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Reiko Washizawa
Patchwork Quilted Bags
Totes, Purses & Accessories
TUTTLE Publishing
Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore
Introduction
Quilting and I have had a long history together. It has been about forty years since I discovered the art of patchwork quilting, and soon I will be celebrating my 70th birthday. Quilting gives both the creative joy of the handmade and a sense of accomplishment. Though the projects may require a significant time commitment, just as in life, the long journey interspersed with plenty of breaks is completely worthwhile.
To be honest, compared to the number of quilts I’ve made, I have not constructed very many patchwork bags or pouches, which are the focus of this book. Although I approached the subject with a bit of trepidation, I thought to myself, “Even at my age, I can take on new challenges!” So I happily accepted the opportunity.
With this attitude, I found myself enjoying the process beyond my expectations. Despite my many years of quilting, I still derive as much pleasure from the craft as I did in my early days, and it is in this enthusiastic spirit that I designed the quilt patterns you’ll see here.
In this book, I introduce you to my designs which are guided by my philosophy of “gentle sewing and the joy of exploring color combinations.” It gives me great pleasure to share these projects and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Contents
Basic Bags
The Little Bird Bag
Out & About Bags
Linen + Lace Bag and Pouches
Square Patchwork Bag and Pouches
Bowl-Shaped Bags
Yo-Yo Quilt Bags and Pouches
Shopping Bags
Lemon Star Gusseted Bag
Foldable Eco Bag
Unique Market Bag
Flat Bag
Favorite Bags for Moms and Little Ones
Mother’s Bag and Baby Bottle Case
Lesson Bags
Fancy Travel Case
Accessory Case and Wire Frame Cosmetic Pouch
Clutch
Cute Little Pouches
Sewing Case and Scissors Case
Card Case with Accordion Pocket
Strawberry Pouch
Mini Yo-Yo Pouch
Union Jack Pouch
Patterns in this book
My Encounter with Patchwork
My Top 5 Favorite Projects
My Supportive Family and Friends
Step-by-step Instructions
Projects How–To
Patterns in this book
For this book, I focused on simple patterns and piecework for a wide range of small patchwork projects that I hoped would appeal to beginners and seasoned quilters alike. As you become accustomed to the basics, refer to this section and feel free to modify the designs and patchwork steps.
Basic Patterns
Square
▶ p.24 Square Patchwork Bag and Pouches
▶ p.46 Fancy Travel Case
● Drafting a Square
We will use 2 triangle rulers to create a square.
You can draw rectangles using the same method.
① Place the two triangular rulers side-by-side and trace along the vertical and horizontal sides to create a right angle with lines of equal length.
② Shift the lower triangular ruler upwards to the top of the vertical line you drew. Draw a line parallel to the horizontal one from the previous step.
③ Determine desired
