Quilting Preparation

Lots of preparation to do before the quilting can start.  First the patchwork pocket sections, which have been created by making 6 patchwork blocks, joining them into 2 rows of 3 with sashing strips between and putting sashing along the top and bottom of the row.

After joining three patchwork blocks together and adding the sashing each patchwork pocket section has to be lined with interfaced cotton.  The lining is cut to the same size as the patchwork, backed with fusible interfacing and then trimmed by 1/8" along one long edge because it is thicker now than the patchwork and we don't want it to show on the right side.  Next step is to sew the patchwork to the lining, right sides together (RST) along the top and bottom edge - usual 1/4" seam.  Don't sew the two short side edges as these will be encased in the bag seams later.

Turn the patchwork sections to the right side through the unstitched side openings and press well.   Shown here on the ironing board they are ready now to be quilted and I think Stitch-in-the-Ditch is probably the best type of quilting to emphasise the shape of the patchwork blocks.  Choose quilting thread and a suitable foot for your machine ready to start.



Before starting to quilt the patchwork section the base and body of the bag can be prepared. As you can see the pieces look large but once assembled part of this material will become the bottom and sides of the bag.

The base is in a sturdier fabric as we want the bag to stand up on its own when finished. 

First the two sections are cut out, then joined together and where the two join is where the bottom of the patchwork pocket section will be attached.  It will be your choice how much of that section is divided up into pockets and how large the pockets should be.

However before reaching that stage the fabric for the body of the bag has to be backed with wadding/batting and secured ready for quilting with pins or tacking thread.

I have chosen tacking thread because pins get in the way when doing the quilting, or sometimes they fall out before you want them to.  So tacking threads gives a more substantial easy surface to work with and although it takes longer than just putting in pins in the end achieves a more professional finish.

The tacking should start from the centre of the material and travel outwards.  It should be sewn as a grid with gaps between the stitching of about 4 inches.

To follow:  quilting all the sections before starting to assemble the bag.