Gift bags

February 9, 2015 by Carole 5 Comments

I brought some pretty notebooks back from holiday, as I thought they’d be perfect for a couple of friends who have their birthdays this month. They looked as if they needed something nice to put them in and I spotted just the thing in Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

They’re gift bags with lots of different fabrics plus some felt appliqué. I hadn’t made anything like them before, nor had I done appliqué but the instructions looked very clear so I had a go.

I did one with pink flowers on it.

The lining and ties are in plain navy and the bottom is the fabric left over from the Snowball quilt plus a few other bits.

I was really pleased with how the lining turned out on both bags, but in hindsight, I should have changed the colour of the bobbin thread before stitching around for the ties channel.

The appliqué went well, considering I hadn’t done any before. I machine stitched the pink version and it’s a little wonky in places but not too bad.

The base of the bags is shaped.

For the other bag I used turquoise felt for the flowers, and I had the perfect plain turquoise fabric for the lining and ties.

I used the same fabrics for the base.

I did the felt a bit differently. Instead of using the sewing machine, I hand-stitched it in matching thread colours. I’m not sure which method I prefer.

I was really happy with how the channels for the ties turned out. They look much neater than I’d anticipated. Always a bonus.

The bags look a little creased because the top is made from a lovely linen fabric.

I think my friends both liked their bags, and I learnt how to make something new, so I’m calling this project a success.

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