Hi friends!
Welcome to the third week of the Making It mini blog event!
This Week: How to Make a Flat Bottom Bag
Kris, Joanne and I have been having a lot of fun sharing projects with you that we made using the Soulful Shades of Pink fabric line by Laura Berringer for Marcus Fabrics.
And this week, Joanne will share the quilt she designed! I so excited; I can’t to see the quilt. The pattern is available on her website, Swirly Girls, and the proceeds (minus fees) will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
Today Kris will share how to resize her neck roll for children and I will share a quick tutorial on how to make a flat bottom for your tote bag.
I will show 2 ways to make a flat bottom bag.
How to Make a Flat Bottom Bag: Method One
In this method, once you have sewn your side seams and bottom seam, you will flatten the corners into a triangle. Seems weird right? You want to flatten the corners so the side seam and the bottom seam line up.
For this tote bag, measure 1” up from the point of the seam and draw a line across the triangle. Sew on the line. Trim the seam allowance and repeat on the other corner. Trim the seam allowance to ¼”.
How to Make a Flat Bottom Bag: Method Two
This method involves cutting a square out of the corners. For this tote bag, draw a 1 ¼” square in both lower corners and cut out.
Then flatten the cut edges together to line up the seams and sew the opening closed with a ¼” seam.
I find this works best if the lines of stitching have been reinforced above the cuts so you aren’t pulling apart the seams as you flatten them and line them up. You can make the cuts BEFORE you sew the side seams and the bottom seam, or after. Your choice.
Whichever method you use to make a flat bottom for your tote bag, do the same thing for both the outside bag and the lining.
You can see how this tote bag has a flat bottom. I also made the handles on this bag shorter for someone who may not want to sling the tote bag over their shoulder. I cut these about 18” long.
Donations
I also made a medium sized Pack it Up! bag- it fits into the tote bag perfectly and will corral any small items one might be bringing with them. I also made a Jot it Down! notebook cover in case they want somewhere to keep notes on what happens at each appointment.
Kris, Joanne and I are sending all our projects to the American Cancer Society in her area so they can be donated to someone who is going thru cancer treatment. I hope they bring a smile to someone.
The American Cancer Society assists cancer patients with lots of great information on their website, free rides to treatment, a helpline and more. Joanne found their help invaluable during her fight. Be sure to visit their website for more information and to see how you can support them and all they do.
Pop on over to Kris’ blog to read about how to resize her neckroll pattern for a child and then be sure to head to Joanne’s blog to see her quilt and purchase the pattern!
Leftover Fabric Giveaway!
Would you like to use my leftover fabric to make something? I have a bundle of leftover fabric and I would love to share it with someone!
To enter the giveaway, use the Glean widget below. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you might make with the fabric!
Win Soulful Shades of Pink Fabrics!
Contest open to those in the US only. No purchase required to enter. Giveaway ends Monday night Feb 24th.
Contest is over! Thanks to all who commented!
Thanks for following along on our blog event about the ongoing fight against breast cancer and our effort to bring awareness of the assistance available from the American Cancer Society.
happy quilting,
Kate
Love the colors of the fabric. Not sure what I would make. Maybe a table runner or small quilt or mix into a scrap quilt.
I would probably make placemats for seniors, or doll quilts to go with dolls or stuffed animals. Maybe there would be enough fabric for one of each. Both items would go to a local charity.
I love fabric bags. Great for groceries and all else. I’m trying to steer away from using all that plastic!
Kate, thank you to all three of you for your wonderful efforts to bring more awareness to the continued fight against breast cancer and the work of the American Cancer Society.
As always, Kate, you make such beautiful things. The “Soulful Shades of Pink” fabrics are so beautiful in your projects. I know I would get a lot of use out of the tote bag since plastic bags are taboo everywhere now (and you can get so much more into the tote because of the flat bottom). I do also love the “Jot It Down!” as it would be perfect to have handy when making notes about different quilting projects. Take care and have a blessed week.
Thanks for the patterns and the giveaway! I would make totes or small zipper bags to donate to my guild for our women’s shelter project.
I would like to make a table runner or small quilt for a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer
I think this would make a beautiful baby quilt. Depending on the size of the pieces, perhaps a string quilt or some other scrap quilt.
Beautiful fabrics make beautiful things. I love your bag and accessories.
A tablerunner or pieced tote bag would be lovely in these fabrics!
Thanks for the giveaway.
Having recently had a bilateral mastectomy & chemo, arm pillows & chemo port pillows would be my projects
Love these fabrics. 2 sisters in law have had cancer and another is in treatment for her2nd cancer. I would love to make them totes!
Your projects are so beautiful! I love the fabrics and think I would work them into a baby quilt. Or maybe some little pouches to give to friends.
I love making quilts, so I think I would probably do that. I loved your flat bottom totes, thank you for the tutorial.
I would make a bag like yous!!! Just love tote bags and I can never have too many of them!!
I’d make tote bags
Thanks for the opportunity. I would use them to make pillows for the Womens Center at the local hospital the give to the women who have undergone mastectomies.
I would incorporate it into a lap quilt.
These fabrics would make a great tote bag!!!!
This collection is so pretty… I’d love to make a bed runner.
I would make a background for an appliqued wall quilt. Love the interest of a pieced background of coordinated colors.
THis is a wonderful thing to do for a cancer patient. I have a friend who always appreciated all she was given from ACS. Appreciate the instructions for the flat bottomed bag also.
Depending on the amount of fabric, I have a beautiful table runner pattern, or if there is more than that a lap rug will be great. I have a niece who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the age of 34, with two little one. The lap quilt would be great for her during her chemo treatments.
I might try your bag, or I might use it in a baby quilt for a little girl coming soon. Thank you so much for the possibility of winning the fabric, and for the great tutorial. It was very helpful to see the dog next to the bag, to judge its size. =)
I think these would make a lovely table runner. We have a breast cancer survivor in our immediate family who would appreciate this, I’m sure.
Mugrugs for my gal friends!!!
I loved the inspiration and that proceeds go to cancer society. I would use these to make a tote, journal cover and pillow cover for my friend who is a survivor of breast cancer but is now just started chemo for ovarian . Tks!
Those are lovely and I am sure your donation will be greatly appreciated
I would make the tote bag
i would make a tote bag and neck roll for my friend donna who is a breast cancer survivor.
Your color combination is awesome. I like the coordinating bags and their usefulness. I don’t like to use the plastic bags at the grocery store so I like to take attractive totes. It just makes me feel better doing a task I dislike (grocery shopping). Thanks for being so classy.
pink and gray is my favorite color combination! I would use these fabrics for a new bag for me.
I would use it to make a quilt for a donation.
What a lovely fabric line and so generous to donate the proceeds of your sales. I would use the scrap bundle to make small pouches or totes to donate.
I’d make a granddaughter quilt and if necessary add some blenders to make the bundle work for the fun project.
I’m not typically a fan of pink but these fabrics are gorgeous!! I would love to get these fabrics and get together with my neighbor, a fellow sewer/quilter. We could whip out bags to donate to our local American Cancer Society chapter!
I love this fabric line – pink and gray together is my favorite. After petting for a while I’d probably make a purse – I really like your tote.
I love these fabrics! I’d make a table runner and a tote bag.
What great ideas for charity quilting. If I won I would likely do something similar for the Cancer Society. My daughter is a survivor so this charity touches my heart.
I would make a table runner!!
I am purchasing the fabrics and am going to donate a set to the U of M cancer center and give a set to a friend who has breast cancer.