• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Training Academy Login
  • TOOLS WE LOVE
    • Quilting Tools We Use
    • Top 10 Quilting Tools for Beginners
  • Subscribe

Alanda Craft

Quilting & Craft Tutorials, Reviews & More


  • Quilting
    • Quilting Tutorials
    • Quilting Blocks
    • Quilting Products
    • Quilting How To’s
    • Quilting Panels
  • ScanNCut
    • Brother ScanNCut Tutorials
    • ScanNCut DX
    • Canvas Workspace
    • ScanNCut Reviews
    • The Big List of Brother ScanNCut Tutorials
    • Brother Scan n Cut News & Updates
  • Sewing Projects
    • Bag Tutorials
    • Cushion Tutorials
    • Quick Projects
  • Paper Crafts
    • Paper Tutorials
    • Junk Journals
    • Mini Albums
    • Die Cutting Machines
    • Paper Craft Reviews
  • Dream Machine
  • Submit Project
    • Submit Your Project
    • Readers Projects

Checkerboard (Bargello) Tote Bag Tutorial

Alanda Craft September 26, 2015 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

Tweet
Pin897
Share2
899 Shares

checkerboard tote bagWe love making tote bags and we also love the Bargello method of creating quilts so we had to combine the two and design a bag. I just love this technique. It is sooooo easy to do and makes a great checkerboard effect.

Watch the video tutorial below or scroll down for the written instructions

  • How to box the corners
  • How to make and add the handles
  • How to make the trim
  • How to finish the bag

TOOLS USED IN THIS TUTORIAL

You can check the latest prices at Amazon by clicking on the links below:

  • Creative Grids Ruler 8½” x 24½”
  • Olfa 24″ x 36″ double-sided healing mat
  • Olfa 60mm rotary cutter
  • Oliso Iron
  • Gutermann Sew-All thread
  • Quilters slidelock

What you Need:

  • 8 Jelly Roll strips or alternatively cut your own at 8 x 2½” strips measuring around  40″- 42″ in length (width of fabric).

For our Pink Bag: we used alternating strips using white as the main and 2 contrasting pink strips
For our Blue Bag: we used alternating strips using blue as the main and 4 different colour co-ordinated strips. This bag was made using a jelly roll called ‘Chantilly’ by Lauren and Jessi Jung for Moda.

  • Batting or fusible fleece.
  • Backing

Method :

  • Cut off the selvages from each end of the strips.
  • Lay the strips on your table side by side, starting with the main colour.laying-out-the-strips
  • Place the first two strips on top of each other with right sides together.

strips

  • Sew the long edges together with a ¼” seam.
  • Pick up the 3rd strip and place on top of the second strip, right sides together and sew with a ¼” seam. Continue in this manner until the strips are all sewn together.
  • Press the seams flat.

ironing-the-seams-flat

  • Trim across the short ends to straighten up.

trim-the-short-ends

  • Join the first and last strip together lengthwise and sew with a ¼” seam to form a tube.

make-tube

  • Lay the tube on your table and cut 8 x  2½” strips from the tube.
  • Lay the tubes next to each other making sure the co-ordinating squares line up.

unpick-the-tubes

  • Unpick the top row of stitching on the first tube
  • Unpick the second row of stitching on the second tube
  • Unpick the third row of stitching on the third tube
  • Unpick the fourth row of stitching on the fourth tube
  • Unpick the bottom row of stitching on the fifth tube
  • Unpick the top row of stitching on the sixth tube
  • Unpick the second row of stitching on the seventh tube
  • Unpick the third row of stitching on the eighth tube.
  • Open the tubes and you will find that they alternate in design – 1 main, 1 contrast, until you get to the sixth tube, simply turn this one and the next three around so that the design is consistent.

open-the-strips

  • Sew the strips together with a ¼” seam.
Note:
Make sure you sew the seams in the same position as when we ironed them so that they stay flat. This will make sure that your joins are perfect.

front-piece-of-bag

  • Press your piece and put it aside.

 We are now going to work on the back.

Decide whether you want to have the main strip on the bottom of the bag or a contrasting strip.  I went with the main color.

  • Open one seam line so that you have a flat piece of striped fabric.

the-back-of-bag

Now is the time to decide if you want the stripes on your bag to run horizontally or vertically across the back of your bag.

  • Trim your bag pieces to the size you want, my bag is 16¼” x 16¼”.
  • Cut your fusible fleece to the size of your bag.
  • Make sure that you iron the rough side of the fleece, this is the side that has the glue on, to the wrong side of your bag pieces.
  • Do Not Use Steam.

fusible-fleece

  • Once you have added your fusible fleece to both the front and the back bag pieces, its time to sew the bag together.

iron-on-fusible-fleece

  • Place the pieces right sides together and sew around 3 sides only with a ¼” seam.
  • Start and end with a backstitch.
  • Stop a ¼” from the corners and pivot.
  • Cut 2 pieces of lining 16¼” wide to match your bag BUT cut the height 16¾”. This is to create the trim at the top. If you don’t want to have the trim then cut your lining pieces to match your bag pieces, in my case 16¼” x 16¼”.
  • Sew around three sides as you did before, leaving the top end open on the longer ends.

 

image_pdfimage_print

Filed Under: Bag Tutorials, Christmas Projects Tagged With: bag tutorial, bag tutorials, bargello tote bag, checkerboard tote bag tutorial, tote bag tutorial

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    January 3, 2021 at 12:02 am

    Why DID THE PATTERN END UNFINISHED. LINING AND HANDles are missing

    Reply
    • Alanda Craft says

      January 3, 2021 at 9:20 am

      I have no idea what has happened to the rest of the instructions, Michelle. I will work on getting them up again shortly. In the meantime you can watch the video which shows how to add the handles and finish the bag. Thank you for letting me know as I had no idea that this had happened.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FOLLOW US!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Welcome to Alanda Craft - We are Wanda & Paula, two friends who love to craft. Our goal is to show you techniques on how to improve your crafting skills. Learn how to use your ScanNCut, your Dream Machine, make quilts and create quick and easy sewing projects! Learn, Create, Enjoy!

Recent Posts

  • My HTVRont Heat Press Machine Review
  • How to Bind a Placemat or Table Runner
  • Kids Placemats and Table Runner Tutorial
  • Little Birdie Crafts Stash Reveal
  • Why We Don’t Use the ScanNCut Fabric Support Sheet (& What We Use Instead)

Popular Posts

10 Ways to Use Up Your Fabric Scraps – Easy Projects157K Total Shares
Quilting for Beginners – The Easiest Quilt Ever – Step-by-Step Tutorial92K Total Shares
Origami Fabric Bag Tutorial: Easy to Make Market Tote Bag79K Total Shares
Machine Binding a Quilt: A Step-by-Step Illustrated Guide for Beginners (with video)76K Total Shares
Crumb Quilt Technique Tutorial – Crumb Quilting47K Total Shares
Quilt As You Go Quilt With Sashing – Reversible Quilt41K Total Shares
Easy Quilted Christmas (or Fall) Table Runner39K Total Shares
Quilt Block: Jack in the Box Quilt Block Tutorial32K Total Shares
Magic Pillowcase Tutorial (AKA Burrito Pillow/ Roll-Up Pillow)26K Total Shares
10 Fabric Jelly Roll Projects25K Total Shares

Footer

  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
Copyright 2020 - Alanda Craft - AlandaCraft.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.