SUPER HEROES ON THE GO
Tote & Simple Wallet: A free pattern from RockingChairQuilts.com
Do you know Moda Man? The saga of how he saves a damsel in distress is captured forever on a fine cotton canvas. We have been enjoying this 'Super Heroes In Disguise' fabric from Moda United Notions here at RockingChairQuilts.com. We first met Moda Man in Moda City at 2016 Fall Quilt Market in Houston. When this amusing fabric arrived here at the shop, we got busy and made this roomy Super Heroes on the Go Tote Bag and a simple wallet. This is a big, roomy tote because of its flat bottom . It makes a great re-usable grocery tote - or maybe it could be used to carry a lot of quilty items out of your local quilt shop ;) Thanks so much to the kind folks at Moda Fabrics for keeping our quilting life full of wonderful choices!
TOTE MATERIALS:
2/3 yard MODA ® Super Heroes canvas weight fabric for tote
1/3 yard Moda Bella Super Black Solid for handles
1/8 yard 44” wide Décor Bond (optional handle reinforcement)
Optional: 12"x 8 1⁄2" cardboard for bottom
SIMPLE WALLET MATERIALS
1/3 yard Super Heroes canvas fabric
1/4 yard* Moda Bella Super Black Solid for binding *more is needed if you want to make bias binding.
8” square Décor Bond (optional - gives your wallet some stiffness, leave it out if you want a flopsy wallet☺
TOTE CUTTING:
Tote Fabric (Super Heroes canvas) • CUT two pieces 16"x12 ½” for front and back • CUT two piece 9" x 22" rectangles for sides and bottom
Handle fabric (black) • Cut two pieces 5" x 44" for handles. • optional - If you want your handles stronger- reinforce with Décor Bond – cut 2 pieces 1- 1/4” x 44”
The 'Super Heroes In Disguise' fabric is directional so we have some tips for you on cutting out the bag panels. Then, when you stitch them together your Super Heroes are all headed in the right direction on your finished tote.
Start with 2/3 of a yard of Moda Super Heroes canvas fabric. Trim off the selvedge edges and the fold edge with a rotary cutter. Keep the edges square and straight.
Double thickness of canvas fabric is shown here.
cut out bag front and back, then cut 2 pieces 9" x 22" to make sides/bottom panel of your tote, as shown.
Photo #8
Put the two 9" x 22" side/bottom pieces right sides together making sure the images will be facing upright on both sides of your bag, then sew (or serge) them together with 1/4" seam along the bottom 9" edge. (bottom center seam)
After stitching the bottom center seam the two 9" x 22" panels will face in opposite directions. Your side/ bottom panel piece should now measure 9” x 43 ½”. (see photo #8)
ASSEMBLY:
1. Fold black handle pieces in half lengthwise and press. Open and fold edges in to middle. Refold and press. Open handle fabric back out and Place cut strip of Décor Bond with one edge along center pressed line in fabric. Press Décor Bond in place,
3. Reinforce bottom corners of tote front and back with stay stitching ¼” from tote edge and clip corners to stay stitching. This will help ease the bag corner seam as you stitch the front and back pieces to the long sides/bottom panel.
Place inside edge of handle 3" in from each edge of front. Top stitch both sides of handle to bag, but STOP stitching about 5" from the top (see picture #4). Repeat with back piece.
2. After pressing Décor Bond in place, refold edges of handle fabric back to middle enclosing the strip of Décor bond inside the handle fabric. Baste with matching Aurifil thread along open edges of handle .
4. STOP stitching about 5" from the top of the bag. Repeat with back piece. (you will finish stitching the handles down after you hem the top of your bag).
5. Pin front piece RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER to the long seamed side/bottom panel 9" x 43 1/2" (clipping seam allowance to stay stitching where needed and pivoting at corners). Stitch. Repeat with back piece.
Press seams toward sides. Optional: seams can then be finished with zigzag stitching or serging. Be careful to keep handles free.
6. Fold down 1 ½” all along top edge of tote and press. Now turn raw edge under 1⁄4" and press. Pin in place if needed. Then stitch top hem in place keeping handles free.
7. Now ....where you had left the top 5” of the handles free from the bag- it is time to stitch those down. SO Continue top stitching handles to outside of tote and all along handle edges, over basting. To secure, reinforcing by stitching an X or a box at top edge of tote.
8. Optional: Cover 12" x 8 1/2" cardboard rectangle with fabric and place in bottom of tote. Sometimes instead of cardboard I cut my tote rectangles out of old rotary cutting mats that have gotten too cut up to use for anything else. They don't bend or get soggy like cardboard sometimes does ☺.
SIMPLE WALLET
CUTTING:
- Cut 2 rectangles 8” x 4 ¼” canvas (outside wallet piece) *NOTE: because your outside wallet fabric is directional you will cut 2 rectangles 8” x 4 ¼” then pivot one of the rectangles 180 degrees . (See photo #9) Now stitch the two 8 x 4 ¼” rectangles (right sides together) along the 8” edge. This stitched piece should now measure 8” x 8”. This is done so that the directional print of your SUPER HEROES fabric will be going in the right direction when you look at the outside of your wallet. If you don’t mind where your superheroes are headed you can just cut one 8” x 8” square for the outside piece of your wallet.
- Cut one 8" square* canvas (inside)
- Cut one 8" square Decor Bond (optional)
POCKETS from SUPERHEROES CANVAS (photo #10):
- Cut two 8"x 7" (large pockets)
- Cut two 8"x 4" (smallest pockets)
from Moda Bella Solid cut two 8"x 51⁄2" (middle pockets)
BINDING FABRIC: from Moda Bella Solid Cut one 1 1⁄2"x 34" (binding). If you want to cut your binding fabric on the bias you will need more fabric than the 1/8 yard shown in materials list.
Photo # 10 : Cut 2 each of the 3 pocket pieces: small (canvas), middle (black) and large (canvas).
Photo #9
Photo #11: Press all pockets in half lengthwise, Right sides together
Photo #12: stack pressed pocket pieces, keeping raw edges even.
ASSEMBLY: Fold all pieces for pockets in half lengthwise and press (photo #11). Place optional square of Décor Bond on the wrong side of the inside 8" wallet canvas fabric square, press to secure the Decor Bond to the wallet square. Put the inside and outside 8" wallet squares wrong sides together, with inside wallet fabric facing up. Beginning with largest pocket, place on inside aligning edges and bottom on top and bottom of wallet. Continue with each pocket. Baste around all edges. Catching in all layers.
FINISHING: Fold 1-1⁄2"x 34" BINDING piece in half lengthwise and press. Open and fold edges to middle. Refold and press. Stitch binding to of basted edge of simple wallet, pivoting/mitering at corners so they lay nicely. (or cut and apply binding with your favorite method).
Thanks for reading - I hope you will enjoy making a tote , This is a big, roomy tote because of its flat bottom . It makes a great re-usable grocery tote - or maybe it could be used to carry a lot of quilty items out of your local quilt shop. It would be fun to make using other pretty fabrics as well. If you decide to make one, please share a picture of your finished tote:
WAYS TO SHARE A PHOTO OF YOUR tote WITH US:
- Post your photo on Instagram and tag us # rockingchairquilts
- post your photo on our Facebook page- CLICK HERE to get to the Facebook page.
- Tweet a photo @makeaquilt or tag us in your tweet @MakeAQuilt
- send your photo in an email to me : Carol@RockingChairQuilts.com
- If you live nearby you can pop in during SHOP HOURS each week we'll take photo of your quilt for you.
- Please use the comments area below for comments and questions
Until we blog again - Enjoy the Sew!® - Carol
