Autumn Leaves Quilted Tote Bag - Advanced Embroidery Designs

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Autumn Leaves Quilted Tote Bag

This tutorial shows how to embroider autumn leaves, quilt the fabric, and sew a fall-themed tote bag. First you stitch the leaf designs onto the front and back panels. Then you quilt the layers and sew the bag with handles and a lining. The finished tote is ready for shopping or everyday use.

The tote bag features autumn leaves embroidery on the front and back panels. We used the designs from the one-color Branch Silhouette Set.
The finished size of the bag is about 16"W x 12"H x 4"D.

You can purchase this tote bag from our Etsy store!

Quilted tote bag with embroidery of fall-colored foliage on the panels.

You will need:

embroidery threads (choose colors matching your fabrics);
about 1 yard of blue fabric for the outer bag;
a small amount of fabric in fall colors: yellow, orange, and red;
about 3/4 yard of fabric for the lining;
light-weight cut-away stabilizer;
low-loft polyester batting;
1" wide webbing for the handles.

You will also need:

quilter's ruler;
rotary cutter and/or scissors;
tailor's colored chalk pencil or disappearing fabric marker;
iron;
#12-14 universal needle, and extra strong sewing thread;
#12-14 quilting needle and quilting threads in colors matching the fabrics;
a 1/2 size sew-on snap for closure.

Cutting:

From the red, yellow, and orange fabrics, cut 2 strips of each color, measuring 1 1/2" x 19".
From the blue fabric for the outer bag, cut 2 pieces measuring 15" x 19" and 1 strip measuring 3" x 35" to 36".
From the lining fabric, cut 2 pieces measuring 18" x 19" and 1 piece for a pocket measuring 8" x 20".

Sewing:

Note: seam allowance is 1/4" unless otherwise recommended. Press every seam immediately after you make it.

Sew the colored 1 1/2" strips together lengthwise into 2 three-colored strips. The order of colors does not matter. We made ours in the following order: red, orange, and yellow.

Three horizontal fabric strips in red, orange, and yellow sewn edge to edge into one banded strip.

Sew the three-colored strips to the upper edge of the outer bag panels.

A tall blue bag panel with the red, orange, and yellow banded strip sewn across its top edge.

Fold the 8" x 20" lining piece lengthwise in half, right side inside. Stitch the sides. Clip the corners.
Turn the piece right side out. Press.

Top-stitch the closed short edge.
Fold the short edge 3 1/2" to 4", press, and top-stitch the sides.
Put it aside for the time being.

Embroidery:

Mark the position of the embroidery on the blue parts of the panels. If you have a printer and embroidery software, print-outs of the designs can be helpful. If you do not, you can cut out rectangles of the same size as the designs and arrange them on the fabric to determine the position of the embroidery.

Prepare the threads. Upload the files from the Branch Silhouette Set into your machine and embroider them one by one. Don't forget to stabilize the fabric with light-weight cut-away stabilizer and hoop it tightly.

Quilting:

Prepare 2 "sandwiches": place the lining/backing pieces on a flat surface (table) face down. Cover with batting. Spread both panels over them.
Pin all layers together.

We quilted in a free-motion style all over both panels. Start from the embroidery and echo-quilt it, then proceed from the center to the outer edges. Change the threads to match the colors of the fabrics.

After quilting is done, press with heavy steam and trim both panels to 16" x 18" pieces. Finish the side and bottom raw edges with zig-zag stitch or on a serger/overlock.

Front and back panels of the bag with leaves embroidery.

Assembly:

Note: seam allowance is 1/2" unless otherwise recommended. Press every seam immediately after you make it.

On the lower edge of both panels, cut out 2" x 2" squares at the corners.

Position the panels face to face, align all edges. Pin the bottom. Stitch together with seam allowance 1/2".
Open and press the seam.

Top-stitch 1/4" on both sides of the seam.

Cut the webbing into 2 pieces; choose the length of the handles yourself.
Pin one handle to the upper edge of each panel, an equal distance from the side edges, with the ends protruding 1/2" beyond the edges.
Pin and mark 1" from the protruding ends.

Top-stitch the handles to the bag within the marks.

Pin the pocket to the wrong side of one of the panels between the handles.
Top-stitch along the upper edge with seam allowance 1/4".

Attaching the inner pocket between the handles.

Fold the working piece, face inside, align the sides. Working with one side at a time, stitch with seam allowance 1/2". Open and press the seam. Top-stitch 1/4" on both sides of the seam.

Repeat for the other side.

To shape the bottom, fold the bottom of the bag so that the bottom and the side seams align. Pin.

Stitch. Seam allowance 1/2". Stitch several parallel lines.

Finish the raw edge with zig-zag or overlock.

Measure around the upper edge of the tote.
Fold the 3" wide strip lengthwise in half and press. Measure the strip; it should be the length of the circumference plus 1 inch. Cut away the extra length.

Fold the right short edge 1/2" onto the wrong side and press.

Right side to right side and raw edge to raw edge, starting with the folded short edge of the strip, pin the strip along the upper edge of the tote. In the end overlap the unfinished short edge with the folded short edge.

Stitch with seam allowance 1/2".