Bags Bags, and More Bags -- a Little How To

This is the fabric I chose for the outside of the bag.  I cut as big a piece as I could from the fabric which I dye painted many many years ago!  It is about 23 inches wide and 18 inches long (sideways in the pic!).

Because this was fairly heavy fabric, I marked the squares in the corners that I needed to cut.  They were about 3 inches.

Here is the outside fabric with the squares cut out.  The next step is to sew the side seams after placing the fabric right sides together.  Then you sew the bottom seam.

Then you pull the two sides apart so that the bottom seems and side seams are on top of one another and sew.  This form the squared bottom.

I attach the straps at this tiime so they are laying against the front and back.  I make sure they are even.  If you don't have straps, you make them with the instructions below.

This is the Kaffe Fassett favric I selected for the inside.  You sew this slightly differently.  You sew the sides as you did the outside, right sides together.  However on the bottom seam, you leave a 5 inch opening.  You sew the squared part the same also.

Although not shown here, I made straps from 2 1/2 inch strips about 22 inches long.  I interface with a 2 inch piece of interfacing centered in the middle  I also iron over the 1/4 inch seams down to make the sewing easiers.  I fold it over and sew next the edge on both sides with matching thread.

  
You then place the outside bag insde the lining, pinning at the edges and where the straps are, making sure the straps are safely stored between the two layers.  Sew all the way around the top.

Then you pull the outside bag through the whole you made on the bottom of the lining.  Then you sew the lining hole up.  Stuff the lining neatly insde the outside piece  Then carefull top stitch along the top of the finished bag and voiila!.   

This is the finished bag..

This another bag.  I had to add some pseudo-suede as I didn't have a very larrge piece of the painted fabric.
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Finally Found a Good Use for All Those Dye Painted fabrics I Did Many Many Years Ago on Heavier Fabric!!

 

I have shown my methods for making bags before but this is a different version which basically requires very little sewing and cutting and can be made any size.  My younget daughter indicated she would like some so that has occupied me for a few days!  This is dye painted fabric on the outside on a heavier cotton fabric.  I delved into my extensive stash of Kaffe Fassett fabiics and picked out some that I was not crrazy about for the linings.  the bags are essentially reversible so if one side gets really dirty, just turn it to the other!.  Each of these three bags are about 18 x 20 x 6 finished.  I didn't put in amy pockets but they are easy to add also.

I made this one extra large and am keeping it for toting baby quilts to quilt club each month!  I have seven quilts folded in this one!

This is the fabric for one of the next ones.  Today I concentrated on cutting out the fabrics and linings and  handles for 4 more bags.  I will take them to one of our Open Sew events and finish them there.

My next post will contain the step-by-step directions on making each one!  It is really easy.

My next challenge is that I have some smaller pieces that I did in a class back in the 90s with .Elizabeth Busch.  The panels are each about 24 in x 24 inches so I am going to add some pseudo suede to each piece to make the bags.  I think I will do them using a combination of this technique and one i have shown before which uses more pieces but results in a similar bag.

More Baby Quilts -- and I Still Have Enough for Five or Six More!

 

I have finished another six baby quilts which I turned in on Monday.  I wanted to show the back of the quilts as well as I had really cute kid like prints on all the backs this time.  They all utilized my 5 in charm blocks of kid like fabric so they are really an "I Spy" of sorts although not as intricate as some I have done.  

I ended up really liking this one which was literally done with the leftovers from the stripe sets I cut for the other quilts!  I may do more of this one.  I had never realized before doing these quilts that sewing 2 in strips or pieces together 3 wide goes perfectly with the 5  in charm squares.  I am actualldy seeing a dent in my 2 in strips!  I use them for string quilts as well and have done a bunch of these.  

A New Neo-natal Quilt Pattern!

 

If you have seen my recent posts, you have seen a few baby quilts thar I have made alternating a plain white block with a 5 in child themed blockl

I saw this alternative on Pinterest and immediately knew it was perfect for the tons and tons of 5 in squares I have and the bags of two inch strips. So from now on, this will be my design of choice.  I just have to figure the best way to quilt it.  The blocks finish to 4 1/2 inches so nine of them make a quilt that ends up being 40 x 40  Bingo!  9 x 4 1/2 equals 39 1/2 plus the 1/2 inch that doesn't get folded on the outside!

I just sewed long strips of 2 in strips with the white strips on the outside -- full width of the fabric.  Then I cut them into 5 x 5 inch squares.  Easy, easy design and i am very thankful for the Pinterest inspiration.

This was a spectacular sunset the other night.  I didn't get to my usual place to take sunset photos but instead looked back from my 3rd floor porch.  The depth of color was incrdible and i don't think the picture even captures it.  I will use the juxtaposition of the colors as the inspiration for my RAFA challenge quilt.  We got three paint chips kind of randomly and mine were pink, lavender and a slate blue.  My foreground I will steal from another of my pictures.

I also did a challenge quilt for my guild down here which i am not posting until it is officially unveiled in mid January.  It had to be a least 50 percent red, white and blue and have 250 somewhere on it, either written or the number of pieces or fabrics.  Mine is very subtly potitical .

Found More of the Charity Quilts +

 

These were all neonatial quilts.  This one was haxagons and probably for a girl!

Just a lot of 2 1/2 inch squares leftover from some project.  I would usually do a "potato chip quilt" rather an all the lissle squares although I did do them as four patches..

These. next twp used up more four patches and 5 inch squares.  It is called the "chandelier" pattern.

Still using up the octogons fromd 30 years ago.  The bag is actually getting smaller!

Another one using some scrap strips from some other project.  All of these quilts measure 40 x 49 inches.

This is all those hourglass squares sewn together.  It still needs a border, basting, quilting and binding and will measure about 40 x 60 when done..

Really Neaat Way to Make Hour Glass Blocks!

This is a really simple technique to make the hourglass block.  I sw it posted on Facebook I think posted by "Teresa Down Under".  I had never seen this technique before and saves time as you don't have to do any marking.  I chose to use random scrap squares -- 5 inch ones of course.  You could be more controlled if you wanted to be.

You make two four patches and then place then one on top of another with the dark blocks pinned over the light blocks.

You then sew all the way around the outside -- 1/4 inch of course.

You then just slice from corner to corner and voila -- you have four hourglass blocks!

These were really random and I think I will add more blue, green and purple.  I really like this technique and will look for some patterns that use hourglass blocks...

No,I Haven't Died! Just Been Busy Making Charity Quilts

 

This one is now all finished and ready to give away. ! It is really a simple block but not obvious from looking at the quilt!  It is basically two half rectangles with a middle that is a square with two half square triangles on either side!  You really need a design wall to put it together though to make sure everything is aligned right.

This is one of two neonatal quilts that is basically an I Spy made with 5 inch squares.  I have tons of these all cut out from children's fabric!

This is another of my "posey" quilts which ended up to be pretty big!

I am still using up triangles from the purple quilt I made close to 30 years ago!!  I pile if sinally beginning to look smaller and there may be only one more quilt from the batch!

Another "posey" quilt.  Haven't finidhed quilting either of these posey quilts but do have the batting and backs cut out.  I hate basting more than any other job especially with these big quilts.  The smaller ones are much easier but still no fun!

I finally finished this one and gave it away!

I know there are several others that I have pictures of somewhere and will try to post as I find them!