Project Bag with Sew Retro Fabric
Sew Retro is the debut collection for Sara Davies for Riley Blake Designs. It's a whimsical line full of bright, cheery colors. just look at all the cute prints you can choose from!
When I first saw these fun prints I knew I wanted to make a quilt for our wee camper. I was so excited because they were just perfect for our lime green Vintage Trillium trailer. I designed a modern scrappy quilt and even cut all the fabric into 8 inch squares. I was on a roll and started to make my half square triangles when life interfered by way of a broken foot, a brand new grandson and some urgent family issues. The quilt was not going to come together in time to join the blog tour so I imagined what else I could make quickly with the small scraps I had left. This Project Bag with Pocket fit the bill perfectly!
This is a Fat Quarter friendly project and a scrap buster. You can have fun making the scrappy patchwork pocket on the front.
The pocket features 2 1/2" cut squares and finishes at 10 1/2" X 6 1/2" before adding it to the front of the bag.
I cut a piece of lining the same size as the patchwork pocket and sewed them together at the top long edge (RST). I sandwiched and pressed fusible fleece in between the 2 layers.
For the front and back of the bag I used my coveted aqua linen (10 1/2" W X 9 1/2" H) from Riley Blake Designs. None of my wee scraps were big enough. For the lining I pieced together some of the main print of Sew Retro (navy) that I had cut into 8" squares (from the quilt project) and pieces of RBD Confetti Cotton in pastel aqua.
Now for the fun part - after pressing the fusible fleece to the backside of the linen pieces for the front and back panels of the bag, I quilted them and the front pocket with horizontal lines about 1/2" apart.
I followed the steps of making a basic drawstring bag and I love the results (the 2 red pieces for drawstrings were cut @ 2 1/2" X 8" and folded lengthwise). I'm definitely going to make more of these - they'll be great gifts for my crafty friends
This bag is just as cute when you fold over the top edge. And it makes it even easier to access your supplies. The big pocket in the front is great for holding your cell phone, keys or small sewing notions.
I really loved sewing with Sew Retro. As you can see, I used the blue range but this would be adorable in the pink/red or ivory/green range too. Have a look for Sew Retro at your local quilt shops - you should be able to find it soon. Happy Sewing!!
