Photo Tote

Designed and created especially for Pfaff by Kim Fillmore

Pick your favorite themed embroidery designs and photos and show-off both on this clever photo tote. The clear vinyl front sports pockets to hold 4 x 6 photos, embroideries or whatever trinkets you want to show! A Non-stick Fancy Stitch Foot or Roller Foot will make sewing on the vinyl a breeze. Don't forget to engage your IDT if available! Supplies Youll Need:
Pfaff creative Embroidery Machine Optional Non-stick Fancy Stitch Foot or Roller Foot for ease in sewing on the clear vinyl. Up to 6 of your favorite embroidery designs no larger than 3 x 5 to fit on a 4 x 6 space. We used Cactus Punch My Embroidery Room designs. Horizontal orientation. 4 x 6 photos enough to fill the remaining empty pockets. Horizontal orientation. Rayon embroidery thread in your favorite colors yard woven fabric (we used cotton velveteen) for motifs 5/8 yard heavy cotton canvas 5/8 yard heavyweight clear vinyl 2 18 x 1 wide cotton webbing for totebag handles Tear-away stabilizer Temporary adhesive spray Water-soluble stabilizer as a top layer on your embroidery to keep threads from burying into the fabric surface

Construct Tote: NOTE: It is important to not sew too short a stitch length on vinyl. Sewing stitches that are too short will cause the vinyl to perforate and tear apart. 1. Following diagram, use a fabric marker to draw the pattern on the canvas. Cut 1 each from vinyl and canvas. 2. From vinyl, cut 2 strips 20 x 4 1/2 and 1 strip 20 x 8 3. Position 20 x 8 vinyl strip along bottom of outer vinyl tote piece. Baste along side and bottom edges to secure. 4. Lay bottom edge of next vinyl strip even with the top edge of the bottom strip. Baste along side edges. Using a stitch length of 3.5mm sew 1/4 from bottom edge of this strip. Position remaining strip above the second strip, stitching as directed for second strip. 5. Using a 3.5mm stitch length, stitch down the center of the vinyl tote piece from top to bottom. Stitch again 6 on either side of this center line. This will form 6 pockets. 6. Serge or overcast raw edges of canvas tote piece. 7. Using a seam allowance, sew one side seam. 8. On the outside of the bag, align the raw edges of the webbing handles between the 1 marked placement lines. Baste the handles in place on the canvas and vinyl tote pieces. 9. Using a seam allowance, sew remaining side seam and bottom seam. 10.To make a flat bottom on your tote, with the tote turned inside out, pull the corners out and center the side seam over the bottom seam. Align raw edges of fabric and sew a seam to finish bottom edge of tote. 11.On the top of the bag, baste 1 from the edge, catching the handles in the basting. Fold the top over twice towards the wrong side. This will fold the handles back under on themselves. Pull the handles back up towards the top of the bag, making sure to not unfold the hem. 12.Using a 3.5mm stitch length, topstitch from the folded edge and the top edge. Set bag aside. Embroider Motifs: 1. Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer and lightly spray with temporary adhesive. 2. Using a fabric marker, draw a horizontal line across the center of the fabric. Draw vertical lines every 6 across the fabric. The intersecting lines will be the centering points

for each embroidery motif.

3. Center the first 2 intersecting lines in the embroidery field of the hoop, making sure to align the marked lines with the notches on the hoop. 4. Embroider your selected motif in the center of the hoop just make sure to select designs that are small enough to fit (approx. 3 x 5 or less). And...remember that your pictures will fit in a horizontal orientation. 5. Remove from hoop and tear away all excess stabilizer. Repeat to complete up to 5 more motifs. 6. Fuse heavy craft stabilizer on the back of the embroidered fabric. 7. Using a pinking rotary cutter or pinking shears, cut out your embroidered pictures to a finished size of 3 x 5 . 8. Insert in pockets, alternating with printed photos.