Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 204, Sew Organized Utility Tote!
Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 204, Sew Organized Utility Tote with hosts Deanna Springer and Dana Casey from Team NZP! In this video, the Stitch it! Sisters share how to make our Sew Organized Utility Tote.
In our Sewing Tutorial below, we’re sharing step-by-step how to make our Sew Organized Utility Tote made with simple fabric rectangles and flat construction sewing techniques. Sew Organized Utility Totes are fast and fun to sew – even for beginner sewers!
Our Sew Organized Utility Totes feature generous fabric shoulder straps! Choose from three roomy tote sizes to meet your carry-all needs. Use Sew Organized Utility Totes to store pillows, bedding, and quilts! Keep one in your car for shopping in style with this reusable, and washable, Sew Organized Utility Tote!
Purchase one of our Exclusive Sew Organized Utility Tote Bundle Boxes featuring coordinating Glohaven Peaches fabrics, by Lila Tueller for Riley Blake Designs, Shades Fabrics by Riley Blake Designs, and Team NZP’s NEW! Sew Organized Utility Tote Sewing Pattern with full-color step-by-step instructions and illustrations. Now 10% Off at ShopNZP.com!
Our Exclusive Sew Organized Utility Tote Bundle Boxes are available in three limited edition colors and include everything you’ll need to make one Sew Organized Utiltiy Tote.
Sew Organized Utility Tote Sewing Tutorial
by The Stitch it! Sisters
Sew Organized Utility Tote Supplies Listing
Exclusive Sew Organized Utility Tote Bundle Box
Pattern Making Paper
Pencil
Craft Scissors
June Tailor’s Quilter’s Starch Savvy
Fabric Shears
Clover’s Wonder Clips
Clover’s Heart-Shaped Pins
Clover’s 2″ Bias Tape Maker
Clover’s Hot Ruler
Clover’s 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Guide
Clover’s Roll ‘n Press
Clover’s Chaco Liner
Schmetz Universal Needle Size 80
Coordinating Thread
Iron
Seam Stick or Sleeve Board
Rotary cutter, 6″ x 24″ Rotary Cutting Ruler and mat
6-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ Square Rotary Cutting Ruler
Optional: Tailor’s Clapper
Optional: Clover’s Point 2 Point Turner
Optional: Clover’s Double Sided Basting Tape
Prepare your fabrics! Pre-shrink fabrics by steaming and pressing. Then, stabilize fabrics for the sewing process by pressing and starching fabrics with June Tailor’s Starch Savvy.
Sew Organized Utility Tote Finished Measurements
X-Large Approx. Finished Size: 29″ W x 18″ H x 10″ D
Large Approx. Finished Size: 24″ W x 15″ H x 10″ D
Medium Approx. Finished Size: 19″ W x 13″ H x 10″ D
Note: Today we’re showing how to make our size X-Large Utility Tote!
Create Sew Organized Utility Tote Pattern
Cut one rectangle from Pattern Making Paper.
XL: 20″ wide x 25″ long
L: 18″ wide x 22″ long
M: 15″ wide x 20″ long
Mark the fold line along the long right edge.
At lower left corner, using a using a 6-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ ruler and pencil, mark a 5″ square for gusset.
Using a craft scissors, cut out 5″ corner square.
Cut Fabrics
Fold outer fabric wrong sides together – meeting selvedges.
Place pattern on fabric and cut two outer tote shapes on the fold: One outer front and one outer back.
Save 5″ fabric squares for a future sewing project.
Fold inner fabric wrong sides together – meeting selvedges.
Place pattern on fabric and cut two inner tote shapes on the fold: One inner front and one inner back.
Cut four crosswise fabric strips for handles.
Using rotary cutter, ruler and mat, cut four 3-3/4″ crosswise fabric strips. Trim away selvedges at short ends.
Create Utility Tote Handles
Place short ends of 3-3/4″ crosswise fabric strips, right sides together. Pin.
Seam strips together to create one long fabric strip, for handles.
Press seams flat, then press seams open.
Trim fabric strip for desired Tote size:
XL 3-3/4″ x 160″
L 3-3/4″ x 150″
M 3-3/4″ x 140″
Create Utility Tote Handles using a 2″ Bias Tape Maker, awl, and iron.
Use awl to advance fabric through the bias tape maker.
Press folded fabric strip, with iron, while pulling fabric through the bias tape maker.
Fold pressed fabric strip wrong sides together, meeting long edges to form 1″ wide handle.
Press using a tailors clapper, to set folds.
Open folds and meet short ends right sides together. Pin.
Stitch short ends to form a continuous loop handle.
Re-fold long fabric strip edges. Press.
Edgestitch along both long edges using Clover’s 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Guide.
Fold handle in half and place Wonder Clips, or pins, at center markings. Set aside.
Create Utility Tote
Using a Hot Ruler and iron, press under 1″ along top edges of outer tote front and outer tote back– pressing towards wrong side of fabric.
Using a Hot Ruler and iron, press under 1″ along top edges of inner tote front and inner tote back – pressing towards wrong side of fabric.
Place outer tote front and back, right sides together. Pin or Wonder Clip along lower seam.
Stitch lower center seam.
Press seam flat, then press open or to one side.
Repeat steps, stitching inner tote lower seam.
Press seam flat, then press open or to one side.
Press seams flat, then open. If using a serger overlock machine, press seams flat, then press to one side. Use a Tailor’s Clapper to flatten seams.
Attach Handles to Outer Utility Tote
Find vertical center of Utility Tote by folding tote and meeting short edges.
Press a temporary center crease along fold line, using Clover’s Roll ’n Press.
Open tote and place right side up.
Using a 6″ x 24″ ruler, erasable fabric marking pen, or Chaco Liner, mark vertical lines 3″ along each side of center creased line.
Align handle to placement lines, matching handle half- markings to center bottom seam of outer tote.
Pin handle to outer tote.
Lay handle flat, with no twists, prior to pinning. Top edges of tote will remain pressed under.
Optional: Instead of using straight pins, try using Clover’s Double Sided Basting Tape to tape-baste handle to outer tote!
Stitch handle to outer tote – stitching along previously stitched lines. At tote top edges, stop stitching with needle down and pivot around corners.
Finish Sew Organized Utility Tote
Place outer tote right sides together, aligning side seams.
Pin or Wonder Clip. Stitch.
Press seams flat, then press seams open or to one side – pressing over a Sleeve Board or Seam Stick.
Before stitching, unfold 1″ pressed top tote edges. After stitching and pressing side seams, refold 1″ top edge to tote wrong side. Press.
Repeat steps and stitch inner tote side seams.
Meet one outer tote gusset seam, right sides together, stacking side seam over lower center seam. Pin.
Stitch gusset seam.
Repeat steps and stitch opposite gusset seam.
Meet one inner tote gusset seam, right sides together, stacking side seam over lower center seam. Pin.
Stitch gusset seam.
Repeat steps and stitch opposite gusset seam.
Turn outer tote right side out, using optional Point 2 Point Turner to turn lower corners.
Insert inner tote into outer tote wrong sides together, aligning side seams.
Wonder Clip or Pin inner tote to outer tote, along tote top edge. Note: Handles will remain outside tote.
Edgestitch along top edge – stitching outer tote to inner tote and stitching over handles.
Add a second row of stitching 3/4″ inside edgestitching.
Our Sew Organized Utility Tote featuring generous fabric shoulder straps! Choose from three roomy tote sizes to meet your carry-all needs. Use Sew Organized Utility Totes to store pillows, bedding, and quilts! Keep one in your car for shopping in style with this reusable, and washable, Sew Organized Utility Tote! Folds for easy storage.
Make one or more of our Sew Organized Utility Totes featuring generous fabric shoulder straps! Choose from three roomy tote sizes – to meet your carry-all needs! Use Sew Organized Utility Totes to store pillows, bedding, and quilts! Keep one in your car for shopping in style with this reusable, and washable, Sew Organized Utility Tote!
Sew a Sew Organized Utility Tote to coordinate with your quilt!
Sew Organized Utility Tote folds for easy storage!
Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 204, Sew Organized Utility Totes with Deanna Springer and Dana Casey!
Related Blog Posts by Team NZP
Sew Organized Fabric Bins are fast and fun to make! Make one or more of our NEW! Sew Organized Fabric Bins – to coordinate with your sewing space, or any room in your home! 10″ x 10″ x 10″ Fabric Bins fit standard cube organizers, or set on a shelf!
Sew a Fun Fabric Caddy in four hours – and tidy your sewing space — or use in any room of your home. The sewing is easy with just a few fabric rectangles and squares. Plus, pattern includes instructions for our Fabric Bin made from four 10″ fabric squares! In a couple evenings of sewing, you’ll have a unique fabric caddy & fabric bin set – that also make great gifts!
Make a Big-Bigger Laundry Bag that expands to handle laundry and/or storage needs. It’s a bag or tote that has both function and style! Reverse the Big-Bigger Laundry Bag for a whole new look. The sewing is streamlined with a few rectangles of sturdy canvas fabric and cotton quilting fabric. Our sewing tutorial includes adding secondary handles – that lend versatility to the Big-Bigger Laundry Bag!
Sew Organized Utility Tote Supplies Listing
NEW! Exclusive Sew Organized Utility Tote Bundle Box
Pattern Making Paper
Pencil
Craft Scissors
June Tailor’s Quilter’s Starch Savvy
Fabric Shears
Clover’s Wonder Clips
Clover’s Heart-Shaped Pins
Clover’s 2″ Bias Tape Maker
Clover’s Hot Ruler
Clover’s 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Guide
Clover’s Roll ‘n Press
Clover’s Chaco Liner
Schmetz Universal Needle Size 80
Coordinating Thread
Iron
Seam Stick or Sleeve Board
Rotary cutter, 6″ x 24″ Rotary Cutting Ruler and mat
6-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ Square Rotary Cutting Ruler
Optional: Tailor’s Clapper
Optional: Clover’s Point 2 Point Turner
Optional: Clover’s Double Sided Basting Tape
Shop E-Gift Cards available at ShopNZP.com
Shop our Sew Organized Utility Tote Supplies at ShopNZP.com
Shop our Sew Organized Fabric Bin Supplies at ShopNZP.com
Shop our NEW! Exclusive Quick Quilting in the Hoop: Winter Snowflakes Collections at ShopNZP.com
Happy Sewing!
Team Nancy Zieman
Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.
Stitch it! Sisters is a production of NZ Productions LLC. Content in this feed is © copyright 2021 by Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website. The FTC requires us to tell you that Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC has provided products by other companies in the course of doing business. The FTC requires us to advise you to take this information into consideration when reading this posting.
Make sure you are subscribed to Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC enews mailing list so you won’t miss a thing. Sign up at nancyzieman.com/blog/enews. And join us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!
#UtilityToteSewingTutorial #SewAFabricBag #QuiltStorageBag #SewABigToteBag #Sewing
