Corrections & updates

If there are any pattern updates or corrections, I will list them here.

THE LEAH TOTE PATTERN

Important Note About the Border Strips

The blue border strips are intentionally included to protect the half-square triangle (HST) design during quilting.

Quilting—especially tighter machine quilting—along with squaring up can reduce the overall width and height of a panel. Without borders, this shrinkage can distort the design and cause the quilted panel to no longer align correctly with the leather bottom pieces.

For this reason, the borders are used only while constructing and quilting the front and back panels. They are not meant to remain visible in the finished tote.

• Sew the 22½" × 2½" strips to the top and bottom of the pieced block

• Sew the 9½" × 2½" strips to the left and right sides

After quilting, trim the panel down to 18½" × 11". The extra ½" allows for seam allowances and ensures any remaining border fabric is fully hidden once the tote is assembled.

Once trimmed, the quilted panel is sewn to the leather bottom to form the front and back of the tote. I personally like to wait to cut my leather pieces until after squaring up the quilted panels—it helps ensure everything fits perfectly (and saves you from accidentally trimming a little too much… something I’m very guilty of myself!).