skill level Intermediate
finished measurements
16" [40.5cm] diameter
4" deep
22" top of handle to bottom of bag
materials
fabric
35½" [90cm] cotton for outside
35½" [90cm] cotton for inside
19½" [50cm] cotton for inside pocket
cotton scraps of fabric for appliqué
other
4 – 22" [56cm] lightweight closed end
zippers
Sulky Soft’n Sheer Extra 12" x 12" [30.5 x
30.5cm]
1 pkg. extra wide double fold bias binding
8" [20.5cm] – ¼" elastic
notions
quilter’s ruler
45mm rotary cutter
Heat’n Bond Lite or Heat’n Bond EZ Print
Lite
all purpose thread
invisible thread
40 wt rayon thread
Microtex needle size 80
hand needle
Suggested Notions
Clover Fabric Folding Pen
Pinking Shears
Heirloom Air-erasable marker
Heirloom Teflon pressing sheet
Heirloom Sew Smooth
Heirloom Rinse Away Tape
cutting
Cut 1 – 35" x 35" for outside
Cut 1 – 35" x 35" for inside
Cut 1 – 17½" x 24" for pockets
Cut 2 – 17½" bias binding
making the outside of the picnic bag
Zippers and Embellishments
Machine set up
Sewing Foot: Open Toe Decorative stitch
foot
Thread: Rayon thread top and bobbin
Needle: Microtex size 80
1. Pin the closed zippers right side up
running diagonally and parallel 3"
apart, as in Figure A. If you’re having
trouble pinning use double sided basting tape to hold the zippers in place.
2. With a decorative stitch start sewing
from the center of the bag to the
outer edge. Satin stitches are not
recommended for this project, as
they tend to be very bulky and cause
puckers.
3. Sew only the side of each zipper closest to the center of the bag. Note: Ensure the needle will not hit your sewing
foot and break. Make some adjustments
to the stitch width and/or placement if
necessary.
4. Open the zippers and place the loose
side of the zipper in a curve which
becomes the side of the bag, as in
Figure B.
on the dotted lines and fuse them to
the back of the appliqué fabric. Follow
the instructions on the package.
5. Cut out the pieces of the design (cut
on the solid lines) and arrange them
on the front of the bag inside the zipper circle. Remove the backing paper
as you set the pieces in place. When
you’re pleased with your arrangement,
cover the design with a Teflon pressing sheet and fuse into place.
6. Use a zig zag, blanket or other decorative stitch; sew around all of the pieces
of your applique. Match the thread
color to the fabric or do all stitching in
black.
TIP Use a large metal mixing bowl to
trace the outline as a guide to line the
zipper up to.
making the inside of the picnic bag
5. Pin or tape in place.
TIP Use the same decorative stitch to sew
the zipper tape down. a couple of drops
of Sew Smooth on a cotton swab and
wipe the needle clean, if the needle gets
gummy using rinse away basting tape.
Appliqué
Use appliqué to decorate the picnic
bag along with decorative stitches and
embroideries.
Machine set up
Sewing Foot: Open Toe Decorative stitch
foot
Thread: Rayon thread same color top and
bobbin.
Needle: Microtex size 80
1. Cut a 12" circle of Sulky Soft’n Sheer
Extra.
2. Trim with pinking shears and fuse
to the wrong side of the outside
fabric within one of the zipper circles.
This will give the fabric a little more
stability and reduce puckers when
stitching the appliqué design.
3. For the appliqué watermelon; trace
the design onto the paper side of
Heat’n Bond Lite or easier still use
Heat’n Bond EZ Print sheets and copy
the patterns using your inkjet printer.
Notice that the lett ering is backwards
– don’t change it! The broken line on
the watermelon rind shows how far
to overlap the red fabric.
4. When doing appliqué you get a nicer
finish by overlapping the pieces. Cut
apart the different parts of the design
Pockets and Tablecloth
Machine set up
Sewing Foot: Regular Sewing foot
Thread: Rayon and All-purpose sewing
thread top and bobbin
Needle: Microtex size 80
1. Use all purpose thread and a straight
stitch or rayon thread and a decorative
stitch to sew the bias binding on both
17½" edges of the pocket.
2. Turn under ½" on the long sides of the
pocket and press. To hold in place use
double sided basting tape.
3. Refer to Figure C for pocket placement.
4. Use an air erasable marker to draw a
line from center top to center bottom
and side to side across the center of
the pocket.
5. On the right side of bag inside fabric
draw lines from corner to corner making a large X.
6. Place the pocket right side up aligning
marks on pocket and inside fabric. Pin
in place. Change to all purpose thread
and sew down the long sides with a
straight stitch.
7. Make smaller pockets for the cutlery;
measure down from the bias binding
6" to 7" and draw a horizontal line
across the pocket (depth will be determined by the size of the cutlery). Use a
straight stitch to stitch on this line.
8. Draw 3 vertical lines from the bias
binding to the horizontal line about
3" apart. This makes 3 cutlery pockets
and 1 larger pocket to hold cups. Use
a straight stitch to stitch on these lines
backstitching at the top of the pocket.
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