Quilt As You Go zipped pouch tutorial by CloBird Designs {November Destashing}

08:00

"Even My Scraps Have Scraps"

My scrap pick for this project

When I read that posted in our Quilt As You Go group, I couldn't have agreed more! How many of you can relate to this? Hands? Anyone? Yep, that's what I thought. While there are a myriad of ways to use our scraps, if you are like me, they are more likely to procreate faster than they are put to good use. In the meantime, they end up in the I-couldn't-possibly-part-with-this hot mess of a bin … or the studio floor … or my puppy's hind quarters. True, they are super handy when I slice a finger with my rotary blade, have a coffee clean-up emergency or a runny nose, but surely there is value beyond taking up precious fabric storage space.

Well, thanks to the Big November Destashing, by the end of this month we'll all have a few more projects where we can reach for our scraps instead of our stash. And that, my friends, is when our scraps begin to have babies!

So, grab that scrap bucket … or drawer … or 50-gallon drum of yours and enjoy the tutorials, patterns and tips that are to come your way this month. For my part, I'm going to share two Quilt As You Go (QAYG) techniques ~ both are easy methods of piecing scraps to make something you might actually use … or sell … or gift with said scraps.

QAYG Zippered Pouch by Karis Hess of CloBird Designs

MATERIALS:

Scraps of varying sizes (duh)
Lining fabric, if scraps aren't large enough (see cut list below)
Fusible fleece, such as Pellon TP971F
Fusible woven interfacing, such as Pellon ShapeFlex101
(1) 7" zipper
(1) 3/4" d-ring (optional for wristlet)
(1) 3/4" swivel clasp (optional for wristlet)

HELPFUL NOTIONS/TOOLS:

Coordinating or contrasting thread
2 wound bobbins of desired thread color
Pressing cloth

CUT:

Lining: 9" x 7" (cut 2 fabric and 2 SF101)
D-ring tab connector & wristlet strap: 3" x 17" (cut 1 fabric and 1 SF101)
Woven Interfacing: 10" x 8" (cut 2 for the main panels)
Fusible Fleece: 8" x 6" (cut 2 for the main panels)

FUSE:

For the main panels: With fusible sides together, center the fleece on the woven interfacing, press to fuse. It's helpful to use a pressing cloth so no gummy gunk gets on your iron. The two final fused pieces will make up the front and back main panels and serve as the "batting" to which you will quilt your scraps.

For the lining pieces and optional wristlet strap: Fuse the SF 101 to both lining pieces as well as the 17" strip that will be used for the strap and d-ring connector.

TIPS:

Scraps are sewn to the batting with a 1/4" seam allowance
I use the edge of my foot to gauge the width of my quilting lines
Seam allowance when constructing the pouch is 1/2"
Keep your iron hot and filled with water, you'll be pressing a lot
Iron ALL of the scraps you're thinking of using before you begin
If you want a uniform look, cut the scraps to the same width
Make sure you have ample thread of the color you've chosen ~ you'll use more than normal
I suggest winding 2 bobbins before you begin

All of my supplies assembled. Cutting the scraps into strips (I've cut mine in varying widths) and ironing them before starting will move the process along quickly.

Log-Cabin QAYG technique
In Figure 1, you can see the fleece is smaller (2 inches) than the woven interfacing. We will quilt the entire piece and then square it up when done as the batting will stretch a bit as we quilt. The final bag should measure approximately 8" x 6". The fleece, being smaller, will be outside of the seam allowances and thereby reduce the bulk.

Step 1: Figure A

Pin your first scrap, right side up, in the center of the batting. I chose to fussy cut a focal center piece for both the front and back panels.

Figure A

Step 2: Figure B

You can choose to quilt the scrap in anyway you wish. In this tutorial, I am making parallel lines because I like the look of the straight stitching with the log cabin method. I like to sew with one continuous stitch, beginning at one edge and finishing at the other. This saves thread and time. You can see where I stitched just off the edge to make my turn. This helps to keep the raw edge from lifting up. I don't find it necessary to backstitch as I will be sewing over the thread tails with the next scrap.

Figure B

Step 3: Figure C
Beginning at the top of the center piece, and with right sides together, lay your first scrap perpendicular to the first and about 1/4"-1/2" from its raw edge.

Figure C

Step 4: Figure D

Sew the scrap 1/4" from the raw edge of the scrap itself. Once it is sewn in place and pressed open, the raw edge will be completely covered along with the stitching at the edge from the previous step.

Figure D

Step 5: Figures E & F

Open up this piece and press it away from the first. Beginning where the scraps are joined, start quilting as done on the center piece. Your stitching will be perpendicular to the previous piece.

Figure E

Figure F

Step 6: Figure G

Working clockwise, place the next scrap right side down, as shown below. The key to the QAYG method is to always place the scrap inside the raw edge(s) you are going to be covering next. Additionally, the scrap should be large enough to cover end to end. Again, you will sew this newest scrap 1/4" from it's raw edge. Open and press well. Sew the quilting lines in the direction of the two raw edges … in this case, vertical lines. (If you did it any other way, you would have thread tails to deal with).

Figure G

Step 7: Figure H
Continue the method in a clockwise fashion until the entire batting is covered. There should be no raw edges exposed (except for the 4 sides, of course). Square up the panel so that it measures 9" wide by 7" tall.

Figure H

Crazy Quilt Technique for QAYG ~ or as I like to call it ~ Wonky QAYG
This method is much the same as the log cabin style; however, you will be placing your scraps at an angle, creating a pentagon. The biggest difference with this technique is what starts as a large scrap, may show only a peek in the end result. My biggest TIP: don't over think it! Go with the flow!

Step 1 : Figure A
Begin just as you did for the first panel, placing your focal scrap right side up. It isn't necessary to have it centered; however, on a project this small, I preferred it to be front and center.

Figure A

Step 2: Figures B & C
Place the first scrap at an angle as shown below, right sides together. The key is to cover the ends so they are hidden once the scrap is opened. Sew 1/4" from the edge. Open and press away from the first piece. Quilt in place. Again, I have done so with parallel lines.

Figure B

Figure C

Step 3: Figure D

Working clockwise, lay the next scrap over the first two, making sure to again cover the ends so they will be hidden. Sew the scrap to the batting 1/4" from the edge. Open and press away from the other pieces. This piece extended beyond the batting, so before quilting it, I trimmed it to be even. Quilt the scrap to the batting.

Figure D

Step 4: Figures E, F & G
Continuing clockwise, place the next scrap right side down covering not only the edges at the far ends, but the spot where the other scraps intersect. Sew, press and quilt as in the previous steps.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

Step 5: Figure H
Continue quilting scraps until the panel is completely covered. Square up the panel so that it measures 9" wide by 7" tall.

Figure H

Constructing the zippered pouch
Once you have your panels constructed ~ they can be anything you wish. The start of a block quilt, a handbag, pillow or cute little pouch. The directions below are for a pouch. You can choose to add the wristlet or leave it without. The finished size will be approximately 8" x 6".

Step 1: Making a zipper sandwich: Figures A & B
With the front panel right side up, center the zipper, with the pull facing down. Place a lining piece on top, right side down, making a “zipper sandwich”. Pin. Using a zipper foot, stitch at 1/4" seam allowance along the raw edges. With the needle in the down position, lift the presser foot to move the zipper pull out of the way when necessary. Open and press well, folding the lining underneath the exterior. Topstitch 1/8” from fabric edge attached to zipper.Place the front panel right side up. Center the zipper face down on the panel. Lay one of the lining pieces on top, all top edges aligned, creating a "zipper sandwich".

Figure A

Figure B

Step 2: Figures C & D:
Place the back panel right side up, the zipper sandwich with the pull facing down and then the remaining lining right side down. The linings will be facing one another as will the front and back panels. Stitch at 1/4" seam allowance along the raw edges. Open and press well. Topstitch 1/8" form the fabric edge.

Figure C

Figure D

Step 3: Optional Wristlet: Figures E-H
Press the 3" x 17" strip in half, lengthwise, wrong sides together. Press well to make a crease. Open back up. Fold each raw edge towards the center crease. Press each side well. Fold in half and press. The strip should now measure 3/4" x 17".

D-ring tab connector: Cut a 3" piece off one of the ends. Edge stitch along each long side at 1/8". Fold the connector in half over the d-ring and baste to the left edge of the front panel as shown below in Figure E.

Wristlet strap: Slide the swivel clasp on to the strap. (Figure F) Unfold the ends. With right sides together, sew them together at 1/2" seam allowance. Press the seam open and then repress strap edges. (Figure G) Edge stitch along each long side of the strap at 1/8", moving the clasp out of the way as necessary. Place the seam about 1/2" away from the clasp and stitch across the strap to keep the clasp from moving around. (Figure H)

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Step 4: Final assembly: Figures I-K
Open the zipper at least half way. Place the linings right sides together and the panels right sides together. When pinning, make sure the bulk of zipper is folding in towards the linings. (You can do this by matching the topstitching of the main panels together).

Pin, leaving a 2-3 inch gap in the side lining for turning. Start and end with a backstitch. The main panels should be sewn together with a 1/2" seam allowance. Taper out to a 5/8" seam allowance when sewing the linings together ~ this will help reduce any sag factor in the lining.

When sewing near the zipper (if you have used a 7" zipper … which means the teeth from end to end is 7" … the zipper tape should be closer to 8" end to end), avoid the teeth. You should be sewing over the zipper tape to secure it to the sides. Stitch as close to the teeth as possible, without going through them.

Trim your seam allowances. Turn the pouch through the opening. Hand or machine stitch the opening closed. Press well. Enjoy the fruits of your scrappy self!

Figure I

Figure J

All finished!!

Some final thoughts

Believe it or not, I've had more than one sewing enthusiast mention that they pitch or donate all of their scraps. I know ~ crazy. If you find yourself in this predicament and want to give Quilt As You Go a shot, I have found that jelly rolls are a perfect solution! So much so that I have recently purchased several of them just for this purpose. I know, I know ~ it's nuts … but have no fear, I am a trained professional (hoarder, that is).

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial as the kick-off post to a month of scrap busting ideas! I want to thank Samantha for asking me to contribute and would invite you to join our groups on Facebook:

QAYG Inspiration & Creations (https://www.facebook.com/groups/CloBirdQAYG)

CloBird Designs Patterns (https://www.facebook.com/groups/CloBird)

CloBird Designs FABRIC Annex (https://www.facebook.com/groups/CloBirdFabricAnnex)