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Valentine totes!

Alisa and I made this cute variation on Martha Stewart's felt shopping tote featured on page 42 of the January 2010 issue. You can download a full-sized PDF file template of Martha's felt bag from her website. Alisa and I made a couple of the totes out of gray, wool felt. The full sized bag is 16 inches wide and 27.5 inches high including the long handles. Alisa pinned on one of her felt corsages that we made at Christmas time and it looked really cute.
  • For the Valentine's tote, I reduced the pattern size to 12 inches wide by 18.5 inches including the handles. The pattern piece is shaped like a square bib with long straps that you stitch together to make the tote handles.
  • After cutting out two pattern pieces, stay stitch 1/4-inch from the curved edges of all four handles, using a decorative stitch if desired.
  • If you want to applique a decoration on your bag, cut out your decorative felt pieces and stitch onto the front of one side of your bag.
  • Then pin the two bag pieces together and stitch all around the U-shaped outside edge of the sides and bottom of the tote.
  • We used a decorative zig-zag stitch in a contrasting thread color for all of the stitching.
  • Then overlap the handles of one side of the bag and securely stitch the handle ends together.
  • Repeat for the handle on the other side of the bag.
  • Pin a felt corsage on the front of your bag, if you didn't sew on an applique.


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