A Little Homegrown Preserves Sewing Inspiration

by Amanda Whisman September 17, 2026

Homegrown Preserves, designed by Sheri McCulley for Poppie Cotton, is one of those fabric collections where you keep finding another little detail you love.

Inspired by a sunny farmer's market and the season's harvest, the collection is filled with strawberries, cherries, pears, wildflowers, buzzing bees, canning jars and sweet market details. Add in the playful checks and vintage-inspired prints, and there is a LOT to have fun with.

Which presented me with one tiny problem for the Homegrown Preserves Fabric Tour: how was I supposed to choose just a few?

I didn't.

I wanted to make something that would let me show off as many of the fabrics as I could in one project, and a drawstring tote turned out to be the perfect excuse to mix them up.

The result? This ridiculously cute drawstring tote.

A Tote Made for Mixing Prints

I created this drawstring tote on a bit of a whim. I knew I wanted to make a bag for the Homegrown Preserves fabric tour, and a drawstring tote gave me so many places to play with the different prints.

The blue floral became the main exterior, with a contrasting print along the bottom and another for the gathered drawstring casing. Then I kept going with the handles, lining and pockets.

Basically, if I could find another spot for a Homegrown Preserves print, I used it.

And I love how all those fabrics get their own moment while still looking like they belong together.

Even the Handles Got a Little Homegrown Preserves

I couldn't leave the handles out of the fun.

I used my Fabric Overlay Handle Tutorial to add fabric to cotton webbing, but I was pretty particular about where I cut those strips. I wanted the little fruits positioned right along the handles so they would really show.

It's a small detail, but those are usually the details that end up being my favorite part of a bag.

You can see exactly how I make them in my Fabric Overlay Handle Tutorial.

And if playing with handles, hardware, pockets and other bagmaking details is your thing, you'll find all of my free tutorials together in my Learning Library.

Don't Forget the Inside

Of course I wasn't going to use all those pretty fabrics on the outside and then ignore the inside.

There are five interior pockets, which makes this tote perfect for carrying an on-the-go sewing or quilting project. You have room for the bigger stuff in the center and pockets for all those smaller things you don't want disappearing into the bottom of your bag.

And those pockets gave me yet another place to mix in more prints from the collection, so everybody wins.

Will This Become a Pattern?

That's the plan!

I created this one specifically for the Homegrown Preserves fabric tour without really knowing where it would go from there. But I had so much fun making it, and I love the finished bag enough that I'm hoping to get the pattern written so you can make one too.

It's not available just yet, but if you'd like to know when it is, you can join the BMT Insider list. That's where I share new patterns, tutorials and other bagmaking goodness, and you'll also get 10% off your first purchase when you join.

In the meantime, if this has you itching to make a bag, you can browse my beginner-friendly sewing patterns and find something you can start now.

Homegrown Preserves

This is exactly why I love a good fabric tour. Sometimes you start with a stack of fabric and a vague idea, start cutting and playing, and end up with something you weren't planning to make at all.

Homegrown Preserves gave me so many fun opportunities to mix prints, play with little details and make a bag that really lets the collection shine.

A huge thank you to Poppie Cotton for including me in the Homegrown Preserves Fabric Tour and sending me this beautiful collection to play with.

Happy Sewing,

Amanda

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