And Yet Another Project Bag

I'm on a bit of a tear, making use of several quilted checkerboards I previously created - using quartered 5" charm squares and coordinating fabric.

Yesterday I completed another bag. This time the easy method was used by using a coordinating fabric for the back and extending the edges 1" to be double folded and used as binding.

When I bought the charm pack, I also purchased a fat quarter of a coordinating fabric - a nice, busy pattern - which will be nice for the back and 'binding'.

A fat quarter is just enough for this method as separately-attached binding strips are not used. I make my checkerboards 7 squares wide and 6 squares high  (~ 14 1/2" x 12 1/2" finished size). There will be enough of this fabric for the top lining strip and the strip below the zipper. As mentioned in a previous post, the extended edges of the back piece are folded over to the other side,

Then sewn in place with a coordinating thread. I'm not a perfectionist but I am picky about some details. I guess I could have used the beige thread for the topstitching above and below the zipper - oh well. The fabric strip below the zipper is a double-folded 2 1/5" strip with the fold against the zipper teeth and the opening downwards. I use double-sided stitching tape on the vinyl to keep it in position - the top edge of it right against the fold. The top stitching attaches the zipper to the strip and the vinyl. The lower topstitching is just through the open part of the strip and the vinyl.

I did use the dark thread in the bobbin when doing the first top stitching pass which attached the zipper to the strip, then changed to the beige thread on the second pass - a better colour on the back of the beige strip.

The coordinating fabric was also used to line the strip above the zipper on the front of the bag.

Another thing I do before attaching the back fabric is to trim the top and bottom edges, then stitch a narrow zigzag along the top (attaching the quilted checkerboard to the checkerboard strip above the zipper), then trim the bottom (attaching the bottom of the quilted checkerboard to the bottom edge of the viny. 

Then the zipper tab is slid towards the centre and out of the area beyond the edge. The two sides are then trimmed.

After all that, I lay the batting side of the quilted piece onto the wrong side of the backing fabric, being careful to centre it in both directions.

Note: When quilting the checkerboard piece, I made sure to quilt onto the non-fusible side, in preparation for this next step.

Now the fusible side is against the backing fabric. With a medium iron setting, and the vinyl side down, and fabric backing side up, I press the backing onto the fusible batting. Don't hold the iron in place very long as the vinyl can melt. Definitely never touch the hot iron directly onto the vinyl as it definitely will melt. (Trust me, I've had to redo the vinyl on a couple of bags because of this goof-up).

Back on the cutting mat and vinyl side up, trim all the backing fabric edges to 3/4", double fold over to the front and use clips on the newly-created binding to keep it in place for sewing. Avoid clipping directly onto the vinyl as it may leave marks. Definitely never use pins on the vinyl!

Starting on the right side and using coordinating thread for the top and bottom, sew around, attaching the folded binding to the front. The presser foot will want to stick to the vinyl so just use some tissue paper to cover the vinyl (just don't tuck it under the binding). 

At the corner, fold the edge you're stitching down and over, then the other edge. You should get a nice mitre which should be clipped to stay in place. Sew to the mitre then one stitch over it and stop with the needle in the down position. turn the bag 45º as if to sew towards the point. Take two or three stitches then reverse back to the pivot spot (circled in the photo). Turn the bag another 45º to stitch along the next side. Do this at all 4 corners. This will neatly secure the mitred corners.

I don't remember where I learned this cool tip but a bit of patterned, folded ribbon is a neat way to insert your 'logo' into the binding. Sunflowers have a special meaning for me so I was thrilled to find a spool of this ribbon.

The front view of the sunflower alternates with a side view. And it's not that difficult to cut and fold the ribbon to insert it in the proper position.

I still need to make zipper pulls for the new bags I've made. Perhaps another time when I want to avoid 'adulting' aka housework/errands.

I did go outside, too. Every day something else has bloomed in the garden. It's kinda wild-looking but it reminds me of all the work Skip did out there.

A California Poppy - self seeded from last year.

Foxglove from last year - the bees love flying in and out of the blooms.

Deadheading the Bachelor buttons/cornflowers promotes more blooms. (weeding is needed)

Along the back fence. The bell flowers (campanula carpatica) are starting their white and purple blooms.

I'm really looking forward to the shasta daisy blooms. A big clump of them were transplanted from our now deceased stitching friend, Sharon's garden a couple of years ago. I did buy another pot of them last year at an end-of-the-season sale at a nursery.

In May it's hard to tell what is a weed and what is a perennial. My plan is to label them the perennials in the fall so next spring I'll know what is what.