Tag Archives: Bags and Baskets

Schlep It Good Bag and Pattern – Part 1

Schlep It Good Bag and Pattern – Part 1

From the age of twelve, I was so delighted when I was able to get a job, in our local delicatessen.  I thought this was great fun.  I suppose it wouldn’t happen much these days, being employed at 12, but they trusted me to serve customers, take money, add up  and provide correct change. I was even allowed to use the meat slicer!  Although  I was young and didn’t get paid a wage as such, the shop owner would kindly allow me to take some things home as a reward for my time.  I thought this was wonderful, as I was able to provide my mother with little luxuries and  surprise provisions.  So from that time on I regularly came home with all sorts of goodies like chocolates, sliced ham, magazines and milk.

And so that was how it began.  From that time on, I have continued to arrive at my Mother’s, with something for her, although it progressed to home made preserves, jams,  cordials, breads, fresh fruits and vegetables and a myriad of other things.  So it has become somewhat of a joke between us that she will stand on the front veranda despairingly chastising me in German ” Warum schleps do so  immer?”.  Which means why are you always carrying things.

So I can’t believe I asked someone recently “what is a schlep bag?” durr…..I must be the greatest schlepper of all time!

Moving on, I had made all sorts of these style of bags before and have always associated them with being of a Japanese origin, because of their origami style cleverness and their  history of Komebukuro rice bags which I absolutely adore.

Here is an example of another bag project.

Patchwork Bottle Bag and Pattern

Today, I’m excited to share with you, this project I have been working on for a while.  It’s inspired by my need to provide and carry many items, especially food, quilts and fabric!  This is a big Schlep or carry bag.

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This is a wonderful way to use up some scraps or 5″ squares of quilting fabric and make them into a big bag which will have so many uses.  I’m even thinking it will make a good overnight bag.  (I can easily throw an outfit, toiletries and a quilting project into this one!   These are all leftover 5″ squares which I had previously cut.   I wanted to use them up.  I only used new yardage for the lining and drawstring cover.  Choose fabrics you love!

It has the advantage of a drawstring cover which will increase capacity enormously and conceal the contents, or it can be left inside the bag and used as a big open style carry tote, as pictured below.

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So here we have it.  If you would like to make one of these lovely carry bags, this one is a little different.  I begin with 5″ charm squares.

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Incidently I always pre wash my fabrics.  You can read more about that here.

To Wash or Not to Wash?…This is the Question

And…

Wash your Pre-Cuts?

Seams are based on 1/4″ unless otherwise stated.

Requirements for one Schlep It Good Bag

40 x 5″ x 5″ charm squares for the outside of the bag
+12 extra 5″ x 5″ squares for the handles
+ 11 extra 5″ x 5″ squares for the pockets (optional)
batting
1 metre lining fabric
1 meters of iron on interfacing
1 1/2 metres of large print fabric for the drawstring cover
2 x 2 1/2″ width of fabric (WOF) strips for the binding

3 x 2″ WOF strips for the drawstring

 

Method

Sew the 40 x 5″ Charm Squares into 10 four patch blocks.  Press.

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Incidentally, today I am sewing on a Singer 99K which laid idle for about 50 years.  You can read more o the story about this lovely machine in the link below.

Singer 99K

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Keep eight of the four patches as they are.  Slice the remaining two four patches once across the diagonal to revel four triangles.

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Lay out two four patches and one triangle block in a strip as pictured.  Sew together.  Repeat with the remaking blocks to make four of these units.

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Lay out the four units one next to another, offsetting them as shown above so that the hypotenuse of all the triangles all line up.

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Now sew each of the strips together.  Press well

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Lay the finished unit on some batting.  Quilt as desired.

To be continued in Part 2……Click on the link below to continue..

Schlep It Good Bag Part 2