From Painted Quilt to a Pocketed Handbag

I'm really starting to get ready for the upcoming Hawaii teaching cruise. I painted and quilted my plumeria memory class project a while back. Now it is time to turn it into something finished and useful... so a simple Hawaii bag will be the project across the next few blog entries.
Here's what the finished product will look like.... I like to know where I'm going before I start a road trip so you might want to know where we are going with this bag.


NOTE: Supply List info: If you are going to finish your Painted plumeria into a bag as in my sample, you will need:
Your painted plumeria backed and quilted to your liking
2 ribbed placemats ( I found mine at Target.. appx $3 each)
1 1/2 yards of woven webbing for straps (found in fabric and craft stores)
4" strip of sew on velcro
appx. 2 1/4 yards of double fold 2 1/4 inch binding for your plumeria mini quilt
1/4 yard flannel
1/4 yard of 'strap' fabric that will back the webbing for comfort.

1) First things first.. square up the quilted piece to a size a few inches smaller than a table placemat. I left NO excess batting hanging out in this trimming effort. Just square it up.

2) To keep life simple... I'm making the basic bag using 2 black ribbed placemats found at department stores like Target. Sorry the flash makes these look charcoal. They are really black!!! I think they were $3 each and I need 2. Before any real construction begins.... I centered and stitched companion black velcro strips ( about 3") directly opposite each other and centered on opposing mats. These strips are centered and placed about 3/4" below the long edge of the placemat. this will create a simple closure for the finished bag. Be certain to put matching thread in bobbin. From the unseen front view, the stitching seems to disappear into the ribbed mat.

3) Now to finish off the mini quilt with binding. I cut binding strips 2 1/4 inch wide.... I used my quarter inch foot to stitch folded ( doubled over) binding fabric to the front of the mini quilt first lining the raw edges of the binding up with the edge of the squared up mini quilt. ( This means from the front of the finished piece.... we will have only a 1/4 inch binding.)

4) A) Still with a quarter inch foot on the machine, I loosened the pressure foot downward pressure and began a slow/precise... hand roll and stitch in the ditch ( where binding meets quilt front). You could instead put on your walking foot for this step. I just find it easier to SEE what to do with the quarter inch foot.

4) B) NO Hand Stitching necessary on the back of the binding. The back of this mini quilt will become the inside of an outside bag pocket. You are looking here at the backside... a corner that miraculously mitered pretty well.

Next post.. we'll make straps.