Bird Brain Designs Market Tote
Made from Dunroven Tea Towels
(Finished size 15” x 14” approx.)
What you will need:
 Two Dunroven House Striped Tea Towels—Choose from any Freebie
design or use a design from many of our tea towel patterns to
embroider on your Market Tote!
 1/2 yard of Heavy Natural Muslin for lining.
 Sewing machine and favorite sewing supplies.
Things to know:
All seams are 1/4” unless notated.
French seam-Sew wrong sides together using 1/4” seam allowance, trim seam to 1/8”, press flat pressing seam to one side,
then sew 1/4” seam allowance, right sides together, enclosing the first seam. This provides a clean seam
and
better strength.
1. Embroider one tea towel of your design choice. Notice placement is different for a tote. Trim tabs.
2. Cut 1” above the bottom stripe from side to side on the tea towel as shown. This will be used for one of the handles.
Cut 1” from the stripes on the sides as shown—used for the pockets, as shown. (The tote has two pockets, one on the
outside and one for the lining.) Repeat all the cuts for the second tea towel.
3. After cutting both tea towels, check to see if you have two main bodies (outside front and back.) Two long pieces for
handles, and four small rectangles to be used for the pockets.
4. Prepare handles. Using the long pieces, cut the short end seams to reduce bulk as shown. Fold and Press the long raw
edge to just below the finished edge seam keeping fold parallel to stripe. Fold and Press again so that fold lines up with
finished edge of tea towel. Top Stitch 1/8” on each side of the handles. Trim so handles are the
same in size, as shown.
5. Preparing pockets. Using two side pieces (opposites from the same tea towel.) Cut off short seams to reduce bulk. Sew
longer side raw edges together using a French seam and matching stripes creating a rectangle. Trim 1/4 to 1/2” parallel above
the stripe. Trim this rectangle to measure 11-1/2” long. Fold and press raw edge above the stripe 1/4”, then fold and press
again. Top stitch to stay in place. (This will be the top of the pocket.) On the opposite side, fold and press once 1/2” to wrong
side. The longer finished tea towel edge sides will be the sides of your pocket. Repeat this with the other two strips to make
two pockets.
6. Prepare body of Tote. Layer on your cutting table from bottom to top, 2 pieces of muslin that are slightly larger than your
tea towels, blank tea towel with finished tea towel edge on top, embroidered tea towel matching finished edges on top. Tea
towels vary a bit in size and you will need to square the sides and bottom. Cut sides perpendicular to finished top edge
squaring up both sides (cut muslin at the same time). Square up bottoms to sides trimming only what is necessary to square
up (cut muslin at the same time).
On the top, parallel to the finished edges of tea towels, cut the muslin an additional 1/2” longer that tea towels.
7. To Finish Tote. Using the two main body pieces, sew a French seam at the bottom edge. (Repeat this step with the muslin.)
attach the pockets by topstitching 1/8” from the edge and again on the finished edge using it as a guide for stitching.
Tips: Line up the stripes as a guide for placement. Find the center and use the seam as your guide for placement. Muslin
pocket will measure approximately 1-3/4” from top edge.
8. Sew side seams-Fold body in half matching side seam stripes, sew right sides together with 1/4” seam allowance. Press
seam. To make mitered corners, line up side seam and bottom seam creating a triangle as shown. Using a ruler, mark the
triangle corners 2-1/2”. Draw a line and sew on the line. (I sew another seam right next to it for strength.) Cut the excess,
press and turn right side out. Repeat step with muslin lining. Press with iron.
9. Almost done! Lining-fold and press muslin lining 1/2” toward wrong side. Pin to inside of tote bag matching side seams
and tea towel finished edge. Pin handles in place spacing 3” from the side seams. Topstitch top edge 1/8” to finish. Topstitch
again matching the finished edge of the tea towel as a guide. Hope you had fun making this Market Tote!
BIG Birdie on
Brenda’s Market Tote
Made with 2 Tea Towels
Design by Robin Kingsley
Enjoy a RedWork Embroidery project from Bird Brain Designs to make a very special project!
Our Brenda has designed a terrific Market Tote using a pair of our great Dunroven House Tea Towels.
The Tote is lined with our Heavy Weight Muslin and embroidered with BIG Birdie in RedWork.
Create something FUN and embroider in just an afternoon or an evening.
Complete instructions with LOTS of photos are ready for you too.
FUN AND FREE!
Print out the FREE Embroidery and Tote instruction patterns and get to work.
Embroidery Transferring Instructions
Wash and dry your 2 Tea Towels in the machine before embroidery and Tote construction.
 Iron your towels with a steam iron.
 Place the design pattern on a light box or in a bright window, tape down.
Tape the tea towel over the pattern – See special placement on the towel in instructions.
 Trace the Pattern onto your towel with a Red Pigma permanent marker.
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Alternate PRINTED method I used to transfer my design:
 Print the Design Illustration Pattern with your copier on Sticky Fabri-Solvy .
Pull the printed film off the paper backing and finger press onto your towel or muslin.
 Embroider through the Sticky Fabri-Solvy film and towel – it works wonderfully!
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Embroidery Instructions
All embroidery is done with #498 Turkey Red DMC #8 Perle Cotton.
 Lines are Back Stitches and broken lines are Running Stitch.
Remove the Sticky Fabri-Solvy in warm water according to the package instructions.
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Materials Needed to Embroider the BIG Birdie
 2 Red Striped Tea Towels
 Sticky Fabri-Solvy to transfer design OR
 Red Micron Pigma Pen to transfer design
 8 yards DMC #8 Perle Cotton color #498 Turkey Red.
7” locking Embroidery Hoop (our Morgan No-Slip Hoop is the BEST)
 Perle Cotton Embroidery Needle - #4 Crewel
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BIG Birdie Design Illustration to Transfer
Print on 8 ½” x 11” Sticky Fabri-Solvy or Trace with a Red Pigma Marker
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