a Wildflower's life

If you’ve never done patchwork before and feel intimidated as well, don’t let it deter you from giving it a try! And why not do so with the Patch The Halls Project Bag? ^^
It’s a practical, usable item that couldn’t care less wether your seams align perfectly or not, and it’ll turn out just fine either way!
In this post, I’ll be showing you how to sew the bag, including a free, printable PDF-pattern.

The Patch The Halls Project Bag is designed after the Wildflower project bag, and features all the same things I love in a project bag:
It has a sturdy, circular bottom, open pockets on the inside for notions and needles and a drawstring closure. It holds its shape really well and stands up like a bucket when open, so I use it kind of like a yarn bowl, leaving my yarn inside while working with it.
It can hold 1-2 skeins of sock yarn while still leaving some space for storing a wip, so it’s perfect for small projects like socks, hats, mittens, etc.

Compared to the Wildflower Project Bag, the Patch The Halls project bag is slightly smaller in circumference and longer towards the top.
This way, the patchwork squares align seamlessly all the way around the bag.

So let’s…

Deck the bags with scraps and minis (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la )
‘This the season to be crafty (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la)

Materials

– Fabrics (Choose whatever fabrics you like/have on hand. It’s recommended but not strictly necessary to use heavier fabric like canvas for the pieces that say to be cut from canvas)
– Iron-on interfacing
– Cotton cord, i-cord or alternative drawstring (about 150 cm)
– Thread
– Tag (optional)
– Iron
– Fabric scissors
– Tailor’s chalk or washable fabric pen
– Measuring tape or ruler
– Sewing machine (optional if you want to sew by hand)
– Sewing needle
– Printed copy of the sewing pattern (optional)

You can download the free, printable PDF-sewing pattern for the Patch The Halls Project Bag by clicking on the link above.
If you don’t have access to a printer, you can measure out the pattern pieces yourself. You’ll find all the measurements for the pattern pieces in the paragraph below.

Choosing And Cutting Fabrics

For my bag, I used medium weight canvas for the main/base fabric and an assortment of regular, dyed and printed cotton fabrics for the lining, contrast fabric and patchwork panel. 
However, you can use any kind of non-stretchy fabric you like, as long as your base fabric isn’t lighter than the rest of your fabrics.

If you can’t use a printed copy, here are the measurements for all the pattern pieces:
Piece A (Patchwork Panel) – 57cm x 13cm
Piece B (Outer Sides Bottom) – 29cm x 7,5cm
Piece C (Pockets) – 29cm x 19cm
Piece D (Base) – a circle with a 18,8cm diameter
Piece E (Drawstring) – 30cm x 7cm
Piece F (Loop) – 10cm x 10cm
Piece G (Patchwork Square) – 5cm x 5cm
Piece H (Lining) – 29cm x 19,5cm

How To Sew The Patch The Halls Project Bag – Instructions

The PDF -pattern and measurements already include seam allowance on each piece.
– When sewing, sew with your presser foot aligned with the edge of your fabric unless specified otherwise in the instructions. This will leave you with a 5-8mm seam allowance.
– Make sure to neatly press your seam allowances with an iron after sewing a seam to ensure a tidy and professional looking outcome.
– When the instructions say “fold and press” it means to fold the fabric according to the instructions given, then press the fold down using an iron.

Step 1 – Assembling The Patchwork Panel

We’ll start by sewing the patchwork panel.

For this, take your pieces G (Patchwork Square), and lay them out in a 14×3 grid in any pattern you like. Be mindful that the panel will be sewn into a tube eventually, so design your panel accordingly if you want to make sure there’s no fabric repeating right next to itself along the closing seam. 
– Sew the pieces into a panel by first sewing them into strips one square at a time, right sides facing, then attaching the strips to each other in the same manner, using a 5mm seam allowance throughout

The “wrong side” of the fabric referrs to the back side of it.
The “right side” of the fabric is the side you want to be visible in the finished piece.

If you wish to adjust the size of your squares, make sure you calculate an extra 1cm to the length of the sides (adding up to an added 5mm all around), as there will be a loss of 5mm on each side due to the seam allowance.
Your squares, times the amout of squares you want per row in either direction, should add up to the dimensions of piece A (Patchwork Panel) without the exta 1cm.

Step 2 – Assembling The Outer Bag Sides

First, we’ll prepare the loop that’ll be sewn into the side seam of the outer bag.

Take your main/base fabric piece F (Loop)
– Fold it in half lengthwise and press
– Open it back up and fold both edges parallel to the fold line towards the middle, aligning at the fold line, press
– Fold the piece in half lengthwise, along the original fold line, press

With the piece folded like this, sew along both sides (the ones parallel to the direction we previously folded), leaving about 2-3mm towards each edge.

Now, we’ll prepare the panel that’ll make up the sides of the outer part of the bag.

From here on, this piece we’ve just assembled, will be referred to as piece AB (Outer Panel)

– Sew along this edge, making sure to evenly catch the loop and tag within the seam

When reaching the loop, sew back and forth a few times, to ensure it’ll be sturdy.

You should now have a tube like this.

To attach the bottom, open up the tube you just sewed and pin your main fabric piece D (Base) to the bottom edge of your bag, right side facing down into the tube.
Align the raw edges all the way around.
– Sew around the edge
– Cut some notches into your seam allowance all the way around

For the notches, cut a little V into your seam allowance every 3-4cm, leaving only about 2mm between the seam and the tip of the V.

Turn your bag right side out.
Your loop and tag should be on the outside of the bag and all the seam allowances should be inside.

Now we add top stitching along the bottom of the bag for extra structure.
– Pin your bottom seam allowance down to the bottom of the bag (formerly known as piece D (Base))

This can be quite fiddly, so be sure to take your time and be careful not to catch another part of your bag in your seam.

Step 3 – Assembling The Lining

We’ll start the lining by sewing the pockets.

Take your contrast/complimentary lining fabric piece C (Pockets) and fold and press it in half lengthwise
– Top stitch along the folded edge about 5mm from the top edge
– Copy the vertical lines on the pattern piece onto the folded piece C (Pockets)

If you’re not using the printable pattern, the lines go as follows:
– In a 90 degree angle down from the folded edge, draw a line 3cm from one side of your piece
– Draw the next line parallel to the one you just drew, leaving 2,5cm in between the lines
– Repeat the last step one more time
Do the same on the other side of your pocket piece as well.

Now we assemble the lining:
– Place your second lining fabric piece H (Lining) on top of the one you just worked with, so that the right sides are facing
– Sew along the left and right edges
! Leave a gap of at least 6cm in one of these side-seams as a turning gap !
– Open up your sewn piece and pin your lining fabric piece B (Bottom) in place with the right side facing towards the inside
– Sew around the edge

Opposed to the outer bag, the lining is not top stitched along the bottom

Step 4 – Drawstring Tunnel

To make the drawstring tunnel, we’ll do the following instructions with both of the contrast/complimentary lining fabric pieces E (Drawstring).

Step 5 – Assembling The Bag

With all your pieces prepared and ready, it’s time to assemble the bag.

To make assembly a bit easier, you can secure your pieces in place at this point, by sewing around the top edge leaving a seam allowance of less than 5mm, so this seam won’t be visible on the outside of your bag in the end.
However, I find this makes neatly pressing the seam allowance a bit harder, so I only do that when using especially slippery fabrics.
Alternatively, you can baste stitch the drawstring tunnel pieces in place and take the basting stitches out, after the lining has been sewn in place.

Arrange the lining neatly inside the bag.
Since your bag is probably pretty scrunched up and wrinkly at this point from squeezing it through the turning gap, neaten it up using an iron before continuing on.

Top stitch around the top edge of your bag below the drawstring tunnel, leaving no more than 3-4 mm towards the tunnel.

Step 6 – Finishing

Sew your turning gap closed either by hand, using a ladder stitch for an invisible finish, or your sewing machine.

This way, I can close it by simply pulling the ends together into a large bow, which I find looks really cute.
If you’d rather use another method, I explain one in the pattern for the Wildflower Project Bag, which has the same drawstring-tunnel-construction.

Aaaaand done!
Enjoy your Patch The Halls Project Bag!

Thank You!

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at, read about and maybe even sew the Patch The Halls Project Bag!
It means so much to me that you chose to spend your precious time, effort and materials on one of my designs!
(I know I already wrote the exact same thing in my last sewing pattern, but it’s just too true to change for the sake of unique wording! <3)

This is the second sewing pattern I published on this blog – which means I don’t have a lot of experience at all, so I really hope that this pattern and tutorial were actually usable and easy to follow! ^^

I really wanted to be able to publish this pattern on the 4th of december, but the natural lighting hasn’t been too gracious with me and there was no time left to wait for a better day if I wanted to meet this goal, so the ones I used are the best it got… ^^’
And with my beautiful, old sewing machine now standing in what has to be the most terribly lit place in the world, I have yet to figure out a photography setup for sewing patterns, that can even come close to the whimsical beauty of the old one… I’ll figure it out eventually! ^^

And if you’re looking for a sock pattern to make, either using your new Patch The Halls Project Bag, or  because all this talk about scraps and Christmas has put you into the mood for socks, I might have just the thing for you coming up in the beginning of the next year… ^^

I put a lot of love, time and effort into creating this bag, and turning it into a pattern to share on here.

I always offer all my patterns for free, to make them as accessible as I possibly can, regardless of wether or not someone has the means to spend money on paid patterns for their crafts, on top of all the materials we go through as makers.
I myself am not able to work at all, so purchasing materials and patterns is a luxury I can only afford through the generousity of those supporting me and I know that crafting can be a true lifeline in the life of many others who are part of the disabled community.
I hope that my patterns can be a tiny contribution to that.

So with that in mind:
Please don’t steal this pattern to claim as your own, or use it to mass produce these bags and profit off of my passion-project!
I don’t mean to be rude at all, but doing so would be a pretty terrible thing to do!

Thank you for treating other’s creative work with respect! <3
And thank you again sooooo much for using something I made to create your own unique piece!

If you have feedback, concerns or questions, feel free to contact me via e-mail at wildflower-fibercrafts@protonmail.com
I’d be delighted to read from you!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my rambling!
May your days be filled with inspiration, joy and festive magic
Merry Christmas!

Snowdrop