Sew With Me! DIY Quilted Bag & Giveaway!

Hi Friends! I had this idea floating around in my head since I heard about a method of quilting called “quilt as you go” or Fun and Done”, Fun and done sounds like my speed, doesn’t it? Well my mom (who is a way better quilter/seamstress than me) explained the basic technique. I wanted to try it on a small project so I designed this cute reversible bag:

I made the bag to fit my EasyLunchboxes, I love these bento style boxes for packing lunches for myself and my family, often I portion leftovers from supper right in them along with fruit and snacks so I have a bunch of premade lunches the next day for anyone who needs them. I made my bag big enough to hold 4 because I like to take my kids to the beach, park or pool for the day and it is the perfect size. You can see how I made these in this video:

Like I said in the video you can make your bag to fit whatever container you like. Here is my diagram to figure out how much fabric you will need.

For this project you will need:

• 1/2 to 3/4 yard of fabric for the inside of the bag (I used a polished cotton)
• Fabric scraps cut into 10″ long strips
• Batting (or you can use light colored fleece)
• Basting spray or sewing pins
• Sewing machine and thread (plus basic sewing supplies)
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Scissors
• Iron and ironing board

Tips for making your bag:

1. Choose washable fabrics, I went with a polished cotton for the inside so I could spot clean it as needed but the bag can also be tossed in the wash if it gets really dirty.
2. Be aggressive when sewing down into the corners or you will need to go in later and hand stitch them up. I showed you the first corner where I was too shy getting in there, the other ones stitched up fine but you have to be brave and get right in there!
3. Because I designed this bag while I made it there were things I would do differently next time, one being I would sew the sides all the way to the end (top) of the bag so that when I folded down the top to bind the top of the bag it would have been more even and I would not have needed the trim I added at the end.
4. Press. Press. Press. It’s a drag but pressing the fabric down after you add a new strip really helps and saves aggravation when you sew.
5. Hey, I’m a beginner, if you have a better way by all means do it your way (and tell us about it in the comments below!)

Do you want your very own set of 4 lunch boxes and cooler bag? Well, of course you can buy them directly from EasyLunchboxes they even offer free and reduced shipping through their Amazon store (they are the #1 best-selling lunchbox on Amazon BTW) for US and Canadian residents OR you can win them! To win you need to have a peek here in their shop, then come back here and leave a comment telling me something you like about their products. My favorite thing is that I can wash them in the dishwasher, I can’t stand a sink full of hand washable plastic containers. These truly are my favorites and I use them every day. I bet if you try them you will like them too! I will pick a winner at random on March 17th 2015. This giveaway is open to US residents only.Good luck in the giveaway, thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!