of the outer pocket fabrics to provide stability and padding.

• • Pre-heat iron to a medium setting, no steam.
  • Place the rough side of the Fusible Fleece on the wrong side of the outer pocket fabric.
  • Cover with a lightweight, dry pressing cloth.
  • Press and hold iron with medium pressure for 10-15 seconds. Repeat by lifting iron to a new area, slightly overlapping previous area until the entire surface is bonded.
  • Allow them to cool.

4. Add Sparkle Paste to the outside pockets using the Nutcracker Tradition Sparkle Stencil and Sparkle Paste by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story. TIP: When placing stencil motifs close together, allow the Sparkle Paste to dry for about one hour before repositioning the stencil to prevent disturbing previously applied paste. For even easier placement, you can cut the Sparkle Stencil apart along the perforated line, allowing you to position individual motifs exactly where desired without overlapping wet paste.

• • Protect your workspace. A HeatnBond Pressing Paper Fabric and Craft Sheet is perfect for keeping your work surface clean during stenciling and protecting it from excess Sparkle Paste. It also doubles as a pressing sheet when heat-setting the Sparkle Paste designs.

Use SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray to secure the stencil to fabric; the spray won’t leave any residue on the fabric and will help prevent shifting.

• • Shake well.  Hold can upright, 12 inches from the stencil.
  • Press the spray pad button and apply a light coating of adhesive using a sweeping motion.
  • Let dry 1 minute.
  • Choose an image from the Sparkle Stencil and place the stencil on the desired area of the pocket.
  • Using a small palette knife, apply a thin layer of Sparkle Paste over the stencil to fill in the image opening. To prevent over application, it is helpful to mask off unwanted areas prior to stenciling; low-tack tape like iCraft Pixie Tape works great.
  • Carefully scrape excess paste from the stencil and return it to the jar. Recap jar tightly.
  • Gently lift the stencil from the surface. Wash stencil and tools immediately in warm, soapy water. To avoid bending the stencil, use a soft brush to gently scrub away residue.
  • Let Sparkle Paste dry 1 hour.
  • Preheat dry iron to cotton setting (high heat), no steam. Cover stenciled designs with HeatnBond Pressing Paper and press with medium firm pressure for 60 seconds.
  • Let Sparkle Paste cure for 24 hours. Designs will now be permanent and machine washable.

5. Assemble outer bag patchwork panels. Apply HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to the back of the outer bag panel units to provide structure, stability, and padding.

• • Pre-heat iron to a medium setting, no steam.
  • Place the rough side of the Fusible Fleece on the wrong side of the outer bag panels.
  • Cover with a lightweight, dry pressing cloth.
  • Press and hold iron with medium pressure for 10-15 seconds. Repeat by lifting iron to a new area, slightly overlapping previous area until the entire surface is bonded.
  • Allow it to cool.

6. Create inner (lining) bag panels. Apply HeatnBond Fusible Fleece to the back of the inner bag panel units to provide structure, stability, and padding.

• • Pre-heat iron to a medium setting, no steam.
  • Place the rough side of the Fusible Fleece on the wrong side of the inner bag panels.
  • Cover with a lightweight, dry pressing cloth.
  • Press and hold iron with medium pressure for 10-15 seconds. Repeat by lifting iron to a new area, slightly overlapping previous area until the entire surface is bonded.
  • Allow it to cool.

7. Finish tote bag construction, as directed in the pattern.

I hope this Focal and Four Tote Bag tutorial has inspired you to add a little Nutcracker magic to your holiday sewing. The Nutcracker Tradition collection is filled with charming details that practically tell a story on their own, and this tote provides the perfect opportunity to showcase those beautiful focal prints while coordinating them with complementary fabrics. With the help of Therm O Web products and a touch of sparkle from the HeatnBond Sparkle Stencil and Sparkle Paste, you can create a bag that is both festive and functional.

One of my favorite things about the Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern is how beautifully it highlights special fabrics. Whether your eye is drawn to the elegant ballerinas, stately nutcrackers, whimsical Christmas mice, or sparkling holiday motifs, the design allows each print to take center stage while still creating a balanced and eye-catching finished project. The added shimmer brings just the right amount of holiday glimmer, like twinkling lights on a Christmas tree or freshly fallen snow on a winter evening.

This spacious tote is also wonderfully versatile during the holiday season. Use it to carry sewing projects to retreats, transport gifts and holiday goodies, pack up books and notebooks for seasonal travel, or simply enjoy it as a festive everyday bag throughout the Christmas season. Strong, structured, and filled with holiday charm, it's a project you'll enjoy using long after the last sugar plum has danced through your dreams.

Thank you so much for joining me today on the Therm O Web blog as part of the Nutcracker Tradition Blog Tour! I hope you've enjoyed seeing how the beautiful Nutcracker Tradition Collection by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs pairs with the Focal and Four Tote Bag pattern and Therm O Web products. For more sewing inspiration and project ideas, be sure to visit my website and follow along on Instagram. If you make your own Nutcracker-inspired tote, I'd love to see it. Be sure to tag me and Therm O Web so we can admire your handiwork. Until next time, wishing you inspiration, creativity, and plenty of happy sewing!

Written by Belinda Karls-Nace