How to Make a Quilt Bag With Outside Pockets

Strips of colorful fabric make a bright, useful quilt bag.

An attractive quilt bag is not only useful, it uses up scraps of fabric you have from other projects. Wash all the fabric and iron it before cutting out the quilt strips for this project. Use batting left over from another project or purchase one yard of batting at a fabric store. For this project, you need basic sewing skills, since the purse requires only straight seams. Choose coordinating colors for a more sophisticated quilt bag, or choose fabrics that don't match for a crazy quilt effect.

Things You'll Need

• 1 yard lining fabric, at least 18 inches wide
• 1 1/2 yards total of fabric scraps
• Scissors
• Sewing pins
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Sewing machine
• Coordinating thread

Instructions

1. Cut a strip of lining 31 inches long and 18 inches wide. Piece together enough fabric to make a strip 3 inches wide and 108 inches long. Cut a piece of batting 31 inches long and 18 inches wide.

2. Cut 12 strips, each 3 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long for the sides of the purse. Cut one strip 5 inches wide and 18 inches long for the bottom. Cut two strips, each 9 inches wide and 8 inches long for the pockets. Cut two strips of lining, each 9 inches wide and 8 inches long.

3. Sew six 3 1/2-by-14-inch strips together, with 1/4-inch seam allowances, to make a rectangle approximately 18-by-14 inches. Sew the remaining six strips together to make a matching rectangle.

4. Pin a long edge of the bottom strip, 5 inches wide and 18 inches long to the bottom 18-inch edge of one rectangle. Pin the other side of the bottom strip to the bottom of the other rectangle. Sew a seam on each edge, with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

5. Press the entire piece with an iron and lay it out flat, right-side up. Lay the lining piece over it, right-side down. Lay the batting over the lining. Pin the layers together and sew around all four sides, leaving a 4-inch opening.

6. Trim the seams and corners. Turn the purse right-side out, with the batting in the center between the lining and the outside of the purse. Hand-sew the opening closed. Press the seams. Sew seams along the channels between the fabric strips to anchor the batting.

7. Pin each pocket rectangle to a lining rectangle, right sides together. Sew the 9-inch sides together. Trim the seams, turn the pockets right sides out. Leave the raw 8-inch edges open for the time being.

8. Fold the 108-inch strip in half lengthwise, right sides together. Sew across the bottom and along the 108-inch long side. Trim the seams. Turn the strip right-side-out. Press the strip.

9. Lay the purse out flat on a flat surface, right-side up. Center the top of a pocket, the 9-inch side, on one side of the purse, 1 inch from the top and four inches in from each side. Pin it in place. Position the other pocket on the other side of the purse, 1 inch from the 17-inch edge and 4 inches in from each side. Sew across the bottom of each pocket, the edge nearest the bottom of the purse.

10. Sew the strap ends together to make a circle. Arrange the strap on the purse so the edges of the pockets are covered and there are two handles each about 24 inches long. Sew on the strap by sewing down both sides stopping about 1 inch from the top. Sew across the straps at this level to secure them.

11. Fold the purse in half, right sides together. Sew down each side with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Back stitch at each end.

References

• Long Arm Finishing Touches: The Quilt Bag
• PS I Quilt: Friendship Bag Tutorial
• CraftStylish: Make a Quilted Bag and Tote Your Laptop in Style

Resources

• Basic Quilting: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started; Sherrye Landrum
• The Practical Guide to Patchwork; Elizabeth Hartman