I am back!  I have been neglecting my poor blog for a few weeks, but I am back!  I have plenty to share with you; just because I haven’t been blogging doesn’t mean that I haven’t been creating!

Today, I am sharing with you a super cute embroidered book bag.  It was simple to make, but hard for me to photo so please excuse the subpar photos!

The project started out as a simple embroidery project from A Little Sweetness by Tasha Horsely.  You can find the embroidery pattern here on her Etsy page if you wish to purchase it yourself.  I love her prints and embroidery patterns; so simple and sweet.

I created two panels for the front and back as well as two panels for the inside lining.  Sew them right sides together.  I used 12×14 panels for this bag

After you have the right sides sewn together…remember to leave the top open, then you square off the bottom of the bag by measuring in 2″ from the corner and drawing a diagonal line that you then sew across.

Then, you create the handles.  I used 4″ strips of fabric 20″ in length folded in half to meet in the middle and then in half again.  Top stitch each side for a nice and neat finish.

After that, you place the exterior portion of the bag inside of the lining (right sides together) and place the straps in between.  Make sure you line up the seams of the lining and the outside of the bag and pin them.  Then, measure from these seams for placement of your straps.  Pin your straps.  Your straps will be in between the two fabrics after you pin all the way around the top of the bag.

Sew all the way around the top leaving a 3″ hole at the end.  Once complete, pull the outside of the bag through the small hole and turn everything so that the lining is on the inside of the bag and the outside of the bag is on the outside.  Now, fold in the area you left open and pin all the way around this time with the handles out and prepare to top stitch all the way around the bag.

The instructions might seem a little hard the first time you make a bag like this, but once you do this a few times it will become easier.  I did not use any fusible web or lining to stiffen the bag, but you can also do that.  Here is the finished bag.

Here’s the inside of the bag using Riley Blake fabric…one of my favorites.

Another shot of the bag with the cute embroidery pattern on front.

You can find this cute tote bag on Etsy for purchase!  Hope you are enjoying spring in your neck of the woods.  Here in California, the flowers are blooming!