Here is another patchwork version of the medium Grocery Bag and it turned out so great! I'm very pleased with the overall look and how these patches turned out.
I've made a lot of Grocery Bags in patchwork (see info about making these in this post), but after making the first one with raw edges I started making them from pieced patchwork. Raw edges aren't really my personal favorite. I think they look neat and someday I would like to make another bag like the first one, but in general, I like the fabric edges finished off in some way.
So this bag was an experiment to go back to something like the style of the first one, but with patches with more finished edges.
Sample Patches
While I was making the patchwork panels, I was reminded how tricky it can be to pick patchwork fabrics! It's easy to do a bit of agonizing over what to use together. It doesn't really help that everything doesn't really come together until you finish up the bag so there can be some second guessing on the fabric choices.
Then there is the issue of just having a number of fabrics that will work together. I think most of us sewing accessories think more in terms of needing two fabrics that work well together--exterior and lining. When you need 7-9-or even more fabrics to make a pleasing combination, sometimes we just don't have them in our stash.
With that in mind, and the large collection of fabric I gathered during the lock down years, I decided this summer I'd put together patchwork kits and make them available so people will have a fun mix fabrics they'll feel confident using together to make something in patchwork that is both cute and interesting. Watch for the kits later this summer.
Since people might need some ideas for making the patches, first I'll do a couple posts about making different styles of patches. So today let's go over how I make these applique style patches with the turned under edges!
Cut a piece of interfacing the size of the patch.
If you can cut a straight enough--doesn't need to be perfect--edge and don't have specific dimension in mind, feel free to freehand cut the interfacing. If you need help getting the edges straight, or want the patch a certain size, use a fabric marking pen and ruler/straight edge of some sort, or rotary cutter and mat, to help you cut the interfacing pieces.
Fuse the interfacing to the WS of the fabric.
Following the interfacing manufacturer instructions fuse the interfacing to the section of fabric you want to feature in your patch. I'm using Pellon SF101 woven cotton interfacing, which is my go to interfacing for just about everything.
Cut out the patch.
Cut out the patch leaving a 3/8" - 1/2" margin of fabric all the way around the interfacing. Unless your cutting is messy, there's no need to cut perfectly straight edges here, so just eyeball it and cut around the patch.
P.S. The scissors in the photo are my favorite patchwork scissors! They are razor sharp, ergonomic, and just plain awesome. They aren't going to last a lifetime like stainless steel scissors, but they are still well worth having. You can see in the photo the plastic is stained with blue dye from all the denim I cut, the orange on the handles is fading, and eventually the spring will wear out, but they'll last a few years and are just fantastic scissors. Because they are scary sharp, I keep them closed at all times when I'm not using them.
Press the fabric edges to the WS.
Using the edge of the interfacing as the guide, press the fabric edges to the WS of the patch.
Hold the corners closed with Wonder Tape.
At each corner, hold the fabric in place with small pieces of Wonder Tape. Leave the backing on for now and then the patches can be arranged and rearranged until you decide on a layout (tip: take a picture of your layout to use as a reference). When it's time to stitch the patches down, take the backing off and the tape will hold the patch in place and you can skip the pins.
That's it for today. Stay tuned for more posts about patches--including ways to attach them to the fabric.
