Sewing a Patched Project Bag + Free Pattern (QUOE TIPS)

Quayln Stark

4 years ago

I am excited to present to you the final blog in our patch series! Today, I’m going to show you a fresh way of showcasing some of the beautiful patches you all have made over the last few weeks.

Of course, the best use of your patches is in mending your well-loved textiles. I highly recommend working through your wardrobe and patching things up as needed so you can get more years out of your clothes. After that, you can gather up any patches you have left and make a perfect large scale project bag that has the beautiful handmade merit badges of all the fibercrafts you’ve tackled! If you have missed any blog in this series, I highly recommend checking those out before starting your bag.

Once you’re caught up, let’s jump in.

Supplies:

Patchwork Scissors (Mini)– Art. No 493/CW
Wonder Pins- Art. No 3210
Rotary Cutter (45mm) – Art. No 7500
Cutting Mat (18″ x 24″) – Art. No 7521
Pen Style Chaco Liner – Art. No 4710-4714
Wonder Clips – Art. No 3185
Universal Machine Needles – Art. No 9115
1 1/2 yards each of Cotton Lining Fabric, Denim, and Heavy Weight Batting
50 Weight Thread
Sewing Machine
16” Zipper
Patches
Iron and Ironing Board
Pen, Paper, and Ruler for Template

Creating Template:

To begin, take your pen and paper, and mark out the measurements of the template below. The diagonal 14 1/2” line is approximate, you may find your measurement there to be a bit more or less. This is fine, mark this line last. Be sure to mark fold line. Cut out template.

Download Template PDF

Cutting Fabric:

Place fold line of template on folded edge of fabric. Mark out around template using chalk liner. Cut out fabric using your rotary cutter on the cutting mat. You will have two cut pieces each of denim, batting, and lining fabric. Iron out all wrinkles in denim before proceeding.

Patch Prep:

Place denim right side up. Refer to my blog “5 Ways To Sew Patches Perfectly” for instructions on patch placement. Try to concentrate patches towards the middle of the two denim panels. Do not place any patches below the 3”x3” square cutouts of the panels, as this will be the flat bottom of the bag. As you’ll see, I added an upcycled jean pocket to the second denim panel, the personalization options are endless!

Affixing Patches:

Follow the steps laid out in “5 Ways To Sew Patches Perfectly” to sew on patches. Be mindful of what type of patches you are affixing, as there may be a preferred way of sewing on a particular type. For instance, you may find it best to machine sew the English Paper Piecing patch on, but handstitch the knit/crochet patches.

Attaching Zipper:

Place one batting panel down (either side). Place denim panel right side up directly on top of it. Take zipper, and place right side facing down onto the top edge of denim panel (refer to photos) Unzip zipper halfway. Do not zip zipper again until the bag is finished. Take lining fabric and place right side down on top of zipper. Check that all fabrics line up along the raw edge. The zipper should be slightly poking out either side. Affix Wonder Clips to material along the zipper, careful to catch all layers of fabric. With sewing machine, sew along edge using a 1/8” to 1/4” seam allowance. Repeat for the other side. Once both sides of the zipper are sewn, turn fabric right side out.

Sewing Seams:

Take lining fabric and place right sides together. Clip along both diagonal cut sides and bottom leaving a 4”-6” space in the middle of the bottom to turn bag right side out. Repeat the process on the other side, placing denim panels right sides together, then batting right sides together sandwiching the denim between. Take care to make sure all raw edges line up. Use Wonder Clips along both diagonal cuts and bottom. Check that zipper is still halfway open.Sew along all pinned edges using 1/4” seam allowance. Be sure to leave a space on bottom of lining panels for turning.

Boxing Corners:

Spread open cut corners and close perpendicular to previous seams to box the bottom of the bag. Pin and sew using 1/4” seam allowance. Repeat this process for lining fabric and batting/denim. Be sure the raw edges of the denim and batting match up before sewing.

Turning:

Cut excess zipper. Using the opening at the bottom of the lining fabric, turn the bag right side out. Push out corners of bag and trim any raw threads.

Finishing:

To finish, pull lining out of bag (right side out) and iron the bottom seam line flat. Sew along seam line using 1/8” seam allowance to close turning hole and finish bag. Trim any threads.

And just like that, we’ve completed our patched bag! I am so excited to see all the amazing interpretations of this project! Be sure to tag Clover and me in any posts so we can see your own personalized bag. I will see you all soon with some new blogs about quick gifts to make for the holidays. Until then, happy crafting!

Catch up on the Series