Criss cross bag

Another simple zipper bag, just because they are so much fun to make!

For this one, i tried another technique from the book, Quilting Modern,

to make the design, you cut the background fabric and sew in narrow strips of a contrasting fabric,

I used some red scraps, since I liked the look of them against the gray.  

this is what it looks like from the back:

to quilt it, I just sewed wavy stipes in red thread,

I was happy that I had a carved cinnabar bead for the zipper pull, I like how it echos the asian theme of some of the red fabrics,

I think I am formally addicted to making these bags now. 
What is your latest mania?

Easy Zipper Pouch

I picked up some zippers the other day with the idea of making some easy little pouches.

(Still feeling inspired from the ones I saw at the modern quilt guild when they had their pouch exchange,)

To get me started, I first googled some images of fabric zipper pouches

From there I noticed a nice bag that had a flat bottom, and it even had a tutorial.

I used the idea of the shape, but I tend to avoid sewing extra linings when possible,so as i made my bag, I used more traditional quilting techniques.

Sadly, I cannot find that page again....

I had a piece of woven fabric that I had stitched on for a while last year. At the time I just felt like doing some handstitching,..  I had taken some one inch strips of brown fabrics, and did a simple over/ under weave, and basted it to muslin,  after a while it just landed in my basket of UFOs.   And you know how lately I've just been trying to reuse some things to get them out of my UFO basket.

The larger background piece that I chose is one of the Kaufman Essex linen fabrics

I drew out an outline on the linen and pinned the woven piece on top of it. The outline is about 15 inches wide and 14 inches tall in the photo above. Then I layered it with some leftover batting and for the lining chose a dark orange shot Cotton by Westminster, 

These photos show the machine quilting that I did through all of the layers. I didn't bother quilting the areas that would be cut away.

When I laid it out after quilting I noticed that it had  become askew and was slanting on the top and bottom edges.

So I just trimmed them off straight again.

I sewed that edges of the zipper to the top edges, but instead of selling in an extra lining, I just used a piece of Jacquard ribbon as a facing to cover the raw edges.

Sewed the side seams, adding in another bit of ribbon on one of them, and very importantly, leaving the zipper open! otherwise you cant turn it right side out later! then sewed the boxed bottom.

Zigzagged the raw edges where possible,

Turned it inside out,

And voila, the pouch was finished.

For the quilting I used a dark brown thread on the linen so that the stitching would show up.