NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote Sewing Tutorial

NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote Sewing Tutorial

NEW! Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 107: Cooler Grocery Tote 

New! Watch the NEW! Stitch it! Sisters Program 107: Cooler Grocery Tote with hosts Deanna Springer and Dana Casey. In this video, the Stitch it! Sisters share step-by-step fabric cutting and sewing techniques for making NZP’s NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote from our NZP’s NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote and Insulated Lunch Tote Pattern.

Watch the NEW! Stitch it! Sisters Program 107: Cooler Grocery Tote 20-min video and learn step-by-step how to sew ourNEW! Cooler Grocery Tote. Pick up a few groceries or picnic in style with our cooler grocery tote.

  Then, head over to the shopnzp.com and purchase the exclusive NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote Bundle Boxdesigned by the Stitch it! Sisters! The NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote Bundle Box includes fabrics and supplies and the Cooler Grocery Tote & Insulated Lunch Tote Pattern – with Classic Timesaving Zipper Sewing Techniques by Nancy Zieman. The NEW! Grocery Tote Bundle Box includes everything you’ll need to make one Cooler Grocery Tote—you’ll supply the thread.

SHOP our NEW! Patterns and Bundle Boxes at shopnzp.com

Watch the NEW! Stitch it! Sisters Program 107: Cooler Grocery Tote video and learn how easy it is to sew our Cooler Grocery Tote.

Cooler Grocery Tote Sewing Tutorial

Sew our new! Cooler Grocery Tote with our easiest ever zipper sewing techniques, and Classic Timesaving Tips by Nancy Zieman, and see how using the right tools makes the sewing process enjoyable, even for beginners!

To make our New! Cooler Grocery Tote, start by making the cooler grocery tote pattern with our easy instructions – included with our NEW! Cooler Grocery Tote and Insulated Lunch Tote Pattern.

1. Make the outer tote pattern:

• Cut a 20″ x 43″ rectangle from Pattern Making Paper.

• Fold rectangle in half, meeting short edges.

• On the lower edge fold, using a 6-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ rotary cutting ruler, mark and cut out a rectangle measuring 3″ wide and 2-3/4″ tall.

• Repeat on both lower corners. The cutouts will later form gussets at tote bottom.

• Open pattern flat and cut away 2″ across one short edge—this will be the tote front. Mark “Front” on paper pattern at upper center front.

2. Prepare Fabrics:

• Preshrink fabrics by steaming and pressing and steaming and pressing a second time.

• Stabilize fabrics for sewing by pressing and starching fabrics with June Tailor’s^® Quilter’s Starch Savvy—press and starch, press and starch.

     Cutting easy rectangles is faster and more efficient than laying the pattern tissue on each of the individual fabrics and inner layers.

3. Cut fabric, interfacing, and batting:

• Cut one 20″ x 41″ rectangle from outer tote fabric.

• Cut three 3-3/4″ crosswise fabric strips from outer tote fabric for straps.

• Cut one 18″ x 20″ rectangle from contrasting pocket fabric.

• Cut one 20″ x 41″ rectangle and one 18″ x 20″ rectangle from Pellon Sof-Shape Interfacing.

• Cut one 20″ x 41″ rectangle from Pellon Insul-Fleece Batting.

• Cut one 20″ x 41″ rectangle from Pellon Silver Lining Insul-Film.

• Cut one 6″ x 13″ rectangle from Pellon Decovil One-Sided Fusible Stabilizer.

4. Assemble:

• Following manufacturer’s instructions, press 20″ x 41″ interfacing rectangle and 18″ x 20″ interfacing rectangle to back of 20″ x 41″ outer tote fabric rectangle and 18″ x 20″ contrasting pocket fabric rectangle.

• Using paper pattern, cut one each from: outer tote fabric, Pellon Sof-Shape Interfacing, Pellon Insul-Fleece Batting, and Pellon Silver Lining Insul-Film.

• Layer outer tote fabric, right side up, onto Pellon Insul-Fleece Batting, and set other layer to the side. Use Wonder Clips t0 clip layers together around all outside edges.

• At the sewing machine insert a Schmetz Size 90 Denim Needle, and attach a roller presser foot or Teflon presser foot. Baste around all outer tote edges with a scant 1/4″ seam allowance. Set aside.

     A scant 1/4″ seam is slightly smaller than a 1/4″ seam. Use scant 1/4″ seams for basting the layers together. When the Cooler Grocery Tote is later seamed together, use actual 1/4″ seams—and basting stitches will be hidden within seam allowances.

• Fold pocket, meeting 20″ long edges, right sides together. Pin or Wonder Clip.

• Stitch, joining 20″ long edges and leaving short ends open.

• Press seam open on a Seam Stick … because of its smaller radius, using a Seam Stick avoids seam imprints when pressing seams open or to one side.

• Turn pocket right side out. Parallel to tote top, place and align pocket on tote front, with folded edge of pocket 5″ down from top edge. Pin or Wonder Clip.

• Stitch pocket to tote at sides, and across lower pocket edge using a 2.5mm stitch length.

• Using a 6″ x 24″ rotary cutting ruler, and Chaco Liner, mark vertical center of the tote.

• Mark handle placement lines 3″ on each side of marked center.

• Position Double-Sided Basting Tape, 1/8″ inside marked lines, at 6″ below back tote top – to pocket top edge.

Finger press Double-Sided Basting Tape in place. Set aside.

• Create 1″ straps:

– Stitch short ends of the three 3-3/4″ crosswise fabric strips, right sides together.

– Press seams open.

– Use a 2″ Bias Tape Maker, Straight Tailor’s Awl, and iron to create tote straps:

◦ Insert seamed fabric strip into the 2″ Bias Tape Maker using Straight Tailor’s Awl to advance strip.

◦ Pin fabric strip end to ironing board, and press the folded fabric strip as you pull the bias tape maker.

– Trim strap to approximately 120″.

– Seam short ends to form a continuous loop. Press seam open. Repress folded edges.

– Fold strap, wrong sides together, meeting long edges to form 1″ strap. Press.

– Edgestitch along both long strap edges.

• Fold strap in half and place pins at half markings.

• Remove paper backing from Double-Sided Basting Tape.
• Align pins on strap – to tote bottom center and finger-press straps in place on Double-Sided Basting Tape.

     Place pins on straps — at 6″ down from top edge of tote back, and at top pocket edge — as a reminder not to stitch past this point!

• Stitch strap to tote along previously stitched lines, pivoting at pocket top and 6″ below upper back tote (where you placed the pins as a reminder).

• Place and center 6″ x 13″ Pellon Decovil One-Sided Fusible Stabilizer rectangle to wrong side of tote bottom. Using an EZ View Press Cloth, press and fuse 6″ x 13″ Pellon Decovil One-Sided Fusible Stabilizer rectangle into place following manufacturer’s instructions.

• Carefully layer Pellon Silver Lining Insul-Film to back of tote layers. Use Wonder Clips t0 clip layers together around all outside edges. Baste stitch around all outside edges using a scant 1/4″ seam.

   Be sure to NOT catch tote handles within the basting stitches, when attaching the Pellon Silver Lining Insul-Film to the back of the tote layers! 

     The secret to the Easiest-ever Zipper Technique is to start with a zipper length longer than needed! The longer zipper length provides “handles” to hold while stitching. Plus, the zipper is stitched to the tote using flat construction methods.

• Start with a 22″ or longer handbag, tote, or jacket zipper.

• On wrong side of zipper, mark a 20″ section in center of zipper.

• With right sides together, place zipper tape edge to top tote front. Clip with Wonder Clips.

• Straight-stitch zipper in place, using a zipper foot.

• With right sides together, place remaining zipper tape to top tote back. Clip with Wonder Clips. Stitch.

• With right sides together, meet tote sides, aligning bottom edges. Note: In step one, above, 2″ was trimmed away from the tote front, now zipper will naturally fall into position on the upper tote front.

     Open zipper before stitching side seams!

• Stitch side seams, using caution when stitching over zipper teeth.

• Bar tack zipper ends, 1/4″ inside tote edges.

     A bar tack is a wide zigzag stitch, with little or no stitch length. Set sewing machine for a wide zigzag stitch, set length at zero (or the minimum number) and zigzag over zipper teeth, joining the two zipper tapes into one closed-end zipper.

• Trim away excess zipper tape with a craft scissors.

• Meet lower tote gusset seams. Stitch.

• Repeat for opposite gusset seam.

• Turn Cooler Grocery Tote right side out and enjoy!

Sew our No-Hassle Napkins to coordinate with the Cooler Grocery/Picnic Tote. Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 103: No-Hassle Napkins!

Follow the Stitch it! Sisters on Facebook by clicking the “Like” button at facebook.com/stitchitsisters

The Nancy Zieman Productions Team is pleased to announce our NEW! video series, Stitch it! Sisters

Watch Stitch it! Sisters right here on the NZP Blog, with hosts Deanna Springer and Dana Casey – real life sisters from Team NZP. This NEW! Video Series features our latest sewing projects and fun sewing adventures! Join Deanna and Dana as they share sewing and quilting project tutorials – featuring their easiest-ever sewing techniques, timesaving tools, and Classic Timesaving Tips by Nancy Zieman.

Stitch it! Sisters is a production of NZ Productions LLC. We’ll be releasing a new video – every few weeks – right here on the NZP Blog. Make sure you are subscribed to Nancy Zieman Productions E-news mailing list so you won’t miss a thing. Sign up and receive email updates from Nancy Zieman Productions.

Visit the NEW! NZP Online Shop for the latest tools, patterns, fabrics and more at shopnzp.com!

Visit shopnzp.com, or click the “shop” tab

at the top of the NZP blog, anytime!

NEW! Patterns and Bundle Boxes at shopnzp.com

FREE! Insulated Lunch Tote Sewing Tutorial

FREE! Fun Fabric Caddy Sewing Tutorial

FREE! Insulated Lunch Tote Sewing Tutorial

FREE! No-Hassle Kitchen Towel Topper Sewing Tutorial

For a chance to be the random winner of a Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack with S!S button & sticker, please leave a comment below sharing how you’ll use your Cooler Grocery Tote.

Nancy Zieman Productions will give away one Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack to one US resident in the 48 contiguous states. Winner must reply within 30 days to the official giveaway announcement email message – sent from Nancy Zieman Productions.

The randomly selected winner of a Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack with S!S button & sticker, from the January 14 Blog Post, 2020 NZP Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Still Time to Gather Your Supplies, is Virginia.

Her comment is: This BOM is just what I needed to get me focused again after the “holiday hullabaloo:, the gorgeous reds and the expectation of that continuous monthly experience. Thanks for the opportunity.

Happy Sewing!

Team Nancy Zieman

Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.

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