Dryad Blog Hop: Messenger bag tutorial

Welcome! Thanks for visiting on our day of the Dryad Blog Hop! If you haven't seen Shannon Brinkley's Dryad collection yet, you'll get a thorough introduction to it over the two weeks of this blog hop. Be sure to ask for it at your local quilt shop!

Today we're sharing a tutorial for a quilt-as-you-go messenger bag using nine 2-1/2" precut strips from the Dryad snack pack plus a little yardage for the bag back and lining. Enjoy!

You'll Need:

1 Dryad Snack Pack (you'll use nine 2-1/2" strips and can save the rest for another project...or a few more tote bags?!)

1 fat quarter of the gold/blue focal print

1/2 yard of the blue twig print

Two 16" squares of batting

One 1-3/4" x 42" strip of batting

Cutting:

From the Dryad Snack Pack, cut the following lengths:

Coral Twig: 6-1/2"

Gold Bark Lines: 7-1/2"

Blue Twig: 6-1/2"

Floral Branches: 5-1/2"

Gray Wood Print: 8-1/2"

Gold/Blue Focal: 12-1/2" 

From a 2-1/2" wide text print strip, cut the following lengths: 

(you should be able to get all of these pieces out of one strip)

9-1/2"

8-1/2"

8-1/2"

7-1/2"

6-1/2
2-1/2"

Reserve the remaining blue twig and text print strip for the handle.

From the gold/blue focal print:

One 15" x 14" piece for bag back

One 8" x 11" piece for pocket

From the blue twig print:

Two 14" x 12-1/2" pieces for lining

Make the Bag:
Step 1 Sew each text piece to the colored print strip as indicated:

8-1/2" text strip + 6-1/2" coral twig strip

7-1/2" text strip + 7-1/2" gold bark strip

8-1/2 text strip + 6-1/2" blue twig strip

9-1/2" text strip + 5-1/2" floral branch strip

6-1/2" text strip + 8-1/2" gray wood strip

2-1/2" text strip + 12-1/2" gold/blue focal strip

Step 2 To begin the quilt-as-you-go method for the bag front, layer the two middle strips right sides together in the center of a 16" square of batting and pin in place. 

Step 3 Stitch using a 1/4" seam allowance and press the strips open.

Step 4 Continue adding strips from the center out. 

Step 5 If you like (we did!), quilt some free motion lines on top of the bag front. Trim the bag front to measure 14" wide x 12-1/2" high. 

Step 6 Layer the 15" x 14" gold/blue focal print piece on the second 16" batting square and quilt as desired. Trim to measure 14" x 12-1/2".

Step 7 Sew the bag front and back right sides together along the sides and bottom. Turn right side out. 
Step 8 Fold the 8" x 11" gold/blue focal print piece in half wrong sides togethers so it measures 8" x 5-1/2". Stitch along the two short sides and the long open edge, leaving an opening for turning. Turn right side out.

Step 9 Topstitch along the top folded edge and press the raw edges from the opening in 1/4". Measure 2-1/2" down from a long edge of the 14" x 12-1/2" blue twig lining piece and position the top stitched edge of the pocket there, centered from left to right. 

Step 10 Topstitch along both sides and the bottom to secure the pocket to the lining piece. Sew the lining pieces right sides together along the sides and bottom, leaving an opening for turning. 

Step 11 To make the handle, sew the remaining blue twig and text print strips right sides together lengthwise. Press the outer long edges in 1/4". Tuck the 1-3/4" x 42" batting strip into one of the strips and fold the 1/4" edge over. 

Step 12 Fold the other strip over the batting and line up the pressed edges. Pin and then topstitch 1/4" from the pressed edges to secure. Topstitch 1/4" from the opposite seam edge as well.

Step 13 Pin a short end of the strap to the bag front 1/2" from the side seam. Making sure the strap isn't twisted, pin the opposite end to the bag back 1/2" from the opposite side seam. (Note: if you prefer two shorter handles, cut the strip in half and pin the short ends of each strip 2" in from the side seams.) 

Step 14 Tuck the outer bag and strap into the bag lining with right sides facing. Pin the raw edges along the top together and then stitch all the way around. 

Step 15 Turn the bag right side out, slipstitch the bag lining closed, and tuck the lining into the bag. Topstitch around the top edge of the bag. You're done!

The bag back:

A peek into the bag (and the pocket!)

Thanks for stopping by for our day on the Dryad blog hop! 

Now for the giveaway!! For a chance to win a bundle of Dryad, sign up to follow our blog.  Leave a comment here letting us know that you are signed up, as well as your favorite print in the Dryad collection. This giveaway is open through 2/12. Winners will be randomly chosen after the blog hop ends. Good luck!

Be sure to follow along with the hop for more chances to win fabric, books, and Aurifil thread!

2/2 Shannon Brinkley @ Shannon Brinkley Studio

2/3 Inspired by Fabric

2/4 Angela Walters @ Quilting Is My Therapy

2/5 Aurifil

2/8 Casey York @ Studiolo 

2/9 C&T Publishing

2/10 Rebecca Bryan @ Bryan House Quilts

2/11 Stacey Day @ Stacey in Stitches

2/12 Kristi Schroeder @ Initial K Studio

Also, Angela Walters is offering 10% all Dryad prints during the blog hop. Head over to her shop to take advantage of this deal!

p.s. Fabri-Quilt is now on Instagram! Come follow us for more inspiration!