Beginner's Guide to Quilting - UK (2020-02)

Raid your wardrobe – and local charity shop – for old

pairs of jeans to make a striking patchwork tote bag

BY JESSICA ENTWISTLE

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You will need

MATERIALS

Q Three (3) pairs of blue jeans

QLining fabric

Q Contrasting topstitch thread

Q Matching thread

FINISHED SIZE

QFinished bag: 14^1 / 8 in x 16½in

QStraps: 31½in

NOTES

QUse a^3 /^8 in seam allowance.

QRST = right sides together.

QThe denim for the straps shouldn’t

be too heavy as this will be harder

to work with.

CUTTING OUT

1

From each pair of jeans cut:

Q Two (2) 6^3 / 8 in x 15in pieces.

2

From the lining fabric cut:

Q Two (2) 15in squares.

3

From the lightest jeans cut:

Q Two (2) 3^1 / 8 in x 15in pieces for

the lining top strips.

4

From the darkest jeans cut:

Q Two 3^1 / 8 in x 35½in pieces for straps.

OUTER, LINING AND STRAPS

5

To make the outer front, pin and sew
a dark and medium denim strip right sides
together along one long edge and press.
Pin and sew a light denim strip to the raw
edge of the medium denim strip RST and
press. Repeat to make the outer back (Fig 1).

6

Pin one of the lining pieces to a lining top
strip along one of the long edges, RST.
Sew, then press the seam open. Repeat for

the other lining piece and lining top strip. Take

one of the straps and fold it half lengthways

RST and pin along the length. Stitch along the

length and then turn right side out and press.

Repeat for the other strap.

TOPSTITCHING THE PIECES

7

Change to a contrasting thread then

topstitch the bag straps down both long

edges. Repeat along the seams of the bag

outer front and denim top lining seam (Fig 2).

ASSEMBLING THE BAG

8

Pin the bag outer front and back RST. Stitch

down one side, along the bottom and up

the other side. Repeat with the lining, but

leaving a 3^1 / 8 in turning gap in the bottom

edge. Clip the corners and press seams open.

9

Pin the bag outer inside the bag lining, RST

and with side seams matching (Fig 3).

Sew the bag outer and lining together all the

way around the top. Turn the bag right side

out through the gap in the lining. Press the

edges of the turning gap to the inside of the

lining, then slip stitch the lining gap closed.

Topstitch all the way around the top of the

bag to hold the lining in place.

AT TACHING THE STR APS

10

Tuck the short edges of one of the bag

straps under by ¾in and pin to the right

side of the bag front, 3^1 / 8 in in from the side

seam and 1^5 / 8 in down from the top edge.

11

Sew the strap onto the bag front using

your contrasting topstitch thread (or a

coordinating thread if you're not confident).

Fold the strap into a loop and sew the other

end in the same way, 3^1 /^8 in in from the other

side seam and 1^5 / 8 in down from the top edge.

Repeat with the other strap to finish (Fig 4).

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