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Holiday Project Bag Exchange
This year's CMQG holiday exchange is a fun mix of mini quilts, orphan blocks, zippers and project bags. The idea is create a mini, a favourite quilt block or use an orphan block as the quilted part of the project. Then by adding either gridded plastic or clear vinyl and a zipper, create a pouch to keep a project tidy and together, large enough to store 12.5 inch by 12.5 inch blocks. Here are two methods to creating bag with finished dimensions of about 16 inches wide by about 15 inches deep: vinyl bags and grid plastic bags. Please don't use seasonal fabrics. Please do use modern fabrics!
Vinyl bags
These bags frame a quilt block with a window of clear vinyl, and binding edges the whole project. The zipper is flat on the front of the bag. If following the instructions, the quilt block is inside the bag so will not show when the bag has items inside it. The quilting itself will grace the back of the bag. You're welcome to reverse the panel so that it shows on the back of the project bag instead if you would like.
Pattern: Fun and Useful Clear-View Tote, by Riley Blake Designs
Where to buy vinyl: Vinyl can be bought off a roll or in smaller packaged amounts and comes in a variety of weights. Medium gauge is recommended for this project, around 10 to 16 gauge. A quick survey of Calgary stores turned up this information:
Out of Hand: 10 in stock of clear vinyl roll 16x54…if three people share the roll, it would amount to $6 each. (16 gauge)
Along Came Quilting: same as above, 7 in stock
Marshall Fabrics: 54-60” wide clear vinyl on the roll. $14.99/yard and they will cut smaller sizes. Different gauges (6-12).
Fabricland: vinyl on the roll , 20 gauge and 4 gauge. Less expensive if you are a club member.
Fabric Depot: vinyl on the roll but no extra details available.
Note: You will need to supply your own zipper.
A3 Modified bags with grid plastic
This method transforms an A3 zipper pouch into a quilted project bag with a top zipper. It places the quilted piece on the outside of bag so it is always visible, uninterrupted. Bound seams are inside the bag.
The bag includes a zipper so you only need your quilted block/panel. A3 bags will be available at the October and November meetings for free if you would like to use this method.
Choose an A3 size zipper pouch. Unpick the two sides of the pouch and ONE side of the zipper. The closed zipper will be attached to the top of a long rectangle of grid plastic — when opened up with no seams, the plastic will be 17 inches wide (this is the important measurement) by about 25 inches long (longer than you'll need — you will only use about 16-17 inches of depth).
If your plastic is quite wrinkly, you can iron it flat UNDER a pressing cloth, on a LOWER iron setting. Start low and work up heat to avoid melting the plastic.
With your zipper foot, run another line of stitching along the attached zipper to reinforce that seam. The stitching is fairly loose on these bags, as you may have discovered with how easy they are to unpick.
Make your quilt block. Adhere stabilizer to the back of the quilt block. I used a single layer of Pellon 987F fusible fleece. Add a backing (it will be visible through the grid vinyl) and quilt your design. Square off your block so that it is 17 inches wide and a depth of at least 15 to 16 inches (17 is okay, too, for a square bag). Depth is flexible in case your design makes more sense a little shorter. FINISHED depth should be no shorter than 14 inches, though, so that there's lots of room for storing 12.5 inch blocks.
Attach quilt to zipper. Cut a strip of fabric about 18 inches long by about 2 inches wide to cover the inside zipper seam. It can match the quilt backing if you want it to blend in, or use a coordinating colour if you want it to stand out. Sandwich the zipper between the quilt and lining strip: the zipper top faces the right side of the quilt, with the strip of fabric along the back of zipper. Pin or clip to hold three layers together and sew a seam. Press fabric strip and quilt back from zipper, then stay stitch to hold all three layers together. You can hand stitch or machine stitch the fabric flap in place on inside of bag. Consult the front of your quilt to see if there's a depth you want to coordinate the seam with if you're machine quilting.
Cut the grid plastic to desired depth and make bag. Line up the quilt top and the plastic (right sides facing) so that the zipper sides are folded against each other and even along the top edge. Clip or pin the sides together. Open the zipper a few inches so you can access it when it's time to turn right side out. Cut the plastic to depth using the bottom edge of the quilt block as a guide (use a ruler and rotary cutter). Clip or pin bottom edge together. Sew the three sides together with a 3/8-inch seam or slightly less. Clip (with scissors) the corners to remove bulk.
Bind the seams. Cut fabric strip 1.5 inches wide by a little more length than you need (or join strips to achieve the length). Iron in half, open, and fold the raw edges in lengthwise to meet at the crease and press again to create binding. Sew on binding to seam by first matching raw edges on one side and sewing, then folding over binding to enclose seam and sewing again from the other side. (Just like you'd bind a quilt but no need to miter corners!)
Turn right side out and press. Voila!
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