jojoebi designs: New Skills Festival - patchwork with with Wynn

Today it is Wynn from ZakkaArt's turn to share a tutorial, Wynn is from Singapore but very much embraces the Japanese patchwork style in her work, I was chuffed to bits when she agreed to do a patchwork tutorial for us today!

Hi everyone! I'm Wynn from zakkaArt and I'm very happy to be invited by Jo to share an easy-to-make Patchwork Lunch Shopping Bag in Japan zakka style.

This is a simple bag with a small pocket inside to put your handphone, keys or other daily stuff. It's a bag with patchwork at the bottom instead of at the top... so you might want to reconsider putting your bag on the ground next time so as not to dirty it! An interesting feature about this bag is the triangular side bottom which I wish to share with everyone.

Ok let's start to sew!

You'll need:

a. Exterior fabric 35cm x 50cm (I used linen here) with medium weight interfacing fused or sew-in.

b. Interior lining fabric 35cm x 50cm with medium weight interfacing fused or sew-in.

c. Fabric for pocket 15cm x 25cm

d. 32 squares 6cm x 6cm (use your scraps!)

e. Magnetic button

f. Webbings for handles 40cm each

g. two small pieces of batting/fleece (5cm x 5cm each)

h. (optional) lace, sew-on buttons....

**Note: All seam allowances are 1cm and not included in the measurements above.**

1. Arrange your squares with 8 squares across in 4 rows. Sew them together (as in row 4) and press the seams open (as in row 3).

2. Sew the four rows together. Press all seams open. Now you have a patchwork block.

3. Fold and iron 1cm from the top and bottom of the patchwork block. The technique of doing is to use a cardboard as what I did in the picture. As you fold using the mark, you iron at the same time. And the cardboard is reusable in all other projects!

4. Next, align the patchwork block with your exterior fabric at the centre. Top stitch (*stitching very close to the edge) the block to the fabric.

(optional step) you can add lace , pom poms, grosgrain or other embellishment to your block or exterior fabric here...

5. Fold the exterior fabric into half and pin.

6. This is the step where you want to create the triangular side botton. Fold according to the diagram in the picture so that the right sides of the fabric and patchwork are facing each other. Pin to secure.

7. Sew all the way down the two sides (note: the bottom may be thicker with layers of fabric so be careful or slower when you run your needle through it).

8. Turn inside out and there you go, you are done with the bag exterior!

9. Now to the pocket. Sew around the edge, leaving about 5cm opening.

10. Turn the pocket inside out and top stitch the edge with the opening.

11. Position the pocket at the centre of the interior lining fabric and 7cm down from the top. Top stitch the pocket in place.

12. Using the same method as in step 5, 6 and 7 to create triangular side bottoms for the interior lining fabric.

13. There you are again, done with the bag interior!

14. Next is the magnetic button. Measure 2cm down the bag interior on one side and use the backing as the template to position your button.

15. Use your seam reaper and make two holes to get the button teeth through.

16. Put the button through the batting and backing. Press the teeth down (either inwards or outwards is fine). Repeat the same to the other half of button on the other side of bag interior.

17. You are almost there! Now put the bag exterior into bag interior with right sides facing.

18. Pin in place and stitch around leaving a 10cm opening.

19. Turn the bag inside out....

20. Top stitch the edge with the opening. Position the handles and sew 3-5 times in squares to make sure the handles and well stitched for a sturdy bag.