Wholecloth: 6 Tips for Quilting Fabric for Bag Sewing

Before I switch gears to new patterns and fall sewing, let me clear the worktable of my last summer sewing project. The sewalong for the Logan Bag drawstring bucket backpack featured self-quilted fabrics. This is a great technique for personalizing handmade bags, so I've put together a how-to video and a list of tips focused on quilting fabrics for bag making. You can use these techniques for just about any bag or garment sewing project.

Quilted fabric is a great choice for handmade bags. The layers of quilt batting, fabric, and stitches work together to provide the structure and durability that can stand up to the wear and tear of a handbag. Changing the weight of the fabric, the fiber and thickness of the batting, or the spacing of the quilting allows you to manipulate the structure of your finished fabric. You could use pre quilted fabric, but you'll have better choices and more control if you quilt it yourself.

These tips are directed toward quilting small or shaped pieces of fabric where avoiding distortion can be a bit tricky. You could quilt the fabric and then cut out your pattern pieces (a completely legit way to tackle a quilted project), but I prefer to quilt the pattern pieces individually. It gives me more control over the placement of the fabric print and the lines of quilting on the finished project.

A full How-to Quilt Fabric for Any Bag video tutorial is on the Wholecloth Patterns Youtube channel now. Or scroll down to see my tips for quilting fabric to make bags.

6 Tips for Quilting Fabric to Make Bags

1. Pin across the whole fabric.

The key to successful quilting is to prevent the fabric from slipping and sliding around on top of the batting. Don't just pin around the edges of the fabric, space the pins across the body of the fabric at 2-3" intervals. These fixed points keep the fabric from slipping around while you sew those first few lines of quilting.

2. Cut the quilt batting bigger than the fabric piece.

When sewing quilted bags cut the pattern pieces out of your main fabric, but not the quilt batting or backing fabric. Cut the batting and backing about an inch bigger than the main fabric pieces. This has 2 advantages. First you can precisely position your quilt lines relative to the shape of your finished bag. Second, any minor shrinkage or distortion to the main fabric pieces due to quilting can be adjusted before you construct your bag.

3. Use a walking foot.

When quilting any fabric, or sewing very thick squishy fabrics, switch to the walking foot for your sewing machine. The walking foot lifts up as the needle goes down reducing the chances that the presser foot will push the fabric out of alignment as it sews.

4. Start quilting in the middle.

It's tempting to start quilting at one edge of the pattern piece and work across the whole body of the fabric in one wave, but this increases the chances of distorting the fabric as you quilt. Begin your first line of quilting at the center of the fabric and work toward the edges. Starting in the middle shortens the distance between the starting line and the finish line of quilting, reducing the length of fabric that can be shifted out of place.

5. Alternate the direction of the quilting.

If you first sew from bottom to top, next sew from top to bottom. This zig zag movement across the pattern piece helps to correct, rather than increase, any shift in the fabric.

6. Sew over the edges.

Do not backstitch! It can be counterintuitive for bag makers, and garment sewists who are in the habit of anchoring their seams for strength. When quilting, sew right over the edge of the fabric. The extra perimeter of batting (and possibly backer fabric) will be trimmed off after quilting. It leaves loose ends of of stitching that could make a bag sewist nervous, but those stitch lines will be secured within the seam allowance when you make your bag, and trimming the over run with the batting leaves the neatest edges.

Ready to sew a quilted bag? Get your copy of the Logan Bag drawstring bucket backpack, and try out your new skills.