Geometric Splash Tote Bag

Hi, I’m Zaineb and I’ve been quilting for over ten years. During my quilting journey, I’ve been drawn to the endless variety of beautiful cotton prints. But batiks? They’ve always felt a bit intimidating. Their vibrant colors and handcrafted look made me think they were best left to artists and professional quilters—not hobbyists like me. That is, until I dipped my toes into Riley Blake’s stunning Geometric Splash collection. Creating with these fabrics has completely shifted my perspective—now, I feel energized, inspired, and no longer afraid to work with batiks.

For my first batik project, I chose the beautiful, calming, cool tones from the Geometric Splash collection. These colors reminded me of sunny, relaxed days by the ocean, so I decided to make a tote bag—perfect for beach trips or simply bringing a bit of that ocean feeling to my everyday errands.

I used ByAnnie’s Two Big Totes pattern for the project, and batiks turned out to be an ideal match for several reasons:

• Batiks are reversible! This pattern has many steps, and not having to worry about right and wrong sides of the fabric made the process a lot smoother—especially on my first go.
• They’re slightly stiffer than regular quilting cotton. While still soft, batiks have a naturally crisp feel, almost like they’re lightly starched. It gave my tote a sturdier, more structured finish.
• They hide wear and tear. Tote bags get used—and loved—a lot. The natural color variation in batiks helps camouflage minor stains or scuffs, which is perfect for an everyday bag.

This was also my first time making a large tote, and I’m especially excited about a these features:

• I used the Geometric Splash Sunshine print around the main zipper. The bold pop of color makes me smile every time I open the bag!
• The pattern includes bellow pockets, which I made with the Tropical Rainforest fabric. These clever pockets expand just enough to let water bottles stand upright without tipping—such a smart design!
• On the back of the tote, I added a trolley pass-through (instructions not included in the pattern). It’s perfect for sliding over the handle of my carry-on luggage—especially when my tote is full of shopping finds 🙂

If you’ve never sewn with batiks before, I hope this inspires you to give them a try. Their vibrant, saturated colors bring so much beauty and lasting impact to any project—and they might just surprise you, like they did me.

Happy quilting!!