(The last one)

Welcome to week 3 of the sew-along! At this point, you should have your fabric quilted and your handles assembled. Now that you’ve finished that portion of the project, it’s time to assemble the pieces and attach the binding. Let’s jump right into it!

Assembly

My favorite little rulers for rounding corners are the Creative Grids Circle Rulers that come with 5 sizes and have a 2.5” size perfect for these corners. If you don’t’ want to spend the money on these. Try measuring the bottom of a thread cone you have on hand. Those are pretty handy and are often the perfect size.

When attaching your end panels to your bag’s body I recommend you use A LOT of clips. This helps me sew a little slower and keeps me on track sewing in these panels. I find it much easier to sew with the End Panel against the base of your sewing machine.

Full-length handles

Following up on attaching handles all the way around the bag: In this photo you can see how I butt the edges up to each other and sew them down. I lined up the handles in between the second and third rows of patchwork from each of the long edges and centered it over the seam, about 3.5” in from the edge of the bag, and sewed them down (just like in the pattern) with the X to secure the handle.

Binding

I’ve always done my bindings the same way: I roll the fabric over, use some wonder clips and stitch down using my trusty stiletto. If you haven’t gotten a stiletto for your notion collection yet, I recommend this one. I also love these little Pinmoor stiletto protectors for storage.

Have you tried glue basting? I loved the way it kept my binding in place so that it was nice and straight. You might want to give it a try. @penandpaperpatterns has some great glue tips to make this process even easier.

Attaching the bias binding

I know this is the trickiest part of the bag, so I made a Youtube video just for you that contains all my tips for attaching the final binding.

Here’s one more tidbit about the binding. Below you’ll see how I fold and secure the corners of the binding, which can also be a bit tricky.

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Sponsors

You still have access to excellent discounts from these shops! Check them out if you need fabric or other bag supplies. Quilted Works and Domesticity both offer fabric and are based in Utah and Maryland, respectively. Ma Tante Quilting has discounted bag-making supplies and is based in Manitoba, Canada.

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Other items

Previous IG lives:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3

Be sure to share your progress and see your fellow makers’ progress on IG with the #AllTheThingsToteSA2024 hashtag.

Previous week’s emails:

• Week 1
• Week 2

Happy making,

Kait