The Picnic Tote - sewcanshe.com

1 The Picnic Tote by Caroline Fairbanks-CritchfieldFinished dimensions: Approximately 10 1/2'' tall x 18'' wide (not including the straps). All seam allowances are 1/2''. Fabric and interfacing requirements: 1/2 yard for the exterior center panels 1/2 yard for the exterior side panels 1/4 yard for the interior pocket 3/4 yard for the lining 1/2 yard for the straps Shape-flex woven interfacing for any piecescut from lightweight or quilting cotton (you maychoose to skip this interfacing if you are usinghome decor or heavier weight fabric) 3/4 yard fusible fleece interfacing such asHeatnBond fusible fleeceCut: 2 Center Panel pieces on the fold for theexterior 2 Center Panel pieces on the fold for thelining 4 Side Panel pieces (2 reversed) for theexterior 4 Side Panel pieces (2 reversed) for thelining 2 Interior Pocket pieces on the fold forthe pocket 2 strips 6'' x 50'' for the strapsStabilize any pieces cut from lightweight or quilting cotton with Shape-flex woven interfacing, if desired.

2 Make the Straps: 1. Fold the 6'' x 50'' strips of fabric in halflengthwise, press. Fold the long edges to the center and press. 1 Fold the strip in half again to make a 1 1/2''strap, press. 3. Topstitch close to both long edges. Make 2straps. Tip: use a longer stitch length as usual (such as a 3) for professional looking topstitching. Make the Tote Exterior: 1. Mark the side panel pieces with a dot at thepoint where you should stop stitching (see the pattern piece). 2. Pin a side panel in place as shown above. Paycareful attention to the placement of the side panels as marked on the pattern pieces. 2 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of 3. Stitch from the top to the marking, and then backstitch. Press the seam toward the side panel. 4. On the center panel, clip almost to the stitching at the mark (or at the end of the stitching line). Sew side panel pieces to both of the exterior center panel pieces. 5. Lay the exterior bag sides on top of the fusible fleece interfacing and cut around them.

3 Tip: I pressed the bag sides to the interfacing to partially fuse them before I cut around them. It helped me cut quickly and accurately. Then I pressed the pieces again to fuse them completely. 3 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of Pin each strap to a bag side as shown. Start pinning about 2 1/2'' below the top edge. The strap should be on the center panel, right next to the side panel seam and extend all the way down to the corner of the center panel. Make sure the strap is not twisted. 7. Sew the straps to the bag sides starting about 2 1/2'' below the top edge. You will finish sewing the straps in place later. Sew right on top of the topstitching on both sides of the strap. Prepare both sides of the bag. 4 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of Pin the bag exterior pieces right sidestogether along the sides and bottom. Stitch. Press the seams open. 9. To sew the corners, flatten each one and pin the side seam against the bottom : as you can see from the two photos above, I experimented with trimming the interfacing away so I could line up the edges of the seam perfectly, and with simply flattening the seam.

4 Both methods produced the same result. So use whichever way seems best to you.. This corner does not have the interfacing trimmed away, but the end result was the same. This corner has the fusible fleece trimmed away so I could see how the seam lined up. 5 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of Stitch across the edge of the straps will be caught in the corners. This is what they should look like. 11. Turn the bag exterior right side out and set itaside. Make the Interior Pocket 1. Place the pocket pieces right sides togetherand stitch both long edges. Sewing the corner with the fusible fleece trimmed back. Sewing the other corner that was simply pinned flat. 6 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of Turn the pocket right side out and press it along to top (narrower) edge. 3. Place the finished pocket on top of one of thelining center panel pieces. When it is in the correct spot, the sides will align perfectly. Pin in place along the sides and bottom.

5 4. Topstitch along the bottom edge of the pocketto attach it to the lining center panel. Baste the sides in place. Sew one or more dividing lines in the pocket, if desired. Make the Tote Lining: 1. Pin and stitch the side panels to each centerpanel piece, the same as the tote exterior. Make sure to stop sewing at the spot indicated on the pattern piece. Clip to the dot (or to the seam at the spot where you stopped stitching) on both sides of the center You previously did this when making the bag exterior (review Step 4 in Making the Tote Exterior section).7 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of the seams toward the side Pin both lining pieces right sides togetheralong the bottom and side edges. , leaving a 6'' opening for turning thebag right sides out. Press the seams open. 5. Flatten each corner with the side seam linedup against the bottom seam. Pin and stitch. Note: If the corner won't line up nicely, check to make sure you clipped the center panel to the stitching as directed in Step 1 above.

6 8 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of the Exterior and Lining Together: 1. With the tote exterior right side out and the lining wrong side out, place the lining over the exterior. 2. Pin the top raw edges together, matching the side seams and the seams on the sides of the bag. 3. Stitch all the way around the top of the bag. 4. Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the lining. 5. Pin the opening in the lining together and stitch it closed by machine or by hand. 6. Push the lining down into the bag and press the top edge carefully. 7. Topstitch around the top of the bag 1/4'' from the edge. 8. Pin the top 2'' of the handles in place. Make sure that the lining on the inside is smooth and flat. 9. Stitch the handles in place, sewing on top of the previous topstitching and backstitching neatly at the start and stop. 9 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of Here is a look at the pockets on the interior of this tote.

7 The open, divided pockets allow for quick retrieval of things like your phone, glasses, or keys. I really love the look and feel of the home dec weight fabrics from Premier Prints found at 10 The Picnic Tote by Carol ine Fairbanks-Critchfield of