How to make sturdy tote handles with BOSAL interfacing and fabric

Yesterday on QUILTsocial, I showed you the first 6 steps to using orphan blocks to make a tote bag. Today I’ll use thin strips of BOSAL Craft-Tex Plus Double-Sided Fusible Heavy Weight White Interfacing 50cm x 9.14m (20″ x 10yds) and will cover them in fabric to make strong, sturdy handles for my tote bag.

First, I need to press my fabric and get out all the creases. BEST PRESS Starch Alternative – 499mL (16.9 oz.) – Scent Free, BEST PRESS Spray and Misting Bottle – 295mL (10 fl. oz.) – Empty and my OLISO PRO^TM TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron – Tula Pink^TM make quick work of that little job!

Cut out fabric and interfacing 

Next, I’ll use my OMNIGRID Ruler – 6″ x 24″ (15.2 x 61cm), my UNIQUE Double Sided Cutting Mat – 18″ x 24″ (45 x 60cm) and my  OLFA RTY-2/GP5 – Printed Handle Rotary Cutter 45mm to cut two 1” wide strips of BOSAL Craft-Tex Plus Double-Sided Fusible Heavy Weight White Interfacing 50cm x 9.14m (20″ x 10yds). I’d like the handles to be fairly short, so my strips are each 20″ long.

I’ll also cut my fabric, but these strips will be 3″ x 21″. If you’d like to make longer handles, just make sure that your fabrics strips are at least 1″ longer than your interfacing strips.

Layer the interfacing and fabric strips

Now, I’ll layer the interfacing and fabric strips with the interfacing centered on the back of the fabric strip. I’ll use UNIQUE QUILTING Clever Clips Small – 12 pcs on each end to secure them in place.

Fuse together

Now I’ll use my OLISO PRO^TM TG1600 Pro Plus Smart Iron – Tula Pink^TM and a UNIQUE QUILTING Wool Pressing Mat – 18″ x 24″ – Grey to fuse the interfacing strips to the fabric strips. One thing to note here – the interfacing has fusible coating on both sides, so to protect my iron, I always fuse from the fabric side.

Now I’ll fold over one long edge of the pink fabric to the other side of the interfacing, and I’ll fuse it in place being careful not to touch the soleplate of the iron to the fusible coating.

To finish the edges of the handles neatly, I’ll fold the corners of the fabric under diagonally.

Now, I’ll double-fold the second edge of the fabric strip and use the UNIQUE QUILTING Clever Clips Small – 12 pcs to hold that folded edge in place. The folded edge of the fabric should cover the raw edge of the other side of the fabric strip.

Now, I’ll topstitch along both sides of the handles, and then I’ll do a decorative zigzag stitch down the middle to ensure that the folded edge of fabric on the back of the handle has been sewn down.

Now that I’ve made the sides and handles of my bag, I’ll give them a coat of Odif Odicoat Gel Coating – 250ml tomorrow to make the bag water- and dirt-resistant. After that, I’ll start making the inside pockets using more of my orphan quilt blocks. See you then.

This is part 2 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 1: Make a tote bag with orphan quilt blocks | Step-by-Step Guide