Summer Tote with Quilted Panels

This summer tote was one of my first forays into paper-piecing.  Trying to figure out how to make the designs for each panel appear as I had intended took a lot more work than I expected.

These four panels sat in my sewing stash for a few years after I made them.  One day, I found a piece of red and white checked fabric in a remnants bin.  It reminded me of a picnic table cloth so I bought it, grabbed these summer panels and turned them into this picnic tote, complete with water bottle side pockets.