Sewplicity: TUTORIAL: Quilted Make Up Bag

I'm sharing this tutorial because it makes a GREAT gift for any woman on your holiday gift list. It can be made using your scraps and it can be made in under an hour!

The bag is a simple design, but the quilting is what sets it apart from the ordinary.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
2 8"x10" scraps of cotton (exterior)
2 8" x 10" scraps of cotton (lining)
2 8" x 10"pieces of fusible fleece OR thin batting
1 9" zipper (or longer cut to size)

1/2" Seam allowance unless otherwise noted

Ready to Start? Click to see the full tutorial (after the jump)

STEP 1: Gather & Quilt

Gather your materials

Quilt your exterior pieces to your batting: First iron or fuse the batting/fleece to your exterior fabric

Quilt however you like. I choose to use random straight lines, but feel free to pull out your free motion quilting foot and have fun.

STEP 2: Attach the Zipper

Place one piece of the exterior right side up then place the zipper face down so the pull is on the left and layer the lining piece on top, right side down.

Pin in place and sew using a zipper foot. You may need to maneuver the zipper pull to sew a straight line. To do this, stop sewing when you get to the pull, then (with the needle DOWN) lift your foot and pull the zipper out of the way. This takes a little patience, but it can be done!

Flip the lining over the zipper so that the pieces are lying correctly (batting will be sandwiched between the exterior and lining)

Repeat this process to attach the other piece of exterior and lining to the zipper.

If desired, you can top-stitch on both sides of the zipper for a finished look.

STEP 3: Assemble the Bag

With the zipper 3/4 of the way OPEN place the exterior pieces right sides together and the lining pieces right sides together and pin in place.

Make sure that you pull the zipper tape towards the lining when pinning.

Sew around the perimeter leaving a 3-4" opening in the bottom of the lining to turn

STEP 3: Box the Corners

Put your hand inside the opening and flatten out one of the four corners to create a triangle (seam lines should line up in the center)

Mark a line across the triangle about 1.5" in from the center of the tip. Sew (backtacking at start and end). Repeat for each corner.

Clip the excess fabric off of each corner.

STEP 4: Turn & Finish

Turn the bag right side out

Place the lining inside the exterior and push out the corners of the bag. You may need to go back in and clip a bit of the seam allowance to get the zipper corners to push out nicely.

Sew the opening shut using a slip stitch and you are done!