Patchwork Duffle Bag

Join Melissa Smith for this fun and skill-building 2-day class as you create a stunning Patchwork Duffle Bag. You’ll learn techniques for piecing, assembling, and constructing a structured bag that’s both stylish and practical. This project is great for showing off your favorite fabrics while building your bag-making skills. Class meets May 30th and June 6th from 10 AM–2 PM.

PATCHWORK DUFFLE BAG CLASS INSTRUCTIONS
*We will be making the STANDARD Patchwork Duffle Bag, not the Mini*

Level: Intermediate (proficient at sewing with some basic bag-making experience)

Schedule: Because of the extensive nature of this project, this workshop will be structured as a two-part class – Saturday, May 30th and Saturday, June 6th – so participants can leave class with a finished duffle bag.

• May 30 th – prep work including cutting your patchwork squares, assembling your bag panels (1 body, 2 side panels, 2 pockets), and quilting your panels.
• June 6 th – all elements from the May 30th class should be completed. We will assemble our bags, add handles, and make the carrying strap.

Project Requirements:
• Patchwork Duffle Pattern by Knot & Thread
• Main Fabric: 12 Fat Eighth OR Scraps – you can use larger cuts of fabric (FQs etc.), but fabric variety will create diversity in your patchwork design. Scraps should be a minimum of 3 ½” square.
• Lining Fabric: 1 ¼ yards (non-directional)
• Exterior Accent Fabric (exterior bindings, *handles, and *carrying strap): 2/3 yard OR ¼ yard if using decorative webbing for the handles and carrying strap; best to use non-directional fabric.
• Interior Accent (bias binding): 1 FQ (non-directional)
• 1 yd (36” x 44”) double sided fusible Bosal interfacing OR Soft & Stable (if using Soft & Stable you may want basting spray i.e. Odif 505)
• (1) 30” Double-slide Handbag #4.5 or #5 Zipper (or continuous length zipper tape with 2 zipper pulls) • 5 yards 1 ½” Decorative Webbing or Polypro Strapping – decorative webbing is easier; polypro strapping will require covering in fabric
• Bag Hardware: o (2) 1 ½” Triangle or D rings o (2) 1 ½” Swivel Hooks o (1) 1 ½” Strap Adjuster Class Supplies
• Heavy duty sewing machine in good working order that can sew multiple layers
• Basic sewing notions (pins, Wonder clips, fabric scissors, rotary cutter with fresh blade, seam ripper, extra bobbins, stiletto etc.)
• Needles – #90/14 Jean needle and your favorite piecing/quilting needle
• Suggested rulers: 6 ½” x 24 ½”, 6 ½” x 12 ½”, 3 ½” square, and 2 ½” circle
• Coordinating thread to match your patchwork fabric and webbing
• Sewing Machine Feet: ¼” foot for piecing, walking foot (optional but will help to quilt the foam), ZIPPER foot, a basic J or N foot
• Marking tool (air or water erasable, or Herra marker)
• Sewing extension table (optional)
• Quick Turn – Fabric Tube Turning Tool (helpful if covering your handles in fabric)
• 505 adhesive spray (helpful if using Soft & Stable in lieu of double sided fusible)