Sew Together Bag SAL // Week 1: Cutting + Interfacing

Today is the day!  After 2 weeks of planning and preparing, we are going to dig in and get started on our Sew Together Bags.  

Today's post will cover: 

- cutting out your bag pieces

- an easy way to use and cut up scraps from your scrap bins

- how to apply your interfacing.

Three things before we get started: 

1) Reading the pattern. 

I find the cutting instructions a bit confusing if I don't mark it up and make it easier to read.  So if you're like me, get out a highlighter and a pencil, and make yourself quick notes, so that all it requires is a glance between pattern and cutting table (and not a 3 minute read each time).

2) Printing your pattern.

If you have the PDF pattern, be sure that when you go to print your pattern, your printer doesn't have the setting "scale to fit" checked!!  Because if it is, your side panel template might be the incorrect size. 

3) Outer panel size adjustment

I prefer to make my outer panel a bit larger than the pattern says.  I aim for 14"x10" (or bigger if you're using a thick interfacing/stabilizer). That way if it shrinks a little during the quilting process, you can trim it to the exact size specified when you're done.

That being said, let's get started!

CUTTING

Once you start cutting, the pattern begins to make more sense... but sometimes seeing the pieces all laid out (like the photo below) helps too! 

(Also: remember to make sure your printer printed the correct size for your side panel template, and it didn't have the "shrink to fit" option selected!)

I find the easiest way to cut out the side panels is to cut 4" x WOF strips using my rotary cutter & ruler (of the fabric and interfacing)...

fold the fabric/interfacing in half and line the template on the fold...

and then use the template only to cut the diagonal line.

See... I like to make reminder notes on my pattern pieces!

CUTTING UP SCRAPS

If you're wanting to cut scraps into patchwork pieces for your Exterior Panel,  I thought I'd show you the way I've found quickest to get them cut up into usable pieces. Sometimes when digging through scrap bins, they can seem time-consuming to cut up, since they're all shapes and sizes.  I know there are many ways to tackle cutting up scraps - this is just the way I do it. 

(And please ignore my gray hair that needs re-touching!)

FUSING INTERFACING

I recommend fusing your interfacing to the fabric pieces as soon as everything is cut out.  Then it's all ready to go.

Side Panel piece + interfacing = place wrong sides together.

This video will show you how to iron fusible interfacing... (and how I like to prep my Outside Panel for quilting, but we will cover that more next week.)

Homework for this week...

- cut out ALL of your bag pieces

- iron your interfacing pieces onto your fabric pieces (If you are piecing your Outside Panel and haven't made it yet, skip interfacing that piece till it's done, obviously)

-post a picture of your progress!!  We love cheering you on and being inspired by everyone sewing together.  (Use the hashtag #sewtogetherbagSAL, and tag me too! @RedRainbootsHandmade)

Sew Together Bag Sew-Along schedule:

(click on any previous date to be taken to that week's blog post)

July 19 - Intro (part 1): Supplies 

July 26 - Intro (part 2): Ideas for Personalizing Your Outer Panel

Aug 2 - Week 1: Cutting + Interfacing

Aug 9 - Week 2: Outer Panel

Aug 16 - Week 3: Insides (zippers)

Aug 23 - Week 4: Attaching the Sides

Aug 30 - Week 5: Finishing It Up!

INTRO (Part 2): Ideas for Personalizing Your Outer Panel // Sew Together Bag sew-along

Welcome to the 2nd week of our Sew Together Bag Sew Along.  It's the final day of our INTRO portion, and then we will actually begin!  But for today, we will be talking about ideas for personalizing your bag's outer panel design, while people wait for their zippers to arrive in the mail. =)

It seems to me that for most of us, the two most intimidating parts of the Sew Together Bag are either the zippers OR deciding on the design and colors for the bag.  There are so many cute and creative ideas out there, it can almost paralyze those of us who are indecisive (me!), and make it hard to start.

Bag by Amanda @a.crafty.fox (read her post about this bag HERE)

Before I jump into a few specifics on a few designs, my number one suggestion would be to search the hashtag #sewtogetherbag on Instagram.  There are scads of variations and you're bound to find one that resonates with you!

Bag by Chrissy @SewLux (visit her website HERE)

Screen shot bags you like (or save them to one of your "folders" on IG) and then go back and look at the ones you liked.  Are you seeing a re-ocurring theme, whether it's colors... styles?  It's ok to find inspiration from other creative sewing friends!

As I was browsing the hashtag last week, I found so many cute ideas!  You will too!

But for today, here are a few of my go-to designs, and the cutting dimensions I use.

PIECED PATCHWORK STRIP

This design is very simple to do AND easy to customize.  I love throwing in a Tiny 2" Patchwork Star...

 adding an initial (we will cover applique more on week 4)

or just highlighting some of my favorite scraps.

To make the Patchwork Strip, I use: 

(5) 2.5" squares

(1)  2"x10" background fabric

(1) 10"x10" background fabric

Sew together, add interfacing, quilt, and then trim to size.

PATCHWORK

This is probably one of my current favoites.  It looks cute on it's own, or you can add applique for extra personalization!

To do this, you will need:

(35) 2.5" squares, sewn together in a 5 across x 7 down pattern.

Sew your rows together, press, interface, quilt and then trim to size.

APPLIQUE

This simple design certainly showcases whatever image you want to applique.  I know I keep saying this, but I promise I'll cover applique in Week 2.  It's not something I've done very much of - or would say I'm necessarily proficient at - but I've found the freehand method from the book Sew Illustrated to be quite fun, even for a beginner like me.  And besides that, when you add applique to an item, it makes a very special, personalized bag/gift.  

OTHER IDEAS

And these were just three (of the many) I saw this week that drew me in...

Chrissy is making this one right now, to go with our sew along.  Aren't those diamonds something else?

 photo by Chrissy @sewlux

If you haven't ever tried making tiny dresden blocks, Amanda's bag might convice you to change that! (read her blog post HERE)

Amanda @a.crafty.fox

This paper pieced bag is by Tori, and was my oldest daughter Ellie's inspiration for the bag she's going to make.

by Tori @cloudtori

 But we pieced hers with simple patchwork, since all her letters had straight sides.)

So your homework for the week is this:

1) Decide on the design for your bag, 

2) gather up your fabric, zippers, and other supplies

3) Post a picture of your supplies and use the hashtag #sewtogetherbagSAL so we can see what each other is doig! (and be sure to tag me too! @RedRainbootsHandmade)

And next week.... we begin CUTTING AND INTERFACING!!!

Can't wait to see what colors and design you decide on!

As a reminder, here's the schedule for our Sew-Along:

(click on any previous date to be taken to that week's blog post)

July 19 - Intro (part 1): Supplies 

July 26 - Intro (part 2): Ideas for Personalizing Your Outer Panel

Aug 2 - Week 1: Cutting + Interfacing

Aug 9 - Week 2: Outer Panel

Aug 16 - Week 3: Insides (zippers)

Aug 23 - Week 4: Attaching the Sides

Aug 30 - Week 5: Finishing It Up!

Tiny 2" Patchwork Star Tutorial

These little stars are something I first added to the outer panels on my Sew Together Bags years ago,  and since then I've thrown them into mini quilts and pillow shams, and recently I've been mulling over an idea to incorporate them into tiny Christmas tree ornaments.  They are 2" finished, and just so cute.

Today I thought it would be fun to share with you how I make them.

But one thing before you dive in:  Try to be extra precise with your 1/4" seam - not too big, and not too small.  Because these are so tiny, even the smallest bit either way will affect how they come together.  That being said, let's get started!

CUTTING
(1) white 2 1/4" square
(4) white 1" squares
(1) red 1 1/2" square
(4) red 1 3/8" squares

Step 1 - Draw diagonal lines on the wrong side of the (4) red 1 3/8" squares.

Step 2 - Place (2) of the 1 3/8" red squares on opposite corners of the large white 2 1/4" square, right sides together.

Step 3 - Sew 1/4" on each side of the drawn line, and cut apart on the line.

Step 4 - Press the red triangles open, and place the remaining (2) squares on the other corner, sew on both sides, and cut apart.

Step 5 - Press open and trim off corners.  Aren't those tiny flying geese adorable?

Step 6 - Lay out your star, sew your rows together, and press!

And you have it!  The tiniest, little patchwork star!  I hope you have fun making them.

INTRO (Part 1): Supplies // Sew Together Bag sew-along

Welcome to the kickoff of the Sew Together Bag Sew-Along! I am so excited to get started making these fun bags with you.  Did you know there are over 450 people signed up to participate in this sew-along!  And I promise, you CAN make this bag! 

We will be starting our sew-along with two weeks that I call the INTRO WEEKS (part 1 and 2).  Each part will be one week long, and every Monday I will post that week’s instructions and videos.  Just as a reminder, we will have a weekly timeline that we follow (see below) BUT IF you fall behind or can’t sew along right now, you can reference these posts any time you want!

TIMELINE

July 19 - Intro (Part 1): Supplies 

July 26 - Intro (Part 2): Ideas for Personalizing Your Outer Panel 

Aug 2 - Week 1: Cutting + Interfacing

Aug 9 - Week 2: Outer Panel 

Aug 16 - Week 3: Inside (Zippers) 

Aug 23 - Week 4: Attaching the Sides

Aug 30 - Week 5: Finishing It Up 

Ok so let’s get started….

INTRO (part 1): Supplies

Items covered in today’s post:

• Pattern 
• Zippers 
• Interfacings
• Basic supplies (thread, rotary cutters, clover clips, 1/4” foot and zipper foot)
• A few of my favorite things for making these bags

PATTERN

If you don’t already have a Sew Together Bag pattern, you can find it many places online, but here are 2 that are offering discount codes for this sew along:

• paper pattern  (10% off your entire order with code: REDRAINBOOTSHANDMADE)
• PDF pattern  (15% off with code: STBSewAlong)

ZIPPERS

For this bag, you will need (3) 9” zippers, and (1) 18” zipper.  

Zippers can be a bit pricey if you have to buy very many, so my very favorite place to purchase zippers is an Etsy shop called ZipIT Zippers.  

They have great prices, a wide variety of colors to choose from, and are good quality.  They are currently offering a promo code for this sew-along that will give you 10% off your total purchase.  (Promo code: REDRAINBOOTS10)

They offer Mix and Match options, so you can pick and choose your colors.  I love this, because I love using different colors of zippers on the inside of the bag, which makes it easier to remember what's inside each pocket. 

Mix And Match Options:

- 9" zippers (5 pieces, 10 pieces)

- 18" zippers (5 pieces, 10 pieces)

- 18" long-pull zipper (1 piece)

- STB bundle of 4 zippers (HERE)

Note: if you have longer zippers, they can be cut down to shorter lengths, if they don’t have metal teeth.  

INTERFACINGS

You will need interfacings to stabilize and add body to your bag.  

- For the inside pieces of the bag, I highly recommend Pellon SF101.  It is a soft, high-quality fusible interfacing that you iron onto your fabric.  You can buy it in a single bolt, or by the yard.  I always find a coupon to use when I buy it!

- For the outer panel you will want a bit more stabilizing, which can be achieved a few different ways:

Option 1 - My personal favorite is to double layer it by using Pellon SF101 + a scrap of leftover cotton batting.  I feel like it gives nice, firm body to your outer panel, without being too stiff.  This works especially well if you’re going to add appliqué to the outer panel of your bag.

Option 2 - By Annie's Soft and Stable (or Pellon FF77 Flex Foam Stabilizer - sold by the yard in some craft stores). This will give even more body to the outer panel of your bag and add amazing dimension to quilting lines.  However, it isn’t fusible (meaning it doesn’t have glue on one side), which means you’ll have to add quilting stitches to hold it in place. 

BASIC SUPPLIES

Most of the basic sewing supplies I won't take the time to go over here, but there are a few I want to be sure to mention:

• 1/4” sewing machine foot
• Zipper foot
• Quilting thread (I like to use a heavier weight (thicker) thread for quilting like this one - it looks nicer! (But note, this is NOT hand-quilting thread!)
• Frixion Pen (or chalk pencil for marking quilting lines on dark fabric)
• Heat N Bond Lite, if you want to appliqué something on the front panel - like the pig in the photo above.  (More on this next week)
• Clover binding clips.  You don't need many, but these are essential for this bag! (10-pack, Best deal I've found on 50-pack)

MY FAVORITE THINGS

…And some of my personal favorite things to use for Sew Together Bags…

Black and White stripe fabrics for the binding (which I wrote about HERE)

“Handmade” charms to add to the zipper  (I bought mine years ago at Michaels, but I found a few fun ones HERE, HERE, and HERE.  Make sure you buy a jump-ring (or something similar) to connect them to your zipper!


I think that’s about it for this week.  Start gathering up your supplies and dreaming up your outer panel design.  I have a post about some of the bags I've made HERE.  (And next Monday we will talk more about design!)

Oh! One last thing… make sure you head over to my Instagram page for a fun giveaway tomorrow (Tuesday morning)!  You won’t want to miss it. (Hint: It has to do with something we talked about today!)

(To make sure you don't miss out on the weekly sew-along emails, click HERE)

Let's talk about a SewTogetherBag sew-along!

Last week I threw out the idea of doing a sew-along for a Sew Together Bag and I couldn't believe the overwhelming response I got.  The comments over and over were: "I've had the pattern for years, but I'm intimidated to start."

Well, I'm here to help with that! Over the past 8 years I've made countless Sew Together Bags, and I can't wait to show you that they're not as hard as they might seem, if you have someone to help you along the way.

This sew-along starts next week, and will consist of weekly instructions, helpful tips, and videos that will walk you through every step of the way!

If this free sew-along sounds like something you don't want to miss out on, then all you need to do is sign-up here:

Sew-Along Sign Up (CLICK HERE)

If you need the pattern:

- PDF version is available HERE. (use discount code STBSewAlong for 15% off all patterns)

- PRINTED version is available HERE. (use discount code REDRAINBOOTSHANDMADE for 10% off your entire order)

The timeline for the sew-along is as follows:

July 19 - Intro & Gathering Supplies (2 weeks)

Aug 2 - Week 1: Cutting + Interfacing

Aug 9 - Week 2: Outer Panel

Aug 16 - Week 3: Insides (zippers)

Aug 23 - Week 4: Attaching the Sides

Aug 30 - Week 5: Finishing It Up!

There are so many cute ideas for the outside panels of these Sew Along Bags.  I would highly recommend looking on IG at the hashtag #sewtogetherbag for inspiration!

Ok - make sure you sign up to be on the email list, and be sure to follow me on Instagram @RedRainbootsHandmade, where I will be posting info and links to get you started! 

Modern Pearls Quilt Along - Week Four (the finish!)

Good Morning, friends!  It's the fourth (and final) week of our Modern Pearls Quilt Along, and this is where all those 9 patches start to look less 9-patch-ish, and more like a chain of pearls!
The homework for this week is to get your rows sewn together, and then add your borders.  Easy, right?

This last week I was feeling behind (in many areas of my life), and I sat down for about an hour (on Easter day) to sew, and before I knew it, I had all my 9-patches sewn together.  I know I've said it before, but this really is SUCH a fast quilt.  I have yet to use a single pin.

It's been a delight to see all of your quilts, your colors, and your enthusiasm for this pattern.  Thanks for the encouragement, friends.

And remember, even if you haven't jumped in on the quilt-along, you can always download this pattern for FREE on week 1. (here)

Thanks for sewing along with me.



Week 1 - choosing fabric and FREE PATTERN (here)
Week 2 - cutting and sewing strips sets (here)
Week 3 - sub-cutting strips + sewing blocks (here)

Modern Pearls Quilt Along - Week Three

Good Morning! I can't believe it's Thursday, and I'm just now getting our weekly Quilt-Along info up.  Thank you for being patient with me!  Every day this past week has been filled to the brim from morning till night around here, with prepping to move, prepping our new garden area, finishing up school, and working baby pigs.

You all are superstars - so many of you have jumped way ahead, and I've even seen a few finishes!  I love it when you post photos of your quilts - it makes me so happy to see your creativity and enthusiasm for this fun pattern.

Here's where we're at with our Modern Pearls Quilt Along schedule:
Week 2 (last week) = cut out your quilt, and get your strip piecing sewn.

Week 3 (this week) = sub-cutting your strip pieces, and sew your 9-patches.

Week 4 (4/13) = sew together your quilt top (rows and borders)!

I've posted a little video in my Instagram stories of how I speed up the process of sub-cutting my strips, which you may find helpful.  (I'll save it to the quilt-along highlights as well, so you can find it there.)  This is already such a fast quilt, but any time-saving tricks make it even better!

If you want to find previous posts for the quilt along, I'll link them below.

Week 1 - choosing fabric and FREE PATTERN (here)
Week 2 - cutting and sewing strips sets (here)
Week 4 - sewing your quilt top - the finish! (here)

Modern Pearls Quilt Along - Week Two

It's week TWO of our Modern Pearls Quilt Along, and it makes me so happy to be sewing "with" so many of you, especially during this time of social distancing.  There's just something about knowing that we are doing this together that makes it even more special. 

Quick re-cap on our timeline:

Week 1 (last week) = choosing fabrics.

Week 2 (this week) = cut out your quilt, and get your strip piecing sewn.

Week 3 (4/6) = sub-cutting your strip pieces, and sew your 9-patches.

Week 4 (4/13) = sew together your quilt top! 

I often cut out my quilt on my kitchen counter, so I can also help my kids with their school at the same time.

I don't have prizes for this quilt along, but I think feeling connected with each other would be very special.  During the last quilt along I hosted, we answered weekly prompts (when we posted our progress photos), and it was so encouraging to get to know each other.  I say we do it again!  

So this week's prompt is: What is one thing people on IG may not know about you?  

Feel free to add multiple photos, and include one of this thing/area/topic.  I already can't wait to see what you have to say.

One tip for cutting: I mark up my patterns, to keep track of what I've cut, and what I still have left to do.  If it's a PDF pattern that I can re-print, I go ahead and write directly on the pattern.  But if it's a printed pattern that was shipped to me, I use a sticky note next to the cutting instructions, and I make check marks next to the instructions.  That way when I'm done cutting, I can simply toss the sticky note, and my pattern is all "clean" for the next time I use that pattern.

Don't forget to use the quilt-along hashtags!

Then we can all follow along with your progress AND get to know YOU! Have fun cutting and sewing this week!

#modernpearlsquiltalong

#modernpearlsquilt

#twocolorquilt

#irishchainquilt

You can find the rest of the quilt-along blog posts by clicking the links below:
Week 1 - choosing fabric and FREE PATTERN (here)
Week 3 - sub-cutting strips + sewing blocks (here)
Week 4 - sewing your quilt top - the finish! (here)

Modern Pearls Quilt Along - Week One (and pattern!)

Welcome to the start of the Modern Pearls Quilt-Along! I'm excited that we can have fun sewing together.

Here's a quick run-down:

Schedule
It'll be a fast 4 weeks, but I have a feeling many of you will be able to get it done in a week or two!  Every Monday I'll put up a new blog post with the week's homework, and the question-of-the-week.  
3/23 - Decide on fabric
3/30 - Cut out your quilt.  Sew strips.
4/6 - Sew 9-patches
4/13 - Sew quilt top together

Theme
This is going to be super relaxed and fun.  There may or may not be prizes. (I don't know yet!) But I want to encourage you to post progress photos as you go. I'll come up with a few fun, interactive questions that you can answer (if you want) when you post your photos.  These help us get to know each other!

Hashtag
Don't forget to use 2 different hashtags when you post your progress pictures:
#modernpearlsquiltalong
#twocolorquilt

Other hashtags you can use (so other quilters can find you)
#irishchainquilt
#modernpearlsquilt

Pattern

(edited: You can now find the pattern HERE)

I can't wait to see what you're going to make!


You can find the other quilt-along posts by clicking these links:
Week 2 - cutting and sewing strips sets (here)
Week 3 - sub-cutting strips + sewing blocks (here)
Week 4 - sewing your quilt top - the finish! (here)