Project by Gill Rich
How cute is this quilted bag, just big enough to take out with your few essentials like purse, phone and keys. These fabrics are just great for the summer months. It can also be made using your larger scrap pieces.
To make it, you will need the following:
Five or six different fabrics, I chose the Elegant Peacock collection from Cotton Craft Co, designed by Sarah Payne.
Co-ordinating/Contrasting thread
Pins, preferably quilting
Tape measure/Ruler
Wadding
Medium iron on interfacing
Fabric marker
NOTE : Use a 1cm seam allowance throughout
Cut your fabrics:- for the outer bag, cut strips of fabric at least 9” long and 2” wide, you will need about 16. For the top strip, cut two pieces 2.5” by 13”, for the middle strip, cut two pieces 1” x 13”, for the bottom one piece 4.5” x 13”, two pieces 4” x 14” for the handles, for the lining one piece 13” x 25”.
Sew all the 9” strips together to make two panels about 14” wide and press the seams open. Trim to 8.5” x 13”.
Line your pieces up ready to sew. You will need to attach the top strip to the inch middle strip, then the main panel and finally the bottom. Repeat for the other side so that the two main panels are then stitched to the long edge of the bottom piece. It should look like this
Press flat and lay your outer bag on top of the wadding ensuring there are no creases. Ake sure you put plenty of pins in to stop it moving while you are quilting it. This is where you need to decide how to quilt it. I did diamonds on the vertical strips, straight quilting on the top strip and a decorative stitch on the small strip, like this
Next, you need to apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the lining and bag handles following the manufacturer’s instructions. Fold the lining in half and stitch slightly more than the 1cm seam allowance down each side. On one side, leave a turning gap of approximately 4”. Repeat for the outer bag but stitch all the way down each side. To box the corners, flatten the corner so that the seam runs down the middle like this
Measure across the seam with a quilter’s ruler so that it sits at 4” and draw a line across, this will be your stitching line. Repeat for the two outer bag corners and the corners of the lining. Once you have stitched across, trim off the excess.
To make the bag handles, fold in half lengthways and press, open out and fold each raw edge to the middle and press again, fold in half. Your handle should measure 1” in width. Repeat for the other handle.
Top stitch 1/8” along each long edge. To attach the handles to the bag, mark the centre of the bag with a pin and measure 2” out each side. Place the bag handle at this point, pin the raw edges to the top edge of the bag making sure the handle isn’t twisted. Repeat for the other side and baste in place.
You’ve nearly finished! so next place your outer bag inside the lining right sides together, you need to make sure that the straps are tucked well inside. Pin the bag sections together, aligning your side seams. Sew all the way around the top using 3/8” seam allowance. Make sure that you reverse stitch a few times at the start and at the end of sewing. Now, turn the bag through that turning gap you left in the side seam so that the inner bag is on the outside.
Once it is all the right way around, you need to sew up the gap in the lining with a nice neat slip stitch. To finish, press the top section of your bag and top stitch around the top about 1/8” inch from the edge.
Now, press the rest of the bag and there you have a cute quilted bag. (I also made a matching coin purse too)!!
To see more from Gill, visit her Instagram @designbygill66
Made by Gill Rich for The Craft Cotton Company 2020
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