Today I am excited to share a tutorial with you by Daryl of Patchouli Moon Studio. Daryl has used my Emma pattern to make this cute little bag with an applique flap! Emma is a fun, quick sew which is perfect either for little girls, teens or for someone that doesn’t need to carry their kitchen sink!
Luckily for us, she is sharing her techniques on how she has achieved her gorgeous flap! Over to you Daryl:
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This is the second tutorial in my series of adding embellishments to a bag element such as a flap and turning it into a WOW one-of-a-kind bag. You can choose to just make your flap this way or the entire bag.
For this tutorial, I chose to sew the flap version of Emma, a small cross body bag with minimal hardware and an easy to sew bag by ChrisW Designs.
First, a couple of Emma bag photos to show you what I did. The first Emma flap has piecing, applique and quilting, along with some crystals for bling. I also made a Kumihimo (Japanese braiding) strap.
On this next Emma, I pieced the entire bag using fabric strips, then added the applique heart on the flap. I also free motion quilted the bag and added a Kumihimo strap that I made.
You can decide if you want to just piece your flap or the entire bag and if you want to add any applique or if you only want to add applique to a single fabric without any piecing. All decisions are up to you, since it’s your bag, I am here to get you going and show you my way of doing this, but feel free to do your own thing.
Supplies Needed:
- Emma pattern or pattern of your choice
- Fabric scraps cut into strips 1” wide to 2 1/2” wide strips (I like to vary the widths for variety and interest) for piecing
- Scraps of fabric for an applique motif, if you choose to use one (hint: look at clip art images for some applique ideas)
- Fusible web for use with applique shape
- Thread for sewing, quilting and stitching around applique shape(s). You might be using different thread types, weights and colors
- Machine needles suitable to the materials and threads you are using
- Fusible woven interfacing
- Fusible fleece
- Magnetic snap closure or other closure of choice
- Bling for embellishing such as hot fix crystals, hand embroidery thread, buttons, etc. of your choice
- Basic supplies/tools such as sewing machine, iron and ironing board, removable marking pen/pencil, Wonder Clips™, pins, hardware and notions needed for the bag you are making
Let’s get started!
First, I traced the flap shape onto the interfacing and cut it out about 1/2” wider all the way around. The stitching and quilting will cause the fabrics to shrink up a bit, so you want to make the flap a bit over sized to start with.
For this example, I fused the heart on the lighter background heart and then fused that to a background fabric. I machine blanket stitched it all around the heart shapes. Next, I sewed fabric strips around the heart piece by first sewing the side strips right-sides-together, sewing with 1/4” (6mm) seam allowance and pressing towards the strips. Then sew the top and bottom strips in this same way and press towards the strips.
Continue to place strips right-sides-together and sew onto the sides, top and bottom, sewing them in whatever order you desire. You can sew with a strip that is longer than needed, stopping at the end of the previous strip, folding back the excess strip and then cutting off the excess fabric. Press after each strip you sew.
Here shows the strip sewn and excess strip fabric trimmed off.
The strip has been pressed back here.
Pin a strip on the bottom.
Sew the strip in place.
Press the bottom strip. Leave it longer here. You will cut the flap shape out later.
More strips have been sewn and pressed. The interfacing has been covered with the strips sewn on. So next, get your fusible fleece (or you can use non fusible fleece or batting) and fuse the fleece to the interfacing on the back. Or pin if using non fusible.
If you want to quilt the flap now is the time to do so. You can use a walking foot and straight stitch quilt or quilt in wavy lines like I did here, or use your free motion foot and free motion quilt the flap. Or not quilt at all. It’s all up to you.
I chose a variegated thread and I also chose to use the triple stitch (normally used for stretchy knit fabric) and stitched the triple stitch in a free form wavy fashion down the flap.
After you have quilted the flap, give it a good press. Then place the flap template on the piece and trace around the template with a marking pen or pencil. Cut the flap out.
Next, I like to zigzag stitch around the entire flap to prevent any of the quilting or piecing stitching from coming loose. (Note: I did zigzag stitch around the flap, but forgot to take photos of it).
Now is the time to add any embellishments to the flap that you desire. I chose to fuse some hot fix crystals in place all around the heart. I also added a handmade label above the purple fabric. Whatever embellishments that you choose to add, just make sure you place the embellishment away from the edges to allow enough room for the seam allowance and topstitching later.
When your flap is complete, then continue on making your bag according to the instructions.
Here is my finished Emma with a Kumihimo strap.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Christine and I would love to see what you create. So be sure and share in ChrisW Designs Facebook group and on Instagram.
I hope you create a gorgeous one of a kind bag for yourself.
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AWESOME tutorial as always Daryl! Thanks so much for sharing this with us! 🙂 I look forward to seeing some more decorative CWD flaps in the future so if YOU use the technique and make one, please do share some pics with us! 😊
If you haven’t got the Emma bag pattern yet but would like to try this technique on Emma too, you can find it HERE!
I love Daryl’s inventive ways of contructing the simplest patterns.