Crazy Quilted Gift Bag
Crazy quilt a festive gift bag for that special gift! Your giftees will love the unique touch of gift packaging that can be re-used time and again. Tailor a bag for a specific occasion by using appropriate colors and trims, or make it mulit-purpose.
This bag is 5-1/2" high by 5" wide and 3" deep. Make a bag following the instructions below to learn how it is constructed. Then you will be able to make one of any size, from very small to very large. The shape of the bag derives from two simple seams that form corners at the bottom.
Use the crazy patching method of your choice. The bag shown here is machine sewn using the Confetti method of crazy quilting. Decorate it with trims, laces, embroidery and embellishments of your choice. A tasseled upholstery trim decorates the upper edge of this one.
Tools Needed:
- fabric shears
- embroidery scissors
- hand sewing needles
- pins
- sewing machine
- iron
- rotary cutter, cutting mat, acrylic ruler for the Confetti method
Materials Needed:
- sewing thread
- fabric scraps
- muslin
- thin batting
- fabric for lining (fancy or plain)
- bias binding- self made or purchased
- chalk marking pencil
- 8 metal eyelets (optional)
- metallic cording
- trims and embroidery materials of your choice
1. Prepare a crazy quilted piece 9" by 14". Cut 1 piece of lining and 1 of batting the same size.
2. Sandwich the three with the batting as the middle layer. Hand baste to hold the layers in place. The photo shows two bags basted and ready for trimming- one in shades of rose, and the other in greens.
3. Sew on trims and embroider as desired, saving hard trims such as buttons to be sewn on later.
4. Fold the piece in two with right sides together (the folded piece will be 9" wide by 7"), and sew the two sides to make side seams. Finish the side seams with bias binding or zigzag.
5. With the bag inside out, fold one bottom corner to align the side seam of the bag with the bottom of the bag- exactly where the bottom seam would be if there were one. This forms a triangular shape. Measure across to find where to sew a seam that will be 3" long. Pin along this line, and sew as shown in the photo above. Repeat for the remaining bottom corner.
6. Sew bias binding to the upper edge of the bag. The photo shows binding sewn on by machine on the right side of the bag. It is pinned and ready to be hand sewn to the inside of the bag. After binding is sewn, turn the bag right side out.
7. Shape the gift bag as if it were a brown paper bag- folding the side seams inwards and pressing along the creases. While folded, push a pin through all layers about 1" in from the left edge near the top of the bag, and another the same distance from the right edge. Mark on the right side of the bag each place where the pins go through. There will be 8 placements. At each of these insert a metal eyelet following instructions that came with the eyelets. Or, make small buttonholes.
8. Lace cording through the holes leaving it looped in front and back of the bag so the cording will form a handle. The photo above shows the cording run through the eyelets. Knot the ends of the cording and let the ends fray. Sew onto the bag any hard trims desired such as buttons, beads, charms.
This pattern is for personal use only. Not to be sold, copied, or distributed in any way, shape, manner, or form.