How to make a scrap fabric quilted cosmetic bag

Hi ! I'm so glad you're here on my little bloggie. Today was a cold day for some of you and even here in Northeast Florida we woke up to less than freezing temperatures. I'm not complaining though after seeing pics on Facebook of peeps cars buried in snow realizing I will not be digging my car out of that! I spent some time yesterday sewing up a cosmetic bag in favorite colors for someone special to me. I think she's gonna love it. Today seemed like the perfect day to spend time sewing up one for myself. All girls need a cosmetic bag and it's so fun to get to choose your own fabrics. I decided I would use only scrap fabric on hand since I already paid for it and want my moneys worth. This bag is definitely easy enough for a beginner sewist. The zip tab is a simple touch that I just love and I'll show you how to do it. Here's the bag for my friend.

Gina

Cute huh? Now I'll make mine and you can make yours. You need:

 

seven scrap fabrics large enough to cut (2) 2 x 9 inch pieces

2 pieces of interior fabric 9 high by 10 1/2 wide

2 pieces of fusible batting 9 high by 10 1/2 wide

12" zipper

thread and pins or clips

scrap piece of fabric 2 x 4

 

After ironing your scraps, cut your 14- 2 x 9 inch pieces and line up in the order you want for the finished exterior

 

Sew the first seven together in order using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Iron seams open or all to one side. Repeat for your other side.

Fold your fusible batting in half, pin one of your tops on, and cut just outside the top piece being careful not to cut the fabric, just the batting.

Now cut two interior pieces 9 high by 10 1/2 wide

 Now lay your fusible batting down with the adhesive side facing up, lay an interior piece on top with right side up, line them up and iron.

You can quilt close to the seams, or just sew like I did. I just sewed away from the seam in a straight line. Repeat on the second piece.

Now it's time to sew this together! Lay an interior piece right side up. Lay your zipper face down along the top and pin. Take the last inch of zipper and fold down and pin so when you stitch across the top of the zipper it doesn't get caught in the stitching. lay your interior piece right side down and clip or pin, lining the top of all three up. Sew them together and check to make sure all three layers are secure. I'm not including the lining in this photo so you can see the zipper.

Now lay your 2nd interior piece down right side up. Lay the zipper face down across the top and pin making sure to pull down the last inch of zipper across the fabric and pin down, then pin or clip the interior piece right side down and sew. Iron both sides being careful to iron up to the zipper, but not touching the metal on the zipper. Now it looks like this.

Now with the zipper OPEN most of the way, pin the two exterior pieces together and pin the two interior pieces together, making sure the zipper end is inside, not outside.

See where the two clips are on the bottom of the interior in the above pic? Those are my start and stop points for sewing. You need 4-5 inches open when you're done for turning the bag right side out. So start at one side, and sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance all the way around the bag till you reach the other clip on the bottom of the interior.

Now box out all four corners of the bag by sticking your index finger at the corner where the side and bottom seam meet, grab it and form a smooth triangle,then sew across 1 1/2 inches from the tip, then clip about 1/4 inch away from the seam.

Now pull the bag out through the hole Close the hole by folding the raw edges to the inside, trying to align it with the sewn sides next to it and stitch closed. Push the interior down inside the bag.

 Making sure the interior is pushed down all the way, place the bag on your machine and topstitch all the way around the top about 1/4 inch away, or less, from the top.

Now cut a 2 x 4 inch piece of fabric, and iron all four sides down 1/4 inch to the inside.

Cut your zipper so it hangs an inch to an inch and a half beyond the bag. Keep the zipper pull away from this side while you do this. Fold the fabric over the end of the cut zipper, line up the sides and pin. Sew close to the edges all the way around.

Your bag is done. Now make a bunch of them and give them to your friends!