Easy Peasy Patchwork Bag and a Scrap Quilt

Almost three years ago, my DD2 treated me to some fabulous Kaffe Fassett fabric to make a quilt just for myself. It is always hard to cut into any special gorgeous treasured fabric and I stroked it and drooled over it from time to time but recently I decided to go for it. 

First I made a big Stash & Slash quilt top which is now ready for sandwiching and finishing but there were enough scraps left over plus one spare Stash & Slash Block. I used the block as the central feature and added, joined and bodged together lots of the small pieces to make this extra 1.5 yard square gem. I am so pleased to see it finished and looking like this instead of just a bundle of scraps in a basket.

It was manageable enough to machine quilt it myself and I stitched in the ditch over the main body with random waves around the border. 

Even the binding is made from scraps joined together 

My Easy Peasy Bags

I have made several of these easy peasy bags for friends and they proved very popular, so I thought I would make some towards the sales table at our July exhibition.

My first attempts were made using strips of batik but any choice of patchwork or quilting is suitable, just make a panel to size first.

I have been asked for pattern and instructions so often so I'm posting photos of the stages to make them here.

I bought a metre of this ready, 2 sided, padded and quilted fabric at one of the big shows for only £5 and it has made 4 bags and a little zipper bag too. 

It also save me time! Should have bought more!

The bags can be adjusted up or down in size but here I show panels for one medium (10.5 x 30.5 inches) and one larger bag (13 x 38 inches). They are bound with 2.5 wide fabric, pressed in half along the length, sewn around the edge of the panel then turned to the other side and stitched by hand or machine to bind the edges. Alternatively, bias binding can be used.

To construct the bag turn in the corners, as below. 

(It helps to pin, or clamp together, the two triangular areas before the next fold)

Next, if you envisage the central square area and fold the panel diagonally from top left corner to bottom right as indicated.......

The two points will be at the top.

The bag will take shape, as below, and will be complete as soon as you stitch together (on both sides), where the two edges, meet from A to B.

As this fabric is double sided I machined a zig zag stitch, using invisible thread. It can then be used successfully on either side as a reversible bag.

To finish;

To fasten, add a large button on either side and use an elastic pony tail ring as the loop to fasten over the buttons. 

Handles can be made from the matching fabric to the desired length or from webbing as I did on my first batik bag. 

There are many options to personalise the bag such as an inside pocket, a loop for keys etc.

The leftovers made a neat little make up bag.

Shout out if you need any more information and, whilst at first it can seem complex, it soon comes into shape.