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Rag Tote Bag Tutorial–The 4 Patch Bag

 

*Before we start this party I need to type up a disclaimer.*

Disclaimer:

I don’t have an awesome camera of coolness. I don’t even have a camera that can focus. So go easy on the grumbling when you check out the following tutorial. And also—whether Elizabeth made these bags up or not, I don’t know, all I know is that she showed me how to make them and so I’m giving a big thank you to her for this idea, that I have been obsessed with, for the past 3 years.

Ok, now that I’ve said what I needed to say, let’s get started!

What you’ll need:

a sewing machine thread

14 pieces of felt cut into 5 inch squares

14 pieces of fabric cut into 5 inch squares

4 pieces of felt cut into 5″ x 2 and 1/2 inch squares

4 pieces of fabric cut into 5″ x 2 and 1/2 inch squares
Step #1
Lay out your fabric squares in the pattern you like best for your bag. (You’ll need 4 squares each for the front and back, 2 squares for each side, and two squares for the bottom. Each handle will be 4 rectangles long.)

Step #2

Start sewing your squares together. When sewing the squares together you will put WRONG SIDES TOGETHER—this is backwards to how you sew most items but for this bag we want all seams on the outside. Also EACH fabric square must be sewn with a felt piece underneath it. (It’s like your making a little felt sandwhich…Everytime you sew something on this project you will be sewing through: fabric, felt, felt, fabric.)

You can start sewing with the rectangle handles. Sew them short sides together. Sew 4 of them together in a long strip. You will make 2 long strips.

Next sew the squares together for each side and then the bottom. Now attack the front and the back–sewing all 4 squares together. When your done you’ll have something like this:

Step#3

Now attach all the pieces. The easiest way is to sew the front to the right side. Then the bottom to the front and right side. When I am done it looks like this:

Next I sew the back to the left side. And finally sew that piece to the piece in the photo above. Now you have your bag.

Step#4 Attaching the handles. Before attaching the handles run a seam along the edge of each side of each handle. Like this:

Next you are going to run a seam along the entire top edge of the bag. While doing this you are going to attach the handles. I start my top seam on the edge of one of the side pieces. Like this:

When I come to a front or back square I place one edge of the handle inside the bag, far enough down to be run over by the seam. Like this:

Then I keep sewing until it’s time to insert another handle piece. (Each top square on the front and back will have part of a handle attached to it.) From the inside it will look like this:

Now you are completed with the sewing portion of the bag.

Step#5
Clipping. Clip about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch along all of you seams. But be careful not to cut through the seam or else your bag will have a hole in it.

Step #6
I now put my bags into the washing machine on the rinse and spin cycle. Next, I throw them into the dryer. This makes the fraying nice, and cute, and fluffy.

Now your all done! Happy toting! Linked Here and Here and Here.

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Comments

  5. Jill says

    This bag looks great – and your tutorial is very clear too (great photos I think! – perfectly clear! :))
    I would love if you came over and linked this project to my weekly Round Tuit party at:
    http://jembellish.blogspot.com/
    Have a great week!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success

  6. Yuuko Gabb says

    Hi!!!!
    I’m so happy that you write this tutorial, love these kind of bags, and thanks to you both i can make one by myself!!!
    Really Thankyou!!!!
    Hugs!!! ^-^