If you love flowers, you’ll love this spring flower tote bag! Big and roomy, with a giant flower applique on the front. Use my free pattern to sew one for yourself.
After several months of cold and gray, the colors of spring are always such a welcome sight! I’m always so happy when I see the early blooms popping up. So when I wanted to sew a new tote for spring, my mind went straight to pretty spring flowers.
Or spring flower (singular), I should say. Because this spring tote features one very large flower. So big it takes up most of the front and even wraps around to the back. I’ve got a free pattern for you below.
Look at that big ol’ flower! Each petal is a different fabric, all pretty spring florals. The more color and pattern, the better! I made mine with a different fabric for each petal. But I think it would also be pretty with all of the petals from the same print, or even a solid.
If you turn the bag over, you can see where the flower design wraps around the sides and over to the back.
The bag construction is fairly simple. It’s fully lined, with 4” boxed corners to make it nice and roomy.
A facing around the top provides extra stability while also keeping the lining from rolling to the front.
I used a home dec weight fabric for the bag exterior, and a quilting cottons for the lining and for the flower applique design.
Finished dimensions are approximately 14” wide x 16” tall.
If you like sewing bags, check out my upcycled denim tote or this crossbody bag with a zippered fold over top. Or you can make this easy origami bag from a couple of tea towels.
Supplies
Bag Exterior – 2 pieces, 15” wide x 18” tall from Main Fabric (home dec weight cotton)
Straps – 2 pieces, 4” wide x 28” tall from Main Fabric (home dec weight cotton)
Facing – 2 pieces, 15” wide x 4” tall from Main Fabric (home dec weight cotton)
Lining – 2 pieces, 15” wide x 18” tall from quilting weight cotton
Fusible Webbing – 1 yard
Flower Applique – 8 pieces, large scraps quilting weight cotton
Free Pattern – Spring Flower Tote Bag
Pages 1-3 of the free pattern have the applique pattern pieces. Pages 4-12 are Placement Guide to help you get the flower applique placed perfectly on your bag.
All seam allowances ½” unless otherwise stated. RST= Right Sides Together
Prep
Trace all of the pattern shapes on to the back of your fusible webbing. The shapes are symmetrical so there’s no need to reverse them.
Remember that you’ll need 1 Flower Center, and 8 Flower Petals.
Sew the Bag Exterior
Place Bag Exterior pieces RST. Sew together along 1 side.
Press seam open.
Place Bag Exterior face up. Now you have a large rectangle with a seam down the middle. The portion to the left of the seam will the Bag Back. The portion to the right of the seam will the Bag Front.
Place the Flower Petals on the Bag Exterior as shown in the Placement Guide. The two petals at the bottom of the Bag Exterior will need to be trimmed even with the edge.
If you’re good at eyeballing things, you can just look at the guide and recreate the placement and stitching on your banner. But if you’re like me and not so good at eyeballing things, here are some tips to help you us the guide to get the placement and stitching just right:
But if you’re like me and want things placed exactly where they are in the pattern, you can cut into your Placement Guide. If you cut out the flower shape from the Placement Guide, it leaves a “stencil” cut into the background. Place that “stencil” on to of your Bag Exterior and you can use the outlines to see exactly where to place each Petal.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the Flower Petals in place. Top stitch close to the edge of each Flower Petal to secure.
Place the Flower Center in the middle of the Flower Petals. Fuse in place then top stitch close to the edge to secure.
Fold the Bag Exterior in half, RST. Sew together at side and bottom.
Box the corners to create a 4” bottom. (To make a 4” bottom, your boxing seam should be 2” from the tip of the flattened out side seam.) If you haven’t boxed corners before, here’s a good tutorial showing how.
Sew the Straps
Press the 2 strap pieces in half lengthwise wrong sides together, then open up and fold long edges to the center and press again.
Top stitch close to the edge down both sides of each strap.
Sew the Lining
Place the Lining pieces RST. Sew around sides and bottom, leaving the top open.
Box the corners to 4” just like you did for the Bag Exterior.
Assemble the Bag
Pin the Straps to the top of the Bag Exterior 2.5” in from side seams, RST and with raw edges even with the top edge of the Bag Exterior. Make sure the Straps are not twisted. Baste in place ¼” from edge.
Place the Facing pieces RST. Sew together at short sides.
Sew the Facing around the top of the Bag Exterior, RST and matching side seams. Press open, with seam allowance to Facing side of seam.
Place Bag Exterior inside Lining, wrong sides together.
Press raw edge of Facing ½” to the wrong side.
Fold Facing over the top of the Lining, encasing the raw edges and Strap ends.
Stitch Facing in place close to the edge.
Top stitch around top of the bag close to the edge.
Turn the bag right side out. Your Spring Flower Tote Bag is finished!
If you love this tutorial from Anne you will also love these sewing tutorials:
Upcycled Jeans Tote Bag Sewing Tutorial
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