Wine Tote & Coasters

Okay, so you're going to a dinner party tonight, and you totally forgot to get a gift for the host! Being a crafter, you are physically unable to just grab a bottle of wine, so you gotta think quick. You have only one hour. What is speedy and memorable... but... still includes wine, because... ya know. Wine.

This cute little set of wine coasters and tote is a quick project that will spruce up any bottle lickety-split. The coasters can either be used as regular coasters or slipped onto the base and used as markers, so each guest can tell which glass is theirs.

If you are an experienced sewer, in an hour you should be able to get a simple wine tote and at least two coasters complete. Or, you could choose to make a full set of 6 coasters or just make a fancier/more intricate wine tote with multiple fabrics as picture. There is flexibility with the hour you have.

Ready, set, GO!

• Fabric
• Fusible fleece, single sided
• Scissors and pinking sheers
• Pins
• Iron
• Curtain grommets
• Sewing machine
• 3 3/4" circle paper pattern (coasters)
• 3 7/8" circle paper pattern (wine tote bottom)
• 5 1/2" circle paper pattern, cut in half (wine tote top)

One of these coasters takes just minutes to make, especially if you use scrap fabrics or charm packs! I first iron on some fusible fleece to the wrong side of the bottom coaster color fabric (cream - about 5"x5") and then cut out the circles listed below:

Cut:

• (1) 3 3/4" diameter circle of the coaster color base (in this case, cream batik)/ fusible fleece
• (4) 3 3/4" diameter circles of colored fabric (blue batik)

I press all the colored circles (4) in half, wrong sides together, leaving the base whole. With the right side of the base circle facing up, I lay each colored half circle on top as pictured. To best describe the process, it's like folding the flaps of a cardboard box down, where the only thing keeping the box shut are the other flaps. And as you know, the last flap is always the most difficult! Pin along the way to keep the half circles in place.

I proceed to take my coaster over to the sewing machine and sew 1/4" around the outside. I then use my pinking shears to trim around the seam, careful not to cut into my stitching, and then flip it inside out. Yes, it really is that easy!

Cut:

• (1) 12"x17" external fabric (you can either use one solid fabric or mix it up and use strips or blocks and then trim down to 12"x17") - I used blue batik here
• (1) 12"x17" fusible fleece
• (1) 4"-5" external fabric (this doesn't have to be perfect since we will cut a circle out of it)
• (1) 4"-5" fusible fleece

After cutting the fabric list above, the first thing I do is press the wrong side of the fabric to the glue side of the fusible fleece. I do this for both the 12"x17" pieces and the smaller 4"-5" pieces. I cut a 3 7/8" diameter circle out of the small fused fabric. I then sew the long edge of the 12"x17" piece together (1/4" seam), making a tall tube. I press open the seams of one end of the tube to better handle the next step. You can press either side open if you aren't using directional fabric or if you don't care which end is the top. If you are using directional fabric, press open the bottom.

In this next step I am adding the base to the tube. With the right side facing the inner tube, I pin the bottom circle into the tube. My best advice is to not pull on your fabrics at all, and it should fit perfectly when you sew 1/4" around the bottom circle. I then take my pinking shears and trim the seam closer to the stitching.

Cut:

• (1) 12"x17" liner fabric - because of the hour time crunch, I also used a blue batik liner
• (1) 3 7/8" circle from liner fabric - blue batik

After cutting my fabrics, I sew down the long end of the 12"x17" tube, but this time I left a few inch gap in the side so I could flip the tote inside out. I followed the same steps as earlier to attach the liner base circle to the liner tube, but this time I turned the tube inside out after I was done.

I then took my half circle template and used it to trace a curve around the top of the external tote fabric. I stuffed the liner inside the external tote (which is still inside out) and lined the seams up. It's really important to have everything lay flat, as the next step is to cut on the marked line, through both the external and liner fabrics. I then sewed around the mouth of the opening at 1/4". Since the mouth of the tote actually looks like blue lips, I will use this analogy: make sure you sew around the lips and mouth like lip liner and don't sew the lips together. Both sewing this way and that analogy were awkward, I agree.

After the top is sewed all the way around, I trimmed the excess with pinking sheers and turned the tote inside out through the hole I left earlier. Then I topstiched the opening closed.

We've got minutes to spare before the hour is up! The last thing I have to do is add handles, and I use a cheap set of large curtain grommets to finish the job. I placed a grommet circle on the spot I liked in the handle area, marked the inner circle in pen, and cut it out with scissors. I had to make the circle a bit bigger to fit in the grommet, but afterwards I snapped them both into place! Voila!

Depending on your skill, and how much you like the host ;) , you can really dress up this wine tote! But now your hour is up. You can take a breather after sewing so quickly... wait, go shower. You have a party to attend!