I have made many quilts, some pillow covers with zippers, as well as a few zippered pouches and that is about the extent of my sewing experience and exposure to various techniques. I tentatively like the idea of stepping outside of my sewing comfort zone and even have grandiose plans to one day sew clothing but .... One step at a time.
Tara Rebman- Quilt-As-You-Go: Patchwork Bags - TINKER TOTE
Browsing Craftsy I stumbled upon Tara Rebman's - Quilt-As-You-Go: Patchwork Bags online class. This bag - the Tinker Tote - is made as part of the class using several techniques that I am already familiar with ( such as quilt-as-you-go and patchwork) as well as techniques and products - like interfacing - which are new to me, and so this was a good transition class for me. Nothing too daunting.
I purchased the class several weeks ago and have since been sourcing the required materials including a magnetic snap, Decor Bond by Pellon and a fruitless search for Utility Cloth which just doesn't exist in Australia (and which I substituted with a linen/cotton blend fabric slightly heavier than quilting cotton). Prior to making the bag I spent quite some time watching the class just to familiarize myself with the bag making process. I again watched the online class as I was making the bag, repeating lessons when needed and carefully watching Tara in action.
The bag is fully lined, with an option for two different style pockets one of which is a zippered pocket hidden in the lining of the bag. A heavy/firm iron-on interfacing is used to stabilize the bag and the corners of the bags are boxed. The edges of the bag are finished with bias binding with an second option for a hidden binding.
The online class was very comprehensive. Tara showed every step of the process, and made a whole bag from scratch during the class. The trickiest (most fiddly) part was attaching the bias binding, but it is a technique with which I am familiar, and not unlike binding a quilt but with awkward curves.
The back of my bag (pictured above) is made using the Quilt As You Go technique. I wasn't immediately taken with the look of this bag panel and made the other side of the bag in a more traditional patchwork style (pictured below) which I spray basted onto the batting and then quilted as a whole (rather than quilt as you go). Now that the bag is finished I actually really like the Quilt as You Go side, maybe even prefer it!
MY NOTES:
- The Tinker Tote pattern forms part of Tara Rebman's Quilt-As-You-Go: Patchwork Bags online class.
- the fabrics used are Flea Market Fancy and Katie Jump Rope by Denyse Schmidt. Feature fabric is Echino Decoro by Etsuko Furuya - Buck in Black
- I used a 14mm Magnetic Snap (the only size available at my local store). A larger snap - 18mm diameter - is probably a better size for this tote.
- There seems to be no equivalent of Utility Cloth in Australia. Utility Cloth is used as an additional bag lining which I have substituted with a handkerchief linen. If I were to make this bag again I would probably substitute the Utility Cloth with a light weight canvas fabric for a firmer finish - a personal preference only.
I always enjoy time spent tinkering about with fabric and sewing but this project was a little different for me and I had the most wonderful time making it. I am already planning another!
Thank you for stopping by,
Rita
RELEVANT LINKS:
Craftsy
Tara Rebman's - Quilt-As-You-Go: Patchwork Bags
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RELEVANT LINKS:
Craftsy
Tara Rebman's - Quilt-As-You-Go: Patchwork Bags
Follow this blog with Bloglovin'