QUILTED SCALLOP SQUARE RAG BAG...

Wow!  What a long, long weekend after a long, long week!  First, the tax man came on Friday night which meant several days of catching up on paperwork and getting everything in order for him.  Then I spent much of Friday helping Jenni to purchase her first brand new car.  She is LOVING it and panicking at every little crumb that might get in it or bird that poops on it!  :)  Saturday, we had a great workshop at Brenda's.  We left right from there to shop for fabric and then spent the evening cutting out fabric squares with my Big Shot and Scalloped Square Die as well as batting squares.  

Today we had a quilting class to learn the proper quilting method for Quilted Scallop Square Rag Bags (first seen by Angie Juda).  My sideline, Billi Parus, is a quilting instructor and offered to teach us how to make one.  These are her directions with some notes I took at the class.  Thanks, Billi!

It was a lot of work (I have not sewn in over 10 years and have never quilted), but I think it came out great!  I will be making a Flowers Fold pin for the front and an On Board tag for it later, but I wanted to post a quick picture and update on my weekend project!  Tomorrow, I will try to get Jenni to bring hers by for me to take a picture for you!

BLACK & WHITE SCALLOP SQUARE RAG BAG SUPPLIES:

• Batting – (27) 3 3/4" Squares of black Quilters Dream Cotton Batting
• Fabric – 1/4 yard each of 4 different fabrics - 27 Outside Squares and 27 Inside Squares
• Handles – 1/4 yard of fabric, 1/4 yard 978F Fusible Pellon
• Accessories – Anywhere Glue Stick (#104045, $3.95), thread,
• Tools – Big Shot, Scallop Square Clear Die (#115950, $21.95), sewing machine

QUICK DIRECTIONS:
1.  Cut strips of 5" strips of fabric.  Cut the strips into 5" squares.  Then cut the squares with your Scallop Square Die running it through with approximately 6 squares (depending on fabric - I used cotton) at a time.  Use a thin cardboard shim to get them to cut out completely.

2.  To make your quilting sandwiches, lay down a fabric square of your lining fabric, wrong side up on the table.  Dab the center with your glue stick.  Lay down a square of batting in the center of the square.  Dab the center of the wrong side of an outside square and put down onto the batting.  Pin together.

3.  Sew diagonally across the square, creating an "X".  It saves a lot of time and thread if you chain sew these.

4.  Lay your squares out in rows or 3, 3, 3, 7, 3, 3, 3 representing your bag.  Using a 3/8" seam allowance, sew the squares together with the WRONG SIDES TOGETHER, so that the scallop edges are on the outside of the purse.  Sew in this order, the 3 x 3 Side Panels, then side gusset - to bottom - to side gusset.  Then sew the side panels to the bottom.  Then sew the side gussets to the side panels.

5.  For the HANDLES:  Cut 2 piece of fabric to 4 1/2" x 28" (or length of your choosing) and 2 strips of fusible pellon to 1 1/2" x 28".  Fuse the pellon to the center of the wrong side of your fabric.  Fold and press one side over the pellon.  Press a narrow hem on the opposite side and then fold and press that over the pellon.  Stitch close to the fabric edge.

6.  Insert the handle in the top of the outside front squares, being sure they are between the fabric and the batting.  Pin.

7.  Using a 1/2" seam allowance, stitch around the top edge of the purse.  Stitch again where the handles are about 1/4" above your first stitching.