Project-Bag – Page 6 – Artquiltmaker Blog

Finished: RwS Tote

I finished the Running with Scissors tote the weekend after I returned from Portland in October.

Running with Scissors tote - front — Running with Scissors tote – front

The time I spent in Portland working on the Running with Scissors tote was well worth the time. I am pleased with how it came out.

I used the foam that Colleen quilted for me and that made the whole project go a lot quicker.

The pattern calls for a border on the front, but I like the large flowers of this Philip Jacobs print so much that I didn’t put it on. Both the front and the back look similar, but I don’t mind.

Running with Scissors tote - inside — Running with Scissors tote – inside

The inside looks really great IMO. I forgot to cut all of the zipper and pocket bindings. Fortunately, I had the turquoise stripe with me and it went well with the zippers and the general overall look of the bag.

I customized some of the pockets for my tools. For the mesh pocket, I divided it into a very large section and a small section. The large section will be used for a rotary cutter and the small section will be for Sewline pencil refills.

Running with Scissors tote - outside — Running with Scissors tote – outside

I thought the webbing I used for the handle would hurt my hand, but I think the bag won’t get heavy enough to be a problem. I do like the glitter of the webbing. Perhaps having a little sparkle in my life is a good thing.

I was surprised at how small this bag is. I think of it as being much larger. I wonder if I could enlarge the pattern. The pattern is so complicated that I think it would be difficult.

This bag is designed to be used with the Take a Stand bag**. I made a Take a Stand bag for myself awhile ago. As soon as I was finished with this RwS tote, I tried it with the Take a Stand bag and I was so pleased with how it looked.

Now I need to fill this bag up and take it to Sew Day.

**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and support small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Bird Holland Pouch

Despite my objections to the zipper installation, I decided to make another Holland Pouch. While I was in Portland, I went to Modern Domestic and bought some fabric, then went back to my AirBnB and made the pouch. The second time it only took me about 4 hours from cutting to completion. I couldn’t make these for a living, but I was pleased with how fast I did it.

I have been buying a few Charlie Harper bird prints lately. I don’t know why as I don’t usually make projects out of novelty prints. I bought this particular print because Amanda loves animals. The print is sophisticated as well. Most of Charlie Harper prints have a bit of humor as well as some sophistication.

The inside of the bag is made from a Ruby Star scattered star print. The color doesn’t exactly go with the outside, but choices were limited at Modern Domestic. I think the variation looks nice.

I also couldn’t wash the fabric (AirBnB and all), but for a bag, just this once I was ok with it. I was concerned about the smell from ironing the fabric, but I didn’t smell anything and didn’t have any breakouts, so it was all ok. The Charley Harper fabric is organic, so maybe that makes a difference?

This pattern requires quilting the exterior, foam and lining fabrics together. Instead of quilting on each side of blue tape only, I put down a piece of blue tape, measured 3 inches to the right and put down another piece. I did that on both sides of the center piece of blue tape until I ran out of space. This means that my quilting isn’t as close together as in the Oxbow tote. It also took less time and I didn’t get as irritated.

The quilting went faster, but it means there is a 3 inch gap between some of the quilting lines. You can see that there is a dearth of quilting lines on the side towards the top, because of the 3 inch gap. I probably should have turned the fabric around, so there was more quilting on the top.

I also had a bit of trouble keeping the fabric taut, so the 3 inch spacing may not have been the best interval. Oh well. Live and learn.

This bag has a bit of an accent around the zipper, which I think looks nice in this bag.

This is a very quick bag to make and I am pleased with the outcome. I was more pleased that Amanda loved it. She really helped me during the visit and this was a small token of my gratitude.

Another RwS Tote

I have wanted to make myself a Running with Scissors tote for awhile. I made one for my mom, and one for a friend, Mrs. K. I thought I had made another one, but I guess not. This photo is one I took in Portland after I had done most of the prep.

Shockingly, the prep all went very well except for the pressing pad. The directions had some nonsense about double Soft & Stable**. I ended up ignoring it, because I didn’t think it mattered and I couldn’t understand what they were trying to tell me anyway.

I realized after I had cut the tote out that I am in overdrive in terms of finding a new solution for taking my tools to Sew Day. Crafty Carrier, Hildegarde, Kit Supply Tote and now the Running with Scissors tote**. What am I thinking? Clearly I am not thinking; I am just making bags for myself. I have made a lot of bags for others so I think this is ok for now.

I really thought this bag was much harder and was kind of dreading it even though I wanted one. I think it helped that I used the pre-quilted foam that Colleen quilted for me. Much less fussing around at the beginning. Still, it didn’t feel hard at all and it has been awhile since I made the last one, which was in 2020.

I thought I had cut out everything, but I hadn’t cut out all the pocket and zipper bindings once I got to that step. Fortunately, I had some turquoise striped fabric that worked very well. I think it will look good.

This will go with my Take a Stand bag and my A Place for Everything bag.

Holland Pouch Progress

I am making good progress on the Holland Pouch.

The one objection I have to Center Street Quilts patterns are that she doesn’t cover the zipper with the lining. I know this is super petty and have been told so by people to whom I have mentioned this quirk. After all, zipper tape doesn’t fray and if you use a matching thread, the thread doesn’t even show.

I didn’t have a lot of thread colors with me, but I had one that matched the zipper I chose.

The picture (right) shows how the pouch is finished when the lining and exterior fabrics are quilted. You have to bind the edges from boxing the corners. I have done this by hand before. This time I did it by machine. Again, with matching thread, it would look better. I need to practice this.

I am almost finished. This will be a Christmas gift for the YM.

Holland Pouch Start

I went to Portland again last week. My original plan was to help the YM settle into his new apartment. He hasn’t found one yet, so I helped him job search instead. Mom didn’t go this time, which was weird. I tried to embrace the weirdness and I did ok. It was nice to be on my own.

In my off hours I sewed. I brought my sewing machine and a few projects. The first thing I started was the Holland Pouch. This is a basic boxy bag, which I bought at Stitch in Ferndale in July. I bought the pattern as I thought it would be a good gift and I was too lazy to try and find a similar free pattern.

Center Street Quilts directional fabric chart

One of the things I don’t like about Center Street Quilts patterns is that she doesn’t cover her zippers on the inside of the bag. I gave myself a talking to after a discussion with Amanda about this point. First, the zippers won’t fray. If I use a coordinating thread color, it looks fine. So, I am mostly over that. I have to say that CSQ had a GREAT chart showing how to deal with directional fabric. I am in love with this chart. It was so helpful and I am convinced that my cat fabric will not be upside down.

Drawstring Gift Bag

I made another lined Drawstring bag from the Jeni Baker In Color Order pattern as a gift bag for a friend. I was pleased to use the Anna Maria poppy fabric. Can you tell she loves pink?

This one is the Artist size, which is slightly larger than most of the drawstring bags I have made. The size I normally make is called the Project size. I just wanted to try something different this time.

The Artist size is one of the sizes that comes in the paid pattern. As a side note, Jeni Baker has an annual Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along. It’s coming up in November 2024. It’s hard to find another great way to get familiar with the pattern.

I am still struggling with the ties and really need to figure that out. These look fine, but I always struggle.

I filled the bag with some self care supplies. She said she really liked everything. My friend’s mother died right before her birthday and this was a great way to let her know I was thinking about her.

Hildegarde’s Confession

As mentioned, the Hildegarde Notions Trunk is finished.

I have to confess that the end of making the Hildegarde wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. The Velcro was the challenge.

The photo left shows the dividers in the interior. They velcro to the side strips of Velcro, which I sewed to the lining. The problem is that the I sewed the wrong side of the Velcro to the sides. It was the same side of the Velcro that I used on the dividers, so the dividers didn’t stick very well. Yes, I should have checked I had the right part of the Velcro, but I assumed. Always a problem.

The Hildegarde looked really good, so I thought about not changing out the Velcro. I decided, in the end, that I would never be really happy with it-and I really like this bag, for once-, so I ripped the lining apart and sewed the correct Velcro sides to the lining sides.

The Velcro strips are originally sewn before the lining is sewn together, so it is very easy to sew them to the sides of the lining. I used the sewing holes to place the new strips of Velcro and took my time. I didn’t want to take the whole lining apart, so I unpicked as little as possible. I used some washaway tape to hold the strips in place and resewing worked pretty well. Later, I realized I could have changed the Velcro pieces on the dividers, which probably would have been a lot easier.

In my defense, I rarely use Velcro, so I forgot to check that I had the right Velcro side. I won’t make that mistake again. At least I hope I won’t!!

I am glad I did, because now I am super happy with it and the dividers actually work!

Hildegarde Finished - front (closed/exterior) — Hildegarde Finished – front (closed/exterior)

It turns out I had to unpick the turning opening a second time, because I forgot to put the Peltex in between the lining and exterior. Again, I thought about whether I really needed to do it, but the bag was saggier than I wanted, so I did it. I had to insert the Peltex around the stitching of the lining to the exterior. It wasn’t easy, but it was doable and the bag doesn’t look as saggy. The reason this happened is that I didn’t notice the last page of the pattern! In my defense, half of the second to the last page was blank so I thought that was the end, though I did think it ended a little abruptly. I have made a note on my pattern in case I make this bag again.

Hildegarde Notions Trunk Finished

This bag has taken a long time to finish. I am not sure why, because it came out really well and I really like it.

It is quite a large bag, for one with a handle. The finished size is 12.75 inches in length x 6 inch tall by 5.75 inches deep.

I am pretty pleased with my fussy cutting. The fabric I chose, a Heather Bailey print called Aflutter in pink. I find it very cheerful. It is from an old line, so I don’t know if you can find it again.

I worked really hard on lining up the birds on the top and in the front panel. I can’t remember doing that kind of fussy cutting before. Sara models fussy cutting on her sample in the pattern.

Hildegarde Finished - back (closed/exterior) — Hildegarde Finished – back (closed/exterior)

I think the little bit of top stitching on the back looks really good as well. I used pink for most of the topstitching, but there is also a bit of white as well.

I like the plethora of birds on the back.

Remember I said that I thought the dividers were unnecessarily complicated? They weren’t. They now seem super useful. I am glad I took the time to follow the directions and make them. I wonder if I could (should?) put another mesh pocket on the other side of the divider?

I don’t often use Velcro and this application went better than expected. I seem to remember sewing Velcro in the past and having it stick to the bed of the machine or the foot or something. I had no trouble sewing it this time, which was a relief. I think the design using the movable dividers, works very well.

I found a good place for my label, as well. It is not really hidden at all. I like the placement.

I also like how open this bag is. It is like an ‘open-wide/wide mouth bag. I am able to see everything inside.

Side note: when I went to get a label for this bag, I realized I only had two Wunderlabels left. Another thing for my To Do list.

Hildegarde Finished - front pocket - open — Hildegarde Finished – front pocket – open

I was pleased with the way the front pocket came out. I think the elastic technique worked out very well. I haven’t tried using it for thin tools, but I will. One thing I was thinking about the design is that the tools stored in this pocket would be available without opening the main zipper. I think that would be a good thing.

I plan to use this bag for notions to take to Sew Day and Retreats. I plan to place it inside the Crafty Carrier . I am not sure how I will use this large open space with the movable dividers. I need a lot more space for long thin tools like pencils, tweezers, etc. Rotary cutters will go well in the mesh pockets, I think.

More Hildegarde

I know it seems like this bag is taking forever. It is sort of, but I have been diligently working on it a little at a time in between working and managing the house. This is turning out to be quite the complicated bag. In addition to all the pieces I had to cut there is a lot of other prep before I am able to start sewing the actual bag itself together. Oddly, I am not in rush to finish. Usually, I am, but for some reason I am ok with how long this project is taking.

I am sure it will be worth it.

After all the cutting and interfacing, I had to make the dividers. These dividers were a little complicated and I wonder if they were unnecessarily complicated? I guess I’ll see once the whole bag is together.

I am pleased with the front section elastic. I thought the way Sara told makers to put this together was really clever. I am a bit confused about the top part – the ‘slots’ are larger – but I am sure it will work out. I have to wait and see.

This is a Sew Sweetness pattern. It is part of Minikins Season 4 bundle. You can see the various projects I have made from the Minikins patterns on the Minikins page.

Hildegarde Progress

I made a little progress at the last Sew Day on this bag. I mostly did prep, which needed to be done. I have to admit that I prefer to cut and do prep at Sew Day. It just means I have less to haul around. I was happy to make some progress, especially progress that was useful.

When I got home I was able to get going on the lid.

I know that the trunk of the tree on the handle doesn’t exactly line up with the trunk of the tree on the top, I am still ridiculously pleased with how this came out. I am pleased with the pink and pleased with the fabric I chose.

The next day, I worked on making the whole top/lid. Above is just the exterior.

In the photo, left, you can see the hinge and the zipper completely attached. I think this method of construction is the same one used for the Hackney bags.

Again, I had some trouble with the mesh pocket. I am not sure why. It could be that I measured wrong somewhere. There was some ripping, but, in the end it came out ok. I really want to try another mesh pocket right away, but it will have to be for another type of bag as I am not ready to commit to another Hildegarde right away.

I know the mesh pocket looks a little wonky, but it really isn’t. I measured the binding on the top mesh carefully, so it would be even on both sides. It just looks a little weird in the photo.

Center Street Quilts has a video for her Stella pouch. I like the way she makes her zipper tabs and would like to try that method next time. I think that method would work for any type of zipper and give me some flexibility as to size. Of course, it would be helpful if I cut everything properly. I always think I do, but I have to explore the possibility that something was too small. Perhaps I’ll cut out the top of a Hackney and try this pocket again while my thoughts are fresh in my mind.

This is a Sew Sweetness pattern. It is part of Minikins Season 4 bundle. You can see the various projects I have made from the Minikins patterns on the Minikins page.

Chickadee Not Superbloom

One of the points of the Pink Project is to provide me with a way to test out bag patterns I haven’t made before. A week or so ago, I talked about making some Superbloom totes. I do want to make more Superbloom totes, but I don’t want to miss the chance to test out a larger bag pattern. I decided to make a Chickadee backpack as the main large bag for the Pink Project v2 instead of a Superbloom tote. I’ll make a Superbloom for the other group and also one with the Hindsight fabric.

I didn’t make a large bag for the Pink Project v.1. I used a bag that I received at the last Convention I attended.

The Chickadee backpack is another Sew Sweetness pattern. It came out last year. There is a lot of cutting and I haven’t felt like I had the brainspace or the time to make one. I wanted to, but I also wanted to make some changes:

- crossbody strap instead of backpack straps
- d-rings so the top handles fold down out of the way
- more pockets

I know that it is better to, first, make it as the pattern indicates, thus I thought making it for the Pink Project would be a great idea.

Superbloom Project Ideas

I want to use some of the fabric I bought on my vacation for Superbloom totes. I was really pleased with how the first one came out. I have had plans for another one using the Anna Maria Honorable Mention fabric, but I haven’t gotten around to making it yet. Now I have at least two more I want to make. Good thing I bought the templates.

The first one I plan to make will use these fabrics. The far left black and purple linen/canvas is from Bolt. I bought the iris print at Stitch in Ferndale. It is a good choice for my aunt who loves irises. I am not a huge fan of the background color of this iris print, but I didn’t see any others. In general, I know that there is a colorway with a black background, but that won’t work for the lining of a bag.

Next, I plan to start another project like the Pink Project, but for a different organization. This time I will use blue fabrics as a base. The fabric shown will provide good scope for fussy cutting.

The Superbloom tote will be the bag in which all of the other pouches are carried. I don’t know which other pouches I will make yet. I have to make this one first since it will be a great donation even if I don’t make anything else.

Superbloom fabric for the Pink Project v.2

Finally, I will also use this pattern for the Pink Project v.2, I think. It is possible that I will try a different pattern, but for now I am planning on making yet another Superbloom.

I am waffling, because I could use this fabric to try out the Chickadee Backpack or the Cavalcade Travel Bag or any number of other tote bags that I have purchased. We’ll just have to see how I feel.

Finished: Crafty Carrier

Yay! I finished the Carrier in time for the next Sew Day. Yes, I am finishing a lot lately. It feels great, though I still have a lot to finish.

This is a large bag and it is simply a bag. There are no ironing pads or tool holders and there aren’t 45 pockets. I even forgot to put a leash in it with a lobster clip!

As mentioned previously, I thought it would allow me to be modular in my transport of tools and supplies to Sew Day.

Finished: Crafty Carrier - front/handles — Finished: Crafty Carrier – front/handles

There are 8 pockets, six on the outside and 2 on the inside. The inside pockets might have been better as vinyl pockets. I had already added Soft & Stable** as the interfacing. This means that the first time out, I was reluctant to add another layer to some already thick seams.

With this bag, I was already considering whether or not I needed an industrial machine. The top stitching around the handles and the edge was difficult, but I lengthened the seam allowance and that worked pretty well. I really don’t want additional machines hanging around. If I had a larger workroom, maybe, but I don’t.

The pattern called for ‘heavy interfacing’. Peltex 70** was suggested. As you know, I have yards of Soft & Stable and I know how that works. I haven’t tried Peltex 70, that I remember. I also know how to work with Soft & Stable, so I went with that interfacing. The bag stands up, which I like, so I call it a win.

Finished: Crafty Carrier - interior — Finished: Crafty Carrier – interior

The lining isn’t as tight as I would have liked. I should have used a larger seam allowance. I trusted the pattern maker and the lining was very saggy baggy. I went back and increased the size on some of the seams I could reach once the bag was all together. That made it better, but not as I would like it. I have to review the directions in a different pattern, which is rumored to include anchoring the lining in the seam allowances. Stay tuned for that.

I also painted Odicoat** on the bottom. Not photo since you can’t see it in a photo. I put on two layers after the bag was completed and I don’t see any harm to the bag. I don’t see much, if any, shrinkage. When I do this again, I’ll still pay attention.

I still have to migrate all of my ‘going to Sew Day’ tools and supplies to this bag. That’s a project for another day this week.

Making bags is always a learning experience. I learn something every time. I need to remember to incorporate my preferences into each bag regardless of what the pattern says.

**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this blog.

Border Print Project Idea

I got a border print thinking it would be great to use in a bag. I like the idea of the denser motif being at the bottom and thought it would be a great look for a bag.

After thinking about it, I decided that the free Retreat Bag pattern from Emmaline Designs, enlarged, would be a good pattern to use. I couldn’t find information on the enlarged version I had seen, but got a video from a friend that was really helpful.

I am pretty sure I saw a bag using a border print. I am also fairly sure I took a picture, but I can’t find it. I am starting to put inspiration in a tool called Notion, so I hope it helps eventually.

I thought I had made more of these bags, but I have only made four. It is a good pattern and I can now find the frames (Small = Style A**; Large=Style B**) on Amazon.

JayeL on Completed Sew Day TopsTuesday, April 14, 2026
Thanks! One of the great things about the guild.
JayeL on Finished: Patchwork PaloozaTuesday, April 14, 2026
Thank you!
Eleanor A. Jackson on Completed Sew Day TopsTuesday, April 14, 2026
Beautiful work! Glad you shared it. Congrats, for work well done and as a team. Eleanor
Mary Carroll on Finished: Patchwork PaloozaMonday, April 13, 2026
This quilt is stunning!
JayeL on Warm Four Patch FunTuesday, April 7, 2026
Thanks! I know what you mean. It seems very basic to separate blocks in this way, but I don't think…

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30