Christmas Gift Giving - TUTORIAL QUILTED MUG BAG

Kris Kringle gift giving for my sewing group is coming up, I love this little group we gather and bring out cups, sit and sip and stitch in company, it's also a chance for me to visit with Mum on a weekly basis doing something we love together is always good....but I digress. So this will be the second year in a row that I will be making a little MUG BAG, having done the draw string kind I wanted one that looked a little more like a handbag & with some simple quilting. I know one of the teachers has one that all the girls admire, so I thought well I think I can make it, so to the quilting table I went and drew and measured and I think I have done it justice considering it was just from memory....... Then it was oh why not share it as a Tutorial too....

I found it Easy as, once I got one done, why not add a couple to my sale box too....so you will find more like the one below in my Facebook Store http://www.facebook.com/soniasoriginals

I love these Lock & Lock Eco Life "I'm not a paper cup" mugs...so it is made to fit that, but after trying a few mugs they are all much the same standard size. - You can pop your teabag, coffe satchel and even a cookie or two inside your mug inside your bag

Ingredients

• Main Bag - 7 x 12 inches
• Pellon - 7 x 12 inches
• Lining - 7 x 12 inches
• 2 Sides - 4 1/2 x 8 inches
• 2 Handles - 1 1/2 x 10 inches
• Button Loop 1 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
• Binding 38 x 2 1/2 inches
• Elastic 2 x 3 inch pieces of 1/2 inch wide

Method

• Iron the Pellon to the wrong side of the lining fabric.
• As in my last tutorial I am not one to pin things, so just sandwich your main bag fabric with your lining enclosing the ironed on pellon.

• Start Quilting the layers together...I have started in the centre and then worked rows of stitching 1/2 inch either side continuing till there are 11 rows and you have about 3/4 inch at each edge.

  

• Take your side and fold in half wrong sides together. and press then fold in half again across and YES PIN IT - then using your cup draw and cut the curve into your bag. Remember you are cutting the non folded end. If you are doing a few bags you may want to make yourself a little template. Repeat this step to your other side.

• Then take both sides to the sewing machine and sew a row of top stitching close to the fold then another approximately 1 inch from the fold, this will be your elastic casing. Thread your elastic pining at the edges

• Now the fun part, joining your side to your main bag - PIN yes PIN and mark the centre of both your sides and your quilted bag piece.

•  Matching your centre pins on the sides to the bag piece and re pin together wrong sides together ( lining to side)... then pin the top of the each bag side 1 inch down from the top edge of your main bag then easing as you go, and catching the elastic into your seam work your way around the bag slowly. It's looking like a bag now!!!!

• Making the handles comes and button loop is next - take each piece and with wrong sides together sew each one into a tube. Then with the aid of a pin turn the tubes right side out and topstitch each edge.

• To make your button hole loop, once you have completed the above tube and topstitching, fold it half and press, then open and join like in the picture then press the poin flat.....hope you can understand that.

• Now pin the handles to both side and the loop to one side only on to the bag like so....
• OK this is the big sigh part, I LOVE BINDING, on a quilted bound project it's like tucking your baby into bed........ take your 38 x 2 1/2 inch strip and iron in half making your binding. I also like to iron one end in by 1/2 inch like so.
• Starting along one of the sides, start sewing your binding about 1 inch from the end, sewing raw edges together, work your way around mitering at the corners....see photo details on mitering it is just one of those things I can't put into words. tuck your end into your begining as per photo too.

• then sit back with some tv on and ladder stitch the binging around your raw seam...this is the bit I love!!! 
• Stitch a button while you have your needle and thread ...and your done...another gift crossed off the list...

or if you wish to purchase one I have made - check out these little beauties...

Sorry, not for sale - decided this one is my christmas gift to me :)

Momm's Apron Strings by RJR  Fabrics - with Stitching things lining and black white dot ends...$18 + postage

Love this colour combo, Red, Brown Pink floral with Teal Polka Dot lining and Ends $18 + postage