AboutAudrey Zohner Expertise I am an expert rag quilter. I have made over 100 rag quilts and would love to assist others with questions and methods. I don't know much about actual quilting like machine or hand quilting or applique. I am, however, the resident expert on rag quilting in my town. If you want to make a rag quilt, I am your woman.
Experience I have been sewing for 12 years and rag quilting for 4. I have experienced just about every pitfall there is in rag quilting. Check out my quilts at audreysragquilts.etsy.com.
Organizations ISU Craft Club
EtsyKids
Education/Credentials High school diploma
Bachelor's in Animal Science
Question I am looking for directions to make a rag purse/tote bag. I see them on Ebay but have no idea how to make one myself. Can you help?
Answer Of course! I have made several of these as diaper bags and they are adorable!! Basically, all you are doing is making four very small rag quilts and a quilted bottom which you then sew together like a bag.
Instructions:
Pick size of bag: Decide on which dimensions you want for your bag. These can be anything, literally. Example: I want a bag that is 5"x10"x15".
Pick size of squares and seams: You can make the bag with as many or as few squares as you want. You can have 4 squares for the front or 10. It all depends on your dimensions and how many squares you want to use. A 1/2" seam will give a fluffy look and a 1" seam will give a very raggy look.
For example, I chose to use 6" squares for my bag with 1/2" seams. This means that my finished square size will be 5" or the width of my bag. For the front, I sew 6 squares into a rectangle of 2 rows of 3. I do the same for the back.
Pick batting and flannel: I like to use fleece as my middle layer because it keeps the bag soft, but still gives it structure. I also put a layer of cheap flannel in the middle to give the bag extra raggyness. You will want to use double sided fusible Peltex for the bottom because it has the structure of cardboard, but is washable.
Pick fabric: I like to use flannel for diaper bags, but I have also used drapery fabrics, cotton and satin for daytime bags. Put a layer of cheap flannel in the middle of your squares if you use cotton, satin or drapery because they won't rag at all. REMEMBER, you need fabric for the outside AND the inside, so be sure to buy enough. You will need the same amount of material for the inside as the outside. I always use flannel for the middle.
Cutting:
Now, you chose what size of squares and seams you wanted and how many squares you will need for your bag. So, take your outside and inside fabrics and cut out your squares. Cut out squares from your fleece, but make sure to make them 1" smaller because you don't want fleece in the seams. If you put flannel in the middle, then you can cut it the same as your other blocks.
Sewing!!!
Layer your blocks like this: Inside block (right side down), fleece, flannel, Outside block (right side up). Sew from one corner to the other and then repeat for the other corner. You now have an "X" across the square. Do this to all your blocks. If you need more info, check out my rag quilting instructions on one of the other questions.
The Bottom: The bottom of the bag is just like the rest of the bag, except that it is just one long strip. It will be layered like this: Outside fabric (right side down), Peltex, fleece, flannel, Inside fabric (right side up). Cut it according to your bag dimensions, but be sure to add on your seams. Example: My bag will be 5"x15" finished, so my bottom is 6"x16" to allow for my 1/2" seams.
The Peltex will be used for the bottom, but cut it 1.25" smaller than the rest because you don't want it in the seams. Fuse your Peltex strip to the wrong side of the strip of outside fabric. Layer your fleece, flannel and inside fabric and sew an "X" across it. Then fuse the fleece side to the Peltex. Set aside.
Now, sew your blocks into the front, back and sides of your bag. ALWAYS SEW YOUR SEAMS TO THE FRONT!! YOUR SEAMS SHOULD END UP POKING OUT THE FRONT. For example: My bag has 6 blocks on the front, 6 blocks on the back and 2 blocks for each of the sides. The sides have 2 blocks sewn one above the other. The front and back blocks are sewn into a rectangle with 2 rows of 3. Your bag may be different, depending on the size and number of squares you are using.
I like to sew the front and back rectangles to the sides of the bottom and then sew the sides on. I think it is easier to sew down one side, along the bottom and up the other side.
Handles: If you want handles, then cut four long strips of fabric about 3-4 inches wide depending on how thick you want them. Then put them right sides together and sew up the long sides. Turn them right side out and trim them to the length you like. I like 35-36" so the bag hits me right above the waist.
Finishing: You will need to sew a 1/2" seam around the top of your bag. This is when you attach the handles. Just place them between the layers and sew over them when sewing the 1/2" seam. Now all you have to do is clip all the seams and wash/dry the bag. TADA!!!
Here is a pattern for a raggy bag with pockets. It's a bit more complicated. Please don't hesitate to ask for clarification, I know how confusing this is.
Rag Style Diaper Bag
Materials: (Do Not Prewash Fabrics)
1 yard of 42”-45” material for Outside of bag, Handles, and Pockets (Fabric A)
12 inches of either 42”-45” contrasting material for Outside of bag (Fabric B)
18 inches of 42”-45” flannel for Inside of bag (Fabric C)
10 inches of 58”-60” fleece for Batting
5 inches of double-sided fusible Peltex for Bottom of bag
1 inch of Velcro
Optional: 1 - 7/8” button
Cutting:
Fabric A: Handles: Cut four-3” strips across the width of your fabric.
Pockets: Cut two-5½” strips across the width of the fabric. Cut strips into two-12” pieces, two-7” pieces, and four-8” pieces.
Bag Squares: Cut the remainder of your fabric into 8-6” squares.
Fabric B: Cut your fabric into eight-6” squares and one-16”x6” piece.
Fabric C: Cut your fabric into sixteen-6” squares and one-16”x6” piece.
Fleece: Cut your fleece into sixteen-4.5” squares and one-15”x5” piece.
Peltex: Cut Peltex into one-15”x5” piece.
Sewing Squares:
Bag Squares: Layer your squares like this: C square on the bottom-right side down, batting square in middle, and A square on top-right side up. Sew a line from one corner to the opposite corner. Repeat for the other corner. You have sewn an X across your square. Repeat for the other 7-A squares and the 8-B squares.
Handles: Take two strips, place them right sides together and sew up three sides, leaving one short side open. Turn right side out and stitch the last side closed. Repeat for the other two strips. Iron strips and sew two lines down the length to ensure they stay flat.
Closure Tab: Cut a 3”x4” scrap of either A, B, or C and sew like a handle. Sew the hook half of your Velcro to the end of this tab. If you have a button, sew it on the same end, but other side of the Velcro.
Pockets: Take your two 12” strips and place them right sides together. Sew up one long side, turn right sides out and iron the piece so the wrong sides are together. Repeat with the two-7” strips and the four-8” strips. You will end up with 1-12” pocket, 1-7” pocket and 2-8” pockets.
Sewing Sections: Always sew with wrong sides together and with a ½” seam!!!
Front of Bag: Take three A squares and three B squares and sew them into two rows of three. Make sure to sew them with back sides together and a ½” seam. You are sewing all your seams to the front all the time. The easiest way to sew your squares is to sew them into rows and then sew the rows together. Try sewing the top squares together, then the bottom squares and then the two rows.
Back of bag. This will be trickier because you will have to sew in the pockets as we go. Again, take three A squares and three B squares. Separate them into pairs of one A square and one B square.
First Pocket: Sew the bottom of an A square to the top of a B Square and then sew one of your 7” pockets onto the inside of the B square with a ½” seam. You will need to line up the sides of your pocket with the sides of the B square and you will need to gather the bottom of the pocket along the bottom of the B square.
Second Pocket: Sew an AB pair with the B square on top. Sew the last AB pair with the A square on top. Sew the two pairs together along the vertical seam. Now take your 12” pocket and sew it to the sides and bottom of your two pairs. You will have to line up the two sides along the edges and gather the bottom of the pocket again.
Sew the first pair of A and B squares onto the other pairs so the back section matches the front.
Sides of Bag: Take the last two AB pairs and sew them with the B squares on top. Take your two-8” pockets and sew them onto the A squares just like you did with the other pockets (lining up sides and gathering the bottom). Do not sew these pairs together like above.
Bottom of Bag: Take your 16”x6” sections of Fabric A and Fabric B. Sandwich your batting between them and sew an X across the rectangle. Make sure that Fabric B and A have the right side facing away from the batting. Now, following the directions that came with the Peltex, fuse it to either the A or B side of your sandwich (un-fused side will show on the outside of bag) and to the wrong side of the 16”x6” piece of Fabric C.
Sewing the Bag (Finally!!):
You can do this two ways:
1.Sew the bottoms of your front and back sections to the long sides of your bottom piece. Now pin your side pieces to your front, back and bottom sections and sew.
OR:
2.Sew your two side sections to the short ends of your bottom section to make one long strip. Now pin this strip to the sides and bottom of your front and back sections and sew.
Sewing in the Handles and Closure Tab: You need to sew a ½” seam around the top of your bag. Place the ends of your handles and one end of your tab into the seam allowance wherever you like and sew over them as you go around. Remember to sew the loop half of your inch of Velcro to the top of the middle square opposite whichever side you sewed your closure tab to.
Clipping:
Take a very sharp pair of scissors and clip every ¼” - ½” or so along every seam. Top, bottom, sides – Everywhere. If a seam is poking out the front, you need to clip it. If you like rag quilting, invest in a pair of Heritage Rag Quilting Shears. They will save you blisters and a lot of pain.
Washing:
Wash your purse in warm water-DELICATE cycle and dry it in the dryer-also delicate cycle. Do not wash it with other items because the flannel will pill up and the bag will likely get lint on everything else in the washer. You will need to clean out the lint catcher on your dryer about every 15 minutes or so the first time you wash this bag. After that, each wash will only make your bag more raggedy and soft.
I hope this is clear, it's a lot easier to explain to someone face to face. If something doesn't make sense, don't hesitate to ask for me to explain it again. Thanks for the question!
