Reversible Quilted Notebook Tote from Janome

Reversible Quilted Notebook Tote from Janome

With spring in the air, it’s a great time to load up a quilted tote with your favorite books or notebooks and head out to the park. Sometimes it seems like those taller books and notebooks just don’t fit so well into a regular tote you might have lying around. Whip up this quick project with your Horizon Memory Craft 8900QCP to make a unique reversible tote that can easily transition from winter to spring! I chose a great grey faux suede as the exterior quilted side and a bright geometric print for the reversible lining. The MC8900QCP quilts through the faux suede easily—so don’t limit yourself on boring quilting cottons!

Janome Supplies Required:

RSO=Right side out, RST-Right sides together, RSD-Right Side Down, RSU-Right Side Up, all seam allowances are 1/4” unless otherwise specified.

HMC8900QCP SE

Standard Foot A

Dual Feed Foot Holder

Dual Feed Foot AD

Red Tip Needle

Pre-wound bobbin

Empty Bobbin

Fabrics/Notions Required:

1-1/4 yd. grey faux suede (Fabric A) sub cut into:

(1) 18” x 43” for the quilted exterior

1-1/2 yd. scrap quilting cotton (Fabric B) sub cut into:

(1) 22” x 47” (for back of quilt sandwich for exterior-won’t be visible

When completed)

1-3/4 yd. quilting cotton (Fabric C) sub cut into:

(1) 17” x 43” for the lining (when reversed, will be exterior)

(1) 8” x 58”

22” x 47” piece of batting

2” x 58” piece of batting for straps

Contrasting thread for quilting and top stitching

Student Supplies Required:

Iron and pressing mat

Chaco Liner/other removable marking utensil

Frixion Pen

Binding Clips

Rotary cutter/ruler/mat

Quilting the Faux Suede (or other exterior fabric)

1. Place the 22” x 47” scrap fabric (Fabric B) RSD and place the 22” x 47” piece of batting on top. Then place the 18” x 43” piece of faux suede (Fabric A) on top, RSU. Baste using basting spray, following the manufacturer’s instructions (if using a faux leather, don’t use safety pins to baste as the holes will remain visible after removing the pins). Optional: You can swap the faux suede for standard quilting cotton, if desired.
2. Prepare the faux suede for quilting by marking the quilting guides you’ll need. You can also choose to free motion quilt the exterior. I selected a bright geometric print with triangles for the straps and lining, so I wanted to quilt 1.5” equilateral triangles on the exterior. A great marking tool to use for this is a chaco liner that will leave a line of chalk and easily wipe away when the quilting I completed. I used an acrylic ruler to help mark my quilting lines.
3. To attach the Dual Feed Foot, raise the needle to the highest position and raise the presser foot lifter. Loosen the setscrew and remove the standard foot holder. Attach the dual feed foot holder to the presser bar and tighten the setscrew lightly with your finger. Push the dual feed link to engage it with the upper feed drive. Lower the presser foot lifter, then lower the needle to the lowest position by turning the hand wheel. Tighten the setscrew with the screwdriver. Coordinating step-by-step pictures can be found in your manual on pages 14-15.

4. Begin quilting with the Dual Feed Foot, following the quilting lines made with chalk. The Dual Feed Foot will help to evenly feed the layers to quilt without wrinkles in the fabric.
I alternated several different shades of blue threads for the quilting to coordinate with the lining fabric. You could do the same, or select one thread and stick with that color.
Once the quilting is completed to your satisfaction, take the quilted exterior to your cutting mat and square up to 17” x 42”.

 

Making the exterior and lining

1. Attach standard foot A by removing the dual feed foot and foot holder and attaching the standard foot holder with foot A.

2. Measure and mark 2” in from the raw edge of the fabric on each 17” end of the lining fabric (Fabric C). Mark the wrong side of the fabric. Fold the raw edge up to meet the mark you made (pressing up 1”), with wrong sides together. Press with the iron. Tip: Frixion pens are great for marking when you will be ironing over the area to erase the marks!

3. Sew ¼” from the folded raw edge. (remember to do this to both 17” edges)

4. Fold the lining fabric RST, hemmed edge to hemmed edge (will measure 17” x 20-3/4” when pinned). Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance up each of the unhemmed edges. Don’t sew the hemmed top closed.
5. With the lining still wrong side out, measure and mark a 3” square in each lower corner. Flip over and repeat on the opposite side.

6. Make a “tent” with the corners and line up the lines you just drew with each bottom corner of the lining (“tent” image is shown with the exterior), so the lines you drew give you one straight line to sew on. Pin in place and sew on the line you marked on each corner. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4".
7. Repeat steps 2-6 with the quilted exterior.

Tip: When hemming the quilted exterior, use binding clips to secure for sewing, rather than pinning.

8. Turn the quilted exterior RSO. Leave the lining wrong side out.

Sewing the Straps and assembling the bag

9. Take the 8” x 58” piece of Fabric C and fold it in half, wrong sides together, so that it measures 4” x 58”. Press with the iron.
10. Unfold the strap piece you just pressed. Take both long raw edges and fold them into the pressed fold in the center. Then fold in half so all raw edges are concealed and press (you are essentially making a huge piece of double fold bias tape-without the bias). The piece after pressing should now measure 2” wide x 58” long.

11. Unfold the strap piece once more and insert the 2” x 58” piece of batting up against the center fold of the fabric.
12. Then fold the strap back as it was to conceal the raw edges and the batting inside and clip the edges with binding clips to secure before sewing. Tip: You can add additional layers of batting for a more padded strap.

13. Topstitch the strap 1/4" from the outer edge, removing the clips as you stitch. Topstitch the opposite edge as well.
14. Add as many rows of stitching as you desire.
15. When topstitching is complete, take the strap piece to your cutting mat and cut the individual straps so they each measure 28” long.

16. Place the lining (still wrong side out) inside the quilted exterior (turned RSO) and use the binding clips to secure the tops together.
17. Measure and mark 1” up from the raw edges of each strap piece. This mark will be even with the top of the bag once the straps are inserted between the lining and the exterior.
18. Measure and mark 3” in from each side seam of the quilted exterior on both sides.

19. Place the first strap raw edge in between the exterior and lining and secure with binding clips. With the remaining raw edge of the same strap, insert it between the exterior and lining on the same side of the bag and secure it in place, being careful not to twist the strap. Repeat with the remaining strap.

20. Sew around the top perimeter of the bag, 1/4" away from the edge to secure the straps. Add 2-3 more rows of topstitching for a more stylish effect. Optional: You can easily play with the dimensions of the bag to create any size bag you want!

Share: