Materials:

Pocket Fabric 3/8 yard
Bag Middle/Pocket Lining

5/8 yard
Bottom, Sides, and Handle 3/4 yard
Piping 1/8 yard
Lining 3/4 yard
Heavy Fusible Pellon, such as Décor Bond 5” x 24” piece
Large Button (I used a 60mm Dill Button)

Cutting:

• For pockets, cut two 9 ½” x 11” pieces each of pocket fabric and pocket lining
• For Bag Middle, cut two 11” x 16 ½” pieces
• For Bag Sides, cut four 6 ½” x 16 ½” pieces
• For Bag Bottom, cut one 5 ½” x 23” piece
• For Piping, cut four 1” x 16 ½” pieces
• For handle, cut one 5” x 24” piece of handle fabric AND one 5” x 24” piece of heavy fusible pellon
• For Loop, cut on 2” x 10” piece
• For Lining, cut one 22 ¾” x Width of Fabric Piece (trim off selvages)

With right sides together, sew pocket to pocket linings along TOP EDGE ONLY. Turn and press. Topstitch ¼” away from top of pocket.

Prepare piping by pressing each piece in half the long way, WRONG SIDES TOGETHER:

Prepare to stitch bag front together by layering bag middle, pocket, and piping as shown:

Lay Bag sides face down on bag front layers and pin.

Stitch bag sides to bag front with a ¼” seam, catching all raw edges in seam. Press seams toward bag sides. Repeat for Bag Back. Trim to make these pieces as square as possible.

Sew bag bottom between bag front and back as shown. (1/4” seam). Resulting piece should measure roughly 37” x 23”. It’s okay if this measurement is not exact!

Fold bag in half right sides together. Stitch on both sides with a ¼” seam.

To shape a flat bottom for bag body, at one corner match bottom crease to side seam line, creating a flattened triangle:

Pin and stitch just to the left of the line formed by two seams after you have flattened the corner:

Some people like to trim off the resulting floppy corner, but I leave it on and make sure and tuck it in toward the center of the bag when I put the lining in. I think it give the corners of the bag some stability.

Repeat for the other corner. Turn the bag right side out and press seams. Now you will want to top-stitch the four “corners” of the bag to help it hold its shape. To do this, lay the bag on the table. Measure and pin one of the sides so there is a straight line going up from the bottom corner of one side to the top of the bag. Top-stitch 1/8″ from the top of the bag down to the corner. Repeat for all four corners.

To make bag lining, fold lining right sides together. Stitch side seams with a 1/4″ seam.

Mark a line 2 1/2″ up from bottom on both the front and back of the lining. This will give you a stitching line to follow when you flatten the corners to shape the bag bottom:

Shape a flat bottom for the lining in the same way you did for the bag body, flattening the corners so the side seams match the bottom crease, then sewing along the marked line. Leave the bag lining inside out.

Fold the top edge of the main bag down (toward the inside) 3/4″ and press. Fold the top edge of the bag lining OUT 2 3/4″ and press. (You will have 2 3/4″ of the right side of the bag lining showing on the outside). Place the lining inside the main bag and pin. You will have about 3/4″ of the lining sticking up above the main bag:

For the loop, fold the loop piece in half the long way, then sew a 1/4″ seam down the side. Turn loop right side out. For this step, Dritz’s Turning tool is a must-have! It makes turning loops, handles, and ties so easy!!

For the handles, fuse the 5″ x 24″ piece of decor bond to the WRONG side of the handle piece. Then cut the piece in half the long way, so you end up with two 2 1/2″ x 24″ pieces:

Press each piece in half the long way, wrong sides together, then press each long edge under 1/4″.

Top-stitch along both long sides of both handles.

Pin loop and handles into bag as shown, tucking the ends BETWEEN the main bag and the lining:

Top-stitch along the top of the outer bag, making sure bag “corners” lay toward the bag sides as you are stitching:

For added durability, top-stitch again 1/8″ away from first stitching.

Sew a button on the opposite side of the bag from the loop.

Voila! Your Annie’s Market Bag is finished! It is flexible enough to fold up on the way to the market, and then unfold and load at the market. It’s fully washable, too! I cut a piece of black poster board 5″ x 17″ and had it hard laminated at my local copy shop. I inserted it in the bottom of the bag to help the bag hold its shape. Since it is laminated, I can easily remove it and wipe it off while the rest of the bag is being washed. Enjoy!

Just finished this really fun quilt using the panel and coordinating fabrics from Sheri Berry’s Costume Club Fabric from Northcott. 

Click the link below to download your free copy of the pattern today!

Costume Party Quilt Pattern

We’ve had a few Kanzashi flowers in the store embellishing different projects, and our customers just can’t get enough!  They are so cute, and SO quick and easy.  Click on the picture for a really good tutorial:

We are loving this Schlep Bag.  You can find the pattern here.  However, we did find a few glitches in the pattern, so after you print it, go over the following tips:

1.  In the cutting directions, bullet 2, it calls for you to cut two 8 1/2″ squares and two strips 7″ x 22″ for the handles from a 1/2 yard of fabric.  Actually you have only bought 1/4 yard fabric for the handles and top diamonds, so you will not have enough fabric to do this.  We made both handles from ONE 7″ x 22″ piece of fabric.  You will have enough fabric to do this, and if you follow the instructions below to make the handles, they are the perfect size and they will work out great!

2.  In the layout diagram, some of the triangles are turned wrong.  Follow this diagram instead:

3.  Here are photos of the process of sewing the sides of the bag:

4.  For the lining, you need to repeat step 3 for both bottom corners of the lining–the pattern only tells you to do this step on one corner.  This can be one of the trickiest parts to explain–if you don’t get it, here are some photos that will help:

5.  For the handles, fuse a 7″ x 22″ piece of decor bond, fuse-a-shade, or fusible fleece or batting (we prefer decor bond) to your 7″ x 22″ piece of handle fabric.  After fusing, cut the piece in half to yield two 3.5″ x 22″ handles.  Fold and press each in half lengthwise.  Open up and press 1/4″ toward the center on both 22″ sides of the handle.  Fold back together and then topstitch along both 22″ sides of handle.  Continue on to Final Assembly. 

ENJOY!

Also loving the free tutorial for the flower I used on this apron:

Imagine the fun you can have embellishing with this great fabric flower…Click here to view the free tutorial.

Fabric Requirements:

3 Fat Quarters

1 yard fusible vinyl (optional)

Cutting:

• From one fat quarter cut a 14.75” square for main part of apron
• From a second fat quarter, cut a 9” x 14.75” rectangle for main pocket and two 2” x 22” rectangles for ties
• From the third fat quarter, cut a 6” x 7.5” rectangle for small pocket

Putting it all together:

Fuse vinyl to right side of all pieces of apron EXCEPT ties according to manufacturer instructions.

Fold 6” x 7.5” rectangle in half the long way, right sides together.  Stitch the left end.  Turn.  Baste to bottom right corner of 9” x 14.75” main pocket piece as shown:

Fold the 9” x 14.75” main pocket piece in half the long way, wrong sides together.  Baste to the lower edge of the 14.75” square as shown:

Stitch lines in the main pocket as desired for dividers.

 To make ties, fold each 2” x 22” tie piece in half the long way, right sides together.  Stitch along one end and down the long side.  Turn and press.

Fold the 14.75” square in half, right sides together.  Finger press the fold to mark the halfway point.  Open the square up and lay the ties close to the fold on the right side of the fabric as shown:

 Fold the top of the square back down.  Stitch around the three open sides of the apron, being careful not to catch ties in stitching, and leaving an opening on one end to turn the apron.

Turn, topstitch opening closed.  Topstitch the other end to match.

Brown Bear

Fabric Requirements:

2/3 yard Brown Bear Panel

¼ yard Brown Bear People

½ yard Brown Bear BROWN Fabric

½ yard Brown Bear ORANGE Fabric

¾ yard Brown Bear Stripe

¾ yard Brown Bear Blue

Cutting:

1. From the Brown Bear Panel, fussy cut 20 squares. I cut down the center of the green strips. You will end up with “squares” that are 5 ¾” tall and 6” wide.
2. From the orange, cut four 2 ½” strips. Set one aside. Sub-cut the other three into twenty 2 ½” x 5 3/4” rectangles.
3. From the brown, cut four 2 ½” strips. Set one aside. Sub-cut the other three into twenty 2 ½” x 6” rectangles
4. From the brown and the orange, cut one 2 7/8” strip. Subcut into ten 2 7/8” squares.
5. From the people, cut four 6 ½” squares
6. From the Stripe, cut four 6 ½” strips
7. From the blue, cut five 2” strips. From one strip, cut four 2” x 6 ½” rectangles. Set the other strips aside.
8. From the blue, cut five 2 ¼” strips for binding.

Piecing:

1. Sew a 2 ½” x 6” brown piece to the bottom of each of the 20 brown bear squares.
2. Make 20 orange and brown half square triangles: mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of your 10 orange 2 7/8” squares, then place the square rights sides together with a brown square. Sew ¼” on either side of the diagonal line, then cut along your drawn line. Open and press the seam to one side. This will yield two orange and brown half-square triangles. Repeat with the remaining 9 orange and brown squares.

3.  Add a half-square triangle to one end of each of 20 orange 2 ½” x 5 3/4” rectangles. Make sure you sew the orange edge of the half-square triangle to the orange rectangle as shown:

4.  Add this unit to the left side of the unit made in step 1:

1. Repeat for all 20 units, then piece the units together in 5 rows of 4 blocks.
2. Add an orange 2 ½” strip to the right side of your quilt (measure and trim to length prior to sewing)
3. Add a brown 2 ½” strip to the top of your quilt (measure and trim to length prior to sewing.
4. Add a 2” blue strip to either side of your quilt (measure and trim to length prior to sewing.
5. Add a 6 ½” border (striped fabric) to either side of your quilt (measure and trim to length prior to sewing.
6. Add a blue 2” strip to the top and bottom of your quilt.
7. For top and bottom borders of quilt, sew a 6 ½” people square, then a 2” x 6 ½” blue rectangle, then a 32”strip of striped fabric, then a 2” blue rectangle, and then a 6 ½” people square together. (Make sure the people are all right side up). Add these strips to the top and bottom of the quilt.

Layer and quilt as desired.  Bind with blue 2 1/4″ strips.