Challenge project

You may recall from this earlier blog post, our challenge project for the Spinners, Weavers and Dyers Guild.


Well, as you know I dyed some fabric at the weekend and here's the grey fabric cut, basted and marked ready for the initial quilting.

Now I'm winging it here, as I haven't been able to find my Japanese Scandinavian Quilting book, and I've improvised the pattern pieces based on a completed bag photograph.  So fingers crossed, hopefully I've got it right, and no doubt when the bag is almost complete the book will come tumbling out of a box or cupboard somewhere in the house.


So working with no instructions for the basic bag pattern an assembly what I've done is:-
cut out 4 fabric panels for the bag body (1 inner and outer panel for each side), with a sandwich of light batting and heavyweight interfacing.  The base panel is similar but with 2 layers of the light batting and heavyweight interfacing, to give it more body and strength.


Each panel for the bag, front body, back body and base, will be quilted prior to piecing together before piecing them together.  Here I'm winging it again - and I hope that either the seams when pieced together will be able to be sewn under to eliminate fraying edges or if necessary I'll over sew the exposed seams, within the bag, with some bias fabric.    It won't be as important on the top edge where the seams will be covered with a bias strip.  With reference to the woven sections I've kept a 4.5" wide zone for the woven fabric strips/squares, just off centre on each bag panel.  Though I'd previously ordered a 9mm bias tape maker I've decided that it's too narrow for adding stitching or beads into each square to create the Sanquhar pattern in the woven fabric strips.  So I've now ordered a 12mm bias tape maker, here's hoping that will make things a little easier.  Here's hoping it arrives soon so I can really get to grips with this and I can get the seed stitching under way for the Sanquhar pattern.


I'll update you all soon, hopefully