Australian_Homespun_December_2014

Preparation and cutting

1

Begin by sorting the four fat

quarters and number them

according to their positions in

the bag: feature fabric small front

pockets and large back pockets (1),

base and handles (2), side panels,

hexagons and pocket binding (3),

and side front pockets (4). Dawn

used blue toile and pink fl oral prints

as her feature fabrics and also put

her darkest fabrics at the base and

handles – practical for keeping the

bags looking clean.

2

From feature Fabric 1, cut:

• One rectangle, 8^1 ⁄ 4 x 16in
  (back pockets)


• Two rectangles, 4^1 ⁄ 2 x 9in
  (small front pockets).

3

From Fabric 2, cut:

• Two rectangles, 4^1 ⁄ 2 x 19^1 ⁄ 2 in
  (bag base)


• Two strips, 3 x 21in (handles).

4

From Fabric 3, cut:

• Four strips, 2^1 ⁄ 4 x 10in
  (side panels)


• Two strips, 2^1 ⁄ 2 x 16in (pocket
  binding) and set the rest aside
  for the hexagons.

5

From Fabric 4, cut:

• Two rectangles, 4^1 ⁄ 2 x 8^1 ⁄ 4 in
  (side front pockets).

6

From the stripe print fabric, cut:

• Two rectangles, 14 x 19^1 ⁄ 2 in
  (bag front and back).

7

From the white tone-on-tone

print fabric, cut:

• One square, 9in (embroidery
  background)


• Two rectangles, 8^1 ⁄ 4 x 16in
  (front and back pocket lining)


• Two rectangles, 14 x 19^1 ⁄ 2 in
  (bag lining)


• One rectangle, 7^1 ⁄ 2 x 15^1 ⁄ 2 in
  (base stiffener covering).

8

From the fusible fl eece, cut:

• Two rectangles, 8^1 ⁄ 4 x 16in
  (front and back pockets)


• Two rectangles, 14 x 19^1 ⁄ 2 in
  (bag front and back)


• Two strips, 1^1 ⁄ 4 x 21in (handles).

9

From the template plastic, cut:

• One rectangle, 3^1 ⁄ 2 x 14^1 ⁄ 2 in and
  round the corners by eye so they’re
  not sharp (bag base stiffening).

10

If you’re not using pre-cut

hexagon papers, trace the

hexagon from the Pattern Sheet

accurately onto paper seven times

and cut them out on the lines.

Check them against the original.

11

Lay a paper hexagon on the

remainder of Fabric 3. Cut

the shape out of fabric^1 ⁄ 4 in (by

eye) outside the edge of the paper.

Repeat to cut seven hexagons.

12

Lightly trace the larger

embroidery design from

the Pattern Sheet onto the square

of fabric with a sharp pencil,

positioning the lettering towards

the left edge as shown. Fuse the

square of stabiliser to the back

of the traced fabric.

Front pocket

13

Using two strands of thread,

backstitch the lettering,

numbers and symbols and work

French knots for the dots on the

square for the centre panel.

14

Centre a paper hexagon on

the wrong side of a fabric

hexagon. Fold and tack the seam

allowance to the paper all the

way around. Repeat for all seven

hexagons.

15

Referring to Diagram 1, place

two hexagons right sides

together and whipstitch along one

edge. Repeat this step to make a

column of seven hexagons. Press.

16

Unpick the tacking and

remove the papers. Position

the column of hexagons down the

right side of the stitchery panel

as shown in the photograph and

appliqué it in place.

17

Trim the stitchery/hexagon

panel to 8^1 ⁄ 4 in square with the

design and hexagon column centred.

Position the piece of lace down the

left edge with its straight edge level

with the raw edge of the fabric. Sew

it in place on its top, bottom and left

edges using a^1 ⁄ 8 in seam allowance.

18

Fold the two front pocket

rectangles you cut in Step 2

in half, wrong sides facing, to make

41 ⁄ 2 in squares and press the folds.

Top stitch^1 ⁄ 4 in from the folds.

19

Place one feature fabric

pocket on top of a side pocket

rectangle, right sides facing up,

side and bottom edges matching

and the folded edge halfway up the

side pocket. Pin the layers in place.

Repeat this step for the other side.

Steps 12-16

Diagram 1

DAWN’S HANDLE

TIPS Decide on the length of

handles you want before cutting

them out – you might want to make

them longer than mine. Make sure

that the ends of the handles are

aligned with each other on the front

and back of the bag before sewing

the lining in place.

Homespun 97