Quilted Tote Bags: Crafting Colour and Function

Inspired by the True Colours Pride Quilt from 2024 - our sewing group turned their creativity toward something beautiful and useful: quilted tote bags.

Building Blocks

After exploring costume and seeing quilting from our previous projects, participants wanted to learn how to make something functional while continuing to develop their sewing skills. Together, they decided on quilted tote bags, the perfect mix of creativity and practicality.

Our amazing sewing volunteer Tim hand-selected vibrant cotton fat-quarters from our local fabric shop, Abakhan, giving everyone a bright and varied palette to work with. The group loved mixing and matching fabrics, experimenting with bold and unexpected colour combinations that made each bag truly unique.

Tim at Abakhan with his selection. Tim shared that he had never been to a fabric shop before and could have spent all day there!

Read Tim's blog: "How I got involved with Radiate Arts"

Step-by-Step Sewing

Each session followed a simple relaxed structure that allowed participants to work at their own pace. From fabric cutting to creating checkered layouts for the bag exteriors, the process encouraged patience, creativity, and confidence.

“I have loved getting creative with every aspect of this project,”

“I decided to go with the flow and try lots of new things - like patterns I have never used before.”

Many found the sewing process relaxing. The rhythmic, repetitive nature of quilting offered a mindful, meditative experience, helping participants feel calm and focused as they stitched.

Learning Through Repetition

This project was also a brilliant opportunity to strengthen core sewing skills - especially sewing right sides together, a step that can be confusing at first. The repetition and practice helped everyone grasp these fundamentals, building confidence with each stitch.

Some participants discovered that sewing can feel a little counterintuitive; things often have to be done ‘backwards’ for the final result to look right!

Through quilting, everyone learned to trust the process and enjoy the journey.

Experimenting with Style and Stitch

There has been a wide range of quilting techniques that our sewers have used to very different but brilliant ends. Geometric grids to squiggles, contrasting colours as well as some beautiful hand-stitched Sashiko! We have been extremely experimental with our designs, and the outcomes have been fabulous.

What’s Next for the Project?

As we move into the final stages of the project, participants will be assembling their bags and boxing the corners transforming their quilted panels into finished tote bags ready to use or gift.

We can’t wait to share the final results - stay tuned to see the finished pieces!

Get Involved

Sign up for the Radiate Arts Newsletter to stay up to date on our latest creative sessions or book onto a True Colours workshop to try sewing, quilting, or other fun creative activities with the community.