Favorite Things Embroidered Tote

Create a trendy tote using colorful fabrics and your favorite embroidery designs (we used the bright and colorful Modern Mola designs on our tote). Fill this large tote to the brim with all your must-have items -- it's perfect for travelling, crafting classes, and more.

Not only can you carry all of your necessities, this clever tote features a hidden compartment with a pocket perfectly sized for holding an e-reader like the Kindle or Nook.

Read below for these free project instructions.

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies Needed:

1 1/4 yards denim, lightweight canvas, or twill (for front, back, inner lining of hidden compartment, and straps)
1 1/4 yards quilted cotton fabric (for front side panels, hidden pocket, and inner lining)
Medium-weight cutaway stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive
Air-erase pen (or other marking tool)
16 inch length of sew-on Velcro
Extra-wide double fold bias tape
Snap and snap tool

Designs used:

Mola Cuppa Joe Square - Medium

Mola Cupcake Square - Medium

Mola Diva Shoe Square - Medium

These designs are also available in a Design Pack:

A Modern Mola Design Pack - Medium

There are lots of embroidery designs that would look stunning on this tote. Here are a couple of fun suggestions: Chocolate Nouveau, Crafty Victorian Collages, and Art Nouveau Floral Squares.

Finished Size:

15 inches wide by 21 inches high

Gather Materials:

To begin, we will prepare the fabric for the front center panels of the outer shell. Using an air-erase pen (or other marking tool), draw an 8 inch by 8 inch square on the denim fabric - leave a few inches of excess fabric around the shape. Then, mark the center of each side of the square by measuring and dividing by two. Draw lines to connect the marks - where the lines meet is the center of the shape.

Green paper with five rectangles drawn in blue marker, arranged in a cross pattern. A hand holds a wooden ruler and a white pen above the paper on a wood grain surface.

Create a paper template of the design by printing it at full size using embroidery software. If you don't have embroidery software, you can cut a piece of paper the shape and dimensions of the design to help with placement and centering. Poke a hole in the center of the template and align it with the center point on the fabric. Make sure the design fits well within the shape - there should be at least 1 1/2 inches of space between the outer edges of the design and the edges of the shape.

Hand holding a blue pen drawing a square border around a black and white shoe embroidery pattern on green fabric, placed on a wooden surface.

Start Embroidering:

Spray a piece of medium-weight cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth the fabric on top. Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric. Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric and embroider the design.

Green fabric square with drawn grid lines held by a hand, and a white rectangular embroidery hoop securing the fabric on a wooden surface.

When the design has finished, cut out the shape. We did not trim off the stabilizer on the back of the embroidery -- this will make the fabric more rigid and will help the tote to keep its shape.

Repeat the fabric marking, hooping, and embroidering process for a total of three squares.

Hand cutting green fabric with colorful embroidered cupcake design at center, showing scissors held by right hand on wooden surface.

Lay the middle square flat with the right side facing up. Align the top square with the middle square, right sides facing and pin along the top edge. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the top pinned edge only.

Hand holding green fabric with colorful embroidery of a cupcake with swirly frosting and surrounding blue, white, and green swirl designs on a wood surface.

Press the back seam open with an iron.

Close-up of two fabric pieces with colorful abstract embroidery; one piece is being ironed with a white and gray iron on a light gray surface.

Lay the assembled top and middle squares flat with the right sides facing up. Align the bottom square on top of the middle square and pin along the bottom edge. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the bottom pinned edge only. Then, press the back seam open.

Close-up of a hand lifting a green fabric panel showing colorful embroidery of a teacup, flowers, and swirls on two layers with white backing fabric underneath.

Top stitch a 1/4 inch seam along each side of the seams between the three squares.

Close-up of embroidery machine stitching colorful geometric and floral designs in pink, green, brown, blue, and yellow threads on green fabric.

To prepare the fabric for the front side pieces of the outer shell, cut two pieces of the quilted cotton fabric 5 inches wide by 22 1/2 inches high. Align the side pieces along the right and left sides of the assembled center panel, right sides together, and pin in place. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the side edges only. Press the back seams open and then top stitch a 1/4 inch seam along the inner edge of the side seams.

Embroidered tote with colorful floral and leaf patterns on black fabric. Center shows embroidery of green handbag and blue high heel shoe with pink, orange, and blue flowers. Hand at bottom left for scale. Wood table background.

To prepare the fabric for the back of the outer shell, cut a piece of denim 16 inches wide by 22 1/2 inches high. Align the front outer shell piece on top of the back outer shell fabric, right sides facing, and pin in place. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the side and bottom edges - leave the top edge open.

Clip the bottom corners (be careful to not cut the seams) and turn the outer shell right side out.

Hand holding colorful fabric tote bag open to show interior pockets with butterfly embroidery, floral patterns, and green lining on wooden table.

To prepare the fabric for the hidden pocket, cut a piece of the quilted cotton fabric 9 1/2 inches wide by 13 1/2 inches high. Fold the top edge of the fabric 1/2 inch over to the right side and press. Fold the top edge of the fabric over another 1/2 inch and press. Then, sew a 1/4 inch seam along the top edge of the fabric.

Close-up of an iron pressing down on fabric with a colorful floral pattern featuring large flowers in blue, yellow, red, pink, and green leaves on a black background.

Measure and mark the center of the top edge of the pocket fabric, just under the fold, by measuring and dividing by two. Add the button section of the snap at this mark.

Close-up of a colorful floral fabric with blue, pink, red, and yellow flowers on black, held by a hand using blue-handled pliers on a wooden surface.

Next, prepare the fabric for the hidden compartment of the inner lining by cutting two pieces of denim 16 inches wide by 22 1/2 inches high. Align the fabric pieces together, right sides facing, pin and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the bottom edge only.

Light green fabric folded with some pinholes along one edge on a wooden table surface. Background includes part of a white surface. No embroidery or designs visible.

Next we will attach the pocket to the hidden compartment section. Lay the hidden compartment section flat with the right side facing up and align the pocket in the center of the top half (measure equal distances between the edges of the pocket and the outer edges of the fabric to align). Pin the pocket in place and add bias tape around the side and bottom edges of the pocket. Sew a seam along the inner edges of the tape.

Colorful floral fabric square with blue, pink, orange, and red flowers on black background, placed on olive green fabric with beige ribbon on wooden surface.

Now, mark the fabric under the button section of the snap.

Hand holding blue marker drawing a line on green fabric next to a colorful floral patterned fabric edge with pink, blue, purple, and orange flowers.

Roll the fabric down from the top edge of the compartment fabric to the top edge of the pocket and then add the inner section of the snap at the mark you just made.

Hand holding floral embroidered fabric with snap fasteners being attached using blue-handled snap pliers on wooden surface.

Prepare the fabric for the inner lining by cutting two pieces of the quilted cotton fabric 16 inches wide by 22 1/2 inches high. Align the fabric pieces together, right sides facing, and pin in place along the bottom edge. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the bottom edge only.

Two fabric tote bags on a wooden surface. One has a bright floral pattern with blue, red, orange, and green flowers on black. The other features colorful circles in pink, green, yellow, and purple on black.

Lay the inner lining section flat with the right sides facing up. Align the hidden compartment section on top of the inner lining section (the opening of the hidden pocket should be facing the top edge), right sides together, and pin along the top edge. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the top edge only.

Green fabric partially folded to reveal a floral fabric with large colorful flowers and leaves in orange, purple, blue, red, and green on black.

Lay the fabric flat and add a strip of Velcro (the loop side) on the hidden compartment fabric about 1/2 inch below the seam you just sewed. Spray the back of the Velcro with adhesive, smooth it in place, and sew a seam along the edges of the Velcro.

Person's left hand holding a green fabric tote with colorful floral embroidery on black fabric panels on front pocket and top border.

Fold the fabric of the hidden compartment section together and mark the top layer of the fabric at both ends of the Velcro.

Hand holding a blue fabric marking pen drawing a line on green fabric next to a black fabric piece with colorful floral print, on a brown surface.

Add a strip of Velcro (the hook side) along the fabric from one mark to the next.

Then, press the seam that connects the hidden compartment to the inner lining and top stitch a 1/4 inch seam along the seam you just pressed.

Light green fabric tote with two parallel beige stripes near the top edge, laid flat on a wood grain surface, no embroidery visible yet.

Fold and align the layers of the inner lining and the hidden compartment together, right sides facing, pin in place, and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the side and bottom edges only.

Partially assembled tote bag with bright floral outer fabric and solid green lining pinned together; hand lifts lining to show interior pockets with tan trim.

To prepare the straps, cut two pieces of denim 3 1/2 inches wide by 46 inches long. Fold the long edges in to the wrong side 1/2 inch and press.

Close-up of a white steam iron pressing a green fabric strip on a light blue surface, with visible stitches on the fabric edge.

Align the folded edges together and press. Sew a 1/4 inch seam along each long edge of the strap.

White iron pressing down on a green fabric strip on a pale blue ironing board cover with a dark woven surface visible underneath.

Now it is time to assemble the tote! Pin the ends of one of the straps about 1 1/2 inches from the side edges of the front of the outer shell (with the strap laying flat). Allow the ends of the straps to extend about 1/4 inch out past the top edge of the fabric. Pin the strap in place away from the outer edges of the outer shell so it will not be sewn over later on. Add the remaining strap to the back of the outer shell just as you added the first strap.

Close-up of hands holding a colorful embroidered tote with floral fabric borders and three vertical stitched designs of stylized flowers on green fabric.

Insert the outer shell inside the inner lining (between the inner lining layers) with the right sides together and the top edges of the fabric aligned. Move the top edge of the inner layer of the hidden compartment down a bit so it will not be sewn over (reposition it and press it in place using the Velcro strip). Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the top edge, leaving a space between the back straps open for turning (about 8 inches).

Hand holding a green fabric tote bag with visible unfinished seams and a colorful floral fabric lining in shades of blue, red, purple, and orange.

Turn the fabric right side out and insert the inner lining inside the outer shell. Turn the fabric of the opening in 1/2 inch to the wrong side and press. Then, flip the straps up and top stitch a 1/4 inch seam along the entire top edge of the tote.

Green fabric tote bag in progress with side seam pinned using yellow and blue pins, showing inner beige lining and multicolored edge fabric strip on wooden surface.

Get Inspired:

If you have an e-reader like a Kindle or a Nook, carry it in the secret compartment, fill the bag with any other items, and hit the town with your trendy new tote.

Hand inserting a white Amazon Kindle e-reader into the interior pocket of a green fabric tote bag with a floral inner lining and beige trim.

Take your handy bag with you when you travel, go to crafting classes, and much more.

Person holding a large tote bag with a green center panel embroidered with a teacup, cupcake, and shoe, and floral-patterned black sides.