Moda Fabrics Simple Bag Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Simple Bag Quilt Pattern – Downloadable PDF Summary

The Moda Fabrics Simple Bag is a free, downloadable PDF quilting pattern designed for intermediate quilters who want to construct a sturdy, structured fabric tote bag with a clean, polished finish. The finished bag measures 14 inches wide by 14¾ inches tall by 2 inches deep, making it a practical everyday carry-all that showcases classic quilting construction techniques in a functional accessory format.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single fabric tote bag with boxed bottom corners, a double-folded and stitched top edge, and two narrow fabric handles. The construction method uses a French seam technique — stitching the bag first with wrong sides together, then turning and stitching again with right sides together — which fully encloses all raw seams for a neat, durable interior finish. The boxed corners add a two-inch gusset to the base, giving the bag its three-dimensional, structured shape.

Fabrics and Materials Required

• Bag body fabric: ½ yard of Odds & Ends #12705 14 by Moda Fabrics
• Handle fabric: one Fat 8th (9 inches by 22 inches) of Odds & Ends #37049 14 by Moda Fabrics

Both fabrics are from the Odds & Ends collection by Moda Fabrics. Because this is a quilting pattern, woven quilting cotton is the intended material, which provides the structure and crispness needed for a well-finished bag. No batting, interfacing, or lining is specified in the pattern instructions.

Cutting Instructions

• Bag panels: Two rectangles cut at 15 inches by 17 inches from the ½-yard bag fabric
• Handles: Two strips cut at 4 inches by 22 inches from the Fat 8th handle fabric

Techniques Used

• French seam construction — the bag sides and bottom are sewn twice, first wrong sides together and then right sides together, fully enclosing all raw edges without the need for a serger or binding
• Boxed corner technique — the bottom corners of the bag are pinched flat and stitched 1 inch in from each corner point to create the 2-inch gusset depth
• Multi-fold handle construction — each 4-inch-wide handle strip is folded lengthwise to the center, then folded again to produce a finished 1-inch-wide strap, which is then topstitched on both long edges
• Double-fold top hem — the top edge of the bag is folded down 1 inch, pressed, folded another 1 inch, pressed again, and then stitched to create a clean, reinforced opening
• Handle attachment and securing — handles are aligned to the top of the bag before the final top-stitching pass, then flipped upward and secured with a stitch around the top edge

Stitches Used

• Straight stitch — used throughout for all seaming, including the side seams, bottom seam, and French seam enclosures
• Topstitch — applied along both long edges of each handle strip to hold the folds in place and add durability; also used to stitch the double-folded top hem and to secure the handles to the bag body

All seams are sewn using a standard ¼-inch seam allowance, consistent with quilting convention.

Tools and Notions

• A sewing machine capable of straight stitch and topstitching is required
• An iron and pressing surface are essential, as multiple pressing steps are built into both the handle and top-hem construction
• Standard quilting rulers and rotary cutting tools are recommended for accurate cutting of the rectangles and strips

Difficulty and Suitability

Rated as an intermediate project by