Moda Mini Tote with fabric flower

Yesterday I received some happy mail! Woohoo! I love trying new crafts. I picked up some Nastalgia fabric squares by Moda on ebay and thought I would recreate a small tote I saw on Michelle Woodersons blog. http://michellewooderson.blogspot.com/ I'm really new to sewing so I turned to the internet for help.....Oh what yummy goodies you can find on the net. Here is what I came up with today and thought I would take you along on my journey.

Click on photos for larger picture.

First I sewed 4 5" squares together for the base fabric. (Isn't it pretty!)I pressed my seams so they lay nicely. (this is the most I've used my iron in a long time!)


*if you want a sturdier bag you can apply fusable backing. I've never tried it but I see alot of sights recomending it for totes.

Sew around the sides and bottom of your fabric square, right sides together.

Square corners and mark 1.5" squares on both sides of the bottom of your fabric.

Square corners and sew across pencil line.


Cut away remaining corner fabric. (it's so easy and makes for a very nice bottom of your bag)


I chose a slightly sturdier lining in a matching color. Cut your lining on the seam fold with the fold being the bottom of your bag.

Sew the sides of your lining and press.

Mark corners with a 1.5" square, square, sew and cut away remaining fabric as above.

Here is where you decide if you want your handles to be attached to the inside or the outside of your bag. If you want them sewn in the liner position and pin on the wrong side of lining.

Place the liner seams together in the front of bag. Seams together. Pin in place and sew around the top leaving a 1.5" hole to turn.

Turn fabric out and you have the base of your bag.

Handles~ I used the same fabric as I did for the lining and cut 1.5" X 20" strips. Place wrong sides together and sew around the long sides and one end. Turn straps and finish end. I use a dow to help turn my handles. This is the hardest part of the tote.

Sew handles on the bag if you did not sew them in the seam earlier.

I finished my bag with a fabric flowers made with 5 3" squares of fabric.

Press wrong sides together for form 5 triangles.

Then stitch (you can use a machine but I like how the hand stitches looked) around the open sides of triangles, pull to bunch fabric and then attach the next triangle until you have all 5 together.

I hand stitched my flower to my tote and added a vintage button. PTI vintage buttons can be found here http://www.papertreyink.com/pm_buttons.html

This is my finished tote.