- 1). Cut 38 squares, 6 inches each, from flannel fabric. You can use the same flannel fabric for all the squares or cut a variety of scraps. Cut 19 squares, also 6 inches each, from lightweight cotton quilt batting. These are the components for the body and bottom of the bag.
- 2). Lay out the flannel squares. Make one lay out for the outside of the bag and one for the inside, two rows wide by eight squares long. Pair the outside squares with their corresponding inside squares. The last six squares will make up the bottom of the quilted rag tote, three for the inside and three for the outside.
- 3). Lay one square from a pair wrong side up on your sewing table. Center a quilt batting square on top. Place the other square from the pair on the stack with the right side up. Match the edges, and pin. Repeat with all the flannel pairs.
- 4). Topstitch an "X" over the surface of each flannel sandwich, stitching diagonally from one corner across to the other. This is quilting the squares.
- 5). Lay out the flannel squares again. The side of the squares for the inside of the bag will be known as the wrong side for clarification of instructions. Sew one row of eight quilted squares together, with the wrong sides together, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. This will place the 1/2-inch seam on the outside of the bag. Repeat with the other row of eight quilted squares.
- 6). Stack the two rows with the wrong sides together and matching the edges. Pin one long edge. Sew the long edge using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. You now have the body of the bag, two rows wide by eight rows long.
- 7). Fold the body in half, with the wrong sides together and matching the short edges. Pin the short edges together. Sew the pinned edge using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. You now have a tube with an open bottom and an open top.
- 8). Sew together in a row the last three quilted squares for the bottom of the quilted rag tote. With the right sides out, pin the bottom of the tote to the bottom opening of the tube. Sew the pinned edges using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. The front and back of the tote are each three squares wide, and the ends are each one square wide.
- 9). Cut four strips of flannel and two strips of cotton quilt batting 2 inches wide by 24 inches long. These are the components of two handles. Stack together one flannel strip wrong side up, one batting strip and one flannel strip right side up, matching the edges, and pin. Repeat with the remaining strips. Sew around all four edges using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
- 10
Center the ends of one strap on the front of the bag and space 5 inches apart. The ends should overlap below the edge of the bag 2 inches. Pin the handle ends. Stitch the handle ends to the bag. Turn the bag over to the back side, and attach the other handle ends. - 11
Clip 1/2-inch-wide slits along all the exposed seams of the bag. Machine wash and dry the quilted rag tote to fray the edges.
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