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

(Antfer) #1
Raid your wardrobe – and local charity shop – for old
pairs of jeans to make a striking patchwork tote bag

BY JESSICA ENTWISTLE


Upc
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cled tote ba
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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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