Completed Destashification Make-Up Bag

With all the travel planned for this summer, my DD really needed a new cosmetics case.  However, I have learned the term “Cosmetics Case” is apparently outdated – it is a “Make-Up Bag.”

Make-Up Bag: Interior Zippered Pocket

While I was making the bag, I put together this short tutorial.  For a new sewer needleartist, the bag presents a small project with  opportunities for trying new skills.

Make-Up Bag: Interior Sectioned Pocket

These include:

• Quilting
• Zippers (2)
• Lining
• Pockets

The fabric I used is called “Wondersquid” by Melisza.  It is available on Spoonflower. (One website does not provide sufficient space to describe the fabric available there!)

Make-Up Bag Pattern 

Items Required:

• Exterior = One fat quarter
• Interior = One fat quarter
• One piece:  approximately 12″ by 12″
• One piece : approximately 10″ by 12″
• Interfacing, flannel, or VERY thin batting (the size of one fat quarter)
• Two zippers (see below)
• Freezer Paper (yes, really, Freezer Paper)
• Make-Up Bag Pattern

OR;

What ever The Stash can provide!

My Stash contains numerous zippers.  I used a 12″ purse zipper (has two zipper heads and neither end opens) and a 6″ skirt zipper, but any zipper up to 18″ and a 7″ will work.  The red dots on the pattern indicate the “zipper zone” or the space within which the zipper ends should fall.

Part A:  Cutting the Fabric.

1.  Print out Make-Up Bag Pattern.  Verify that the red square is approximately 2″ square.  Trim away excess paper.

2. Lay the exterior fat quarter fabric flat with the longer side horizontal.  Bring right and left edges together and then bring upper and lower edges together.  The folded fabric will be 4 layers thick and approximately the size of an 8.5″ by 11″ sheet of copy paper.  Press with steam iron.

3.  Turn the fabric so the 4 cut edges of the fabric are to the top and the right.  The left side should have a single fold visible and the lower edge should have two folds visible.

Two Fat Mushrooms

4.  Place the left side of the pattern (marked “place along fold”) along the left side fold of fabric.  Pin pattern in place.  Cut along cutting line (the outermost line) along the top, right side and lower edge.  Do not cut the left side.  Make very small notches at the blue triangles to mark the all important center-point.  Remove pins and unfold fabric.  You should have two pieces of fabric that can best be described as “fat mushrooms”.

Part B:  Quilting the Exterior Fabric

1. Using the 2 mushroom shapes as patterns, cut interfacing, flannel or batting (referred to as interfacing from this point on) in same shapes as the exterior fabric.

If interfacings are too heavy, sewing the zipper may be difficult.  I used flannel from The Stash and it worked well. A mid-weight or suit-weight fusible interfacing will also work well.

2. If interfacings are fusible, iron them to BACK of exterior fabric mushroom shapes.  If not, pin them to the BACK of the fabric in several locations to them secure.

CD and Scalloped Quilting Design drawn on Dull Side of Freezer Paper

3.  Cut two pieces of Freezer Paper slightly larger than the size of the mushrooms.  Note that the freezer paper has a shiny side and a dull side.  Draw a pattern for quilting on the DULL side of the paper.  I used a CD to draw a shell pattern.  Vertical lines at random distances also looks nice.  Crease paper along Center Line.

Although these are small pieces, difficulty will be encountered if the quilting design requires complete or nearly complete circles.  The fabric will “bunch up” against the sewing machine base while turning.  To avoid unnecessary frustration, draw a pattern that does not require turning the fabric more than 180 degrees (half way around).

Freezer Paper ironed onto Fabric

3. Aline the Center Line fold of the quilting design with the center-point notches on the fabric.  Using a medium iron, iron the shiny side of the paper to the RIGHT side of the fabric mushroom. Your design should be facing up.  The interfacing should be facing down.  The freezer paper will adhere to the fabric (it comes up later).  Trim excess paper.

“Follow the Line” Quilting Complete

4.  Select a thread to quilt with.  This color can be coordinating or contrast – but be aware that it will be visible.  Using a slightly shorter stitch than normal, sew along the lines of your quilting drawing to quilt.  The stitching will past through the paper, the fabric, and the interfacing.

Removing Freezer Paper

5.  Peel off paper.  Or better yet, have the children help.  They love this step and feel as though they have contributed to the finished product!  The stiching will act as serations so the paper will come up fairly easily.

Removing small pieces of paper may require Tweezers

A few small specs of paper may get stubborn at seam intersections – tweezers will help.

Congratulations – The quilting is complete!

Tomorrow:  Creating the first pocket in the Lining.