Easiest Accessory Bags Ever is a sewing pattern by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts. It’s been on my ‘to make’ list for some time now. Leil’s birthday party provided the opportunity. I managed to make 3 of them while staying up late to monitor the sleep over goings ons. Not a recommended approach, I was still threading drawstrings early the next morning, finishing up just before I made the bacon and pancakes.
While the sizes are accurate on the pattern description, I totally underestimated what 19″ x 21″ meant! I envisioned cute little drawstring bags for the party favors. What resulted were these fabulous large bags that the moms were eying as the girls got picked up!
The pattern includes instructions for 3 different sized bags: the large Laundry & Gym Bag (19″ x 21″, the one I made), a medium Girly Girl Handbag (11″ x12″) and a small Makeup & Travel Bag (7″ x 8″).
Step 3 was a little confusing for me. I was probably making it harder than it needed to be. Ultimately I sewed it in a way that was logical to me and after finishing I’m certain that was the same approach being described in the instructions. I took some pictures of Step 3 (above) and Step 4 (below).
I think this is an outstanding pattern. I love it for several reasons:
- A simple, classic design that is perfectly proportioned.
- The combination of using different fabrics for each piece made for a colorful project. I had fun picking out coordinating fabrics.
- The technique of sewing the lining to the exterior and then turning it inside out before sewing the sides results in lovely finished seams both on the interior and on the folded over drawstring casing. Simple, elegant and oh so functional!
Problems I encountered:
- I found Step 3 to be confusing as I describe above. It’s actually very simple. If you’re like me and take every word literally definitely look at my pictures. Just iron the seam allowance open and stitch it down as shown.
- FYI on the materials list: it is very tight on yardage! The large bag requires 3 fat quarters (18″ x 22″). The instructions call for cutting these down to 18″ x 21″. If you pre-wash your fabric then you may be short. After making the bag I realized it really wouldn’t effect the construction. Your exterior piece would end up shorter than the pattern called for and the lining could be cut to match. Similarly with the lining yardage. It calls for 3/4 yard (27″) and then instructs you to cut a 26 3/4″ strip. Again, if you pre-wash you’ll probably be short but ultimately you can just cut the lining and the exterior pieces to match before sewing them together.
Materials Used:
Pattern: Easiest Accessory Bags Ever by Fig Tree Quilts
Aiden Linen Natural for the exterior base
Ohinasama Princess (one side of exterior) by Alexander Henry in Pink, Green and Red
Ta Dots (one side of exterior) by Michael Miller in Ocean, Tangerine and Lime
Mod Geo (linings) by Michael Miller in Green, Aqua and Blush
The combos: Bag 1 – Pink, Ocean and Green. Bag 2 – Green, Tangerine and Aqua. Bag 3 – Red, Lime and Blush.
Now, a little Giveaway:
3 randomly drawn winners will receive the fabrics and pattern to make the Laundry Bags as shown (one in each colorway). I’d planned to do kits for the shop but it hasn’t happened in two weeks and it’s summer. What else can I say.
and a Contest:
Leave a comment telling me 3 fabrics (2 exterior and 1 lining) you would use (from the shop) to make these bags. Let’s keep it simple and assume natural linen is the base. I’m going to pick a winner or two from the combination I like the best. The winner will receive a set of fabrics and pattern to make their design.
I’ll draw the winners on Friday morning (July 3).
Happy Summer Sewing! xo Kathy
Kathy Mack
Carrie + Diana
I had such a hard time deciding. So many great fabrics. I think in keeping with the spirit of the bag, I would make the outside using Mutt, and Quarter Dot Kiwi, and for the inside I would chose The French Life-Teal & Lime. Too much fun. Thanks for allowing this girl to dream.
Marsha
Resort Cabana and Ta Dot Ocean for the outside and Mutt for the lining. The natural linen for the base is perfect! Such a quick and fun project!
Patty
Thanks for the pattern review, I’m inspired to try it. Here are my choices: Red Letter Day Ugly Duckling Galosh and Red Letter Day Walk in the Woods Galosh for the outside, and Red Letter Day Pearl Bracelet Pond for the inside.
Oh, I love them! I’m thinking Mutt and Ta Dot Lime with Floating Buds Sage on the inside. Very cute bags, you did marvelously. And I just did the mad-sewing-for-daughter’s-birthday-party thing, too. Seventeen reversible aprons, but I finished everything before midnight the eve of the party. Not bad, eh?
Nice Pattern
I’d go for
Martini Lime and Martini Yellow – Midwest Modern for the exterior and Mingle Pebbles Summer for the interior.
Have a wonderful summer day!
If I were to make this bag, It would be for my mother. So I would use Exterior: Anna Griffin’s Fiona Flower Stripes in lime and Brown and also Michael Miller’s Dumb Dots in Brown. For the Lining I would use Joel Dewberry’s Woodgrain in lime.
What a great giveaway! This was fun to dream up……thanks!
How fun! I love your combinations!
Let’s see what I can come up with….
Mushroom Stripe for the lining
Wonderland Mad Hatter Sugar
Enchino Dots Bittersweet + Khaki
I love your combinations.
Here are my selections, exterior: Dance with Me Libby Turquoise by Jennifer Paganelli and Cathedral Dusk by Anna Maria Horner. Interior would be Dainty Damask Peppermint from Michael Miller fabrics.
Perusing your fabrics was fun to come up with a combination, but not so fun for a girl on a budget!
Very cute bags! I would love to make one of these!
My fabric picks would be: Bonjour (Japanese Designer) for the bottom of the exterior of the bag & Aiden Linen Natural for the top of the exterior of the bag, with Winter Forest (Japanese Designer) for the inside of the bag.
So much fun to look through the shop for great fabric combos!
Modern dots Blue + Brown
Modern dots Brown + Orange
Lining: Kona Cotton – Petunia
All of my fabrics would be by Amy Butler (what can I say…I heart them)…
Liner – Nigella Wood Fern Forest
Outsides – Martini Moss & Martini Rust
Wildwood Checked Floral Grey
Ta Dot Celery
Lining: Mingle Pebbles Summer
What a great pattern!
I love the pattern for the bag!
For the exterior I would use: Tape Measure by Kokka & Strawberry Farm by Kokka with Mini Strawberries for the interior. I just love fruit prints!
Oh fun! I’d do Happy Owls and Echino dots in mustard and white with a lining of Hedgehog Toadstool stripe in fuchsia and amber. Thanks for let us play…even online I love pulling fabrics!
I love Michael Miller fabrics, so all three of my choices are from there.
Outside 1: Birds of Norway Espresso
Outside 2: Dainty Damask Peppermint
Lining: Ta Dot Celery
I think the espresso would coordinate nicely with the natural linen base. Plus, I love any print with birds!
There are so many comments, I don’t know if this fabric combination has been chosen yet –
1. Kokka Bluebird Patchwork
2. Ta Dot Ocean
3. Mini Strawberries (lining)
I think these fabrics in combination with the natural linen would make a sweet bag.
Thanks for the great pattern review!
wow gorgeous bags. I think I would use the licorice print from amy butler. Or any other bright fabrics with linen
What a fun invitation!!! Your fabric shop is impressive!
I would put My Folk Medallion Chocolate and Happy Owls together on the outside, and Clamshell Sashiko Cardinal Red on the inside. Your post that mentioned linen and some Japanese term that I cannot recall at the moment (something about objects that help us think fresh) made me think that Japanese-themed fabric might be nice with the linen.
Thanks for sharing a fun offer!
Hard to pick without touching! Let’s go crazy with wildwood checked floral grey and bubble flower summer with stitched swirl green.
Halloween Trick or Treat bag:
Bottom: Aiden Linen – Black
Side Panels:
Bat-Tastic by Alexander Henry
Witchy Webs by Alexander Henry
Lining: Carolina Chambray in Ebony
What a sweet idea for a giveaway Kathy! And what a cute bag. I would choose the following fabric:
1. Wildwood Pressed Leaves in Fuchsia
2. Sophies Garden in Fuchsia
3. Wildwood Sprout – Lining
What a great excuse to go and drool over the fabrics…!
I’d go for
Wildwood Forest Lime (lining)
Wildwood Wallflower Lime
Tencel Linen Lime
I like lime. And so does my eldest, who needs a PE bag for her new school in September..
And thank you for the chance of taking part!
Oh, this was so hard – not the picking, but the narrowing! Kudos to those who could cut choices down to two colorways; alas, I must split my heart three ways:
1a. Pretty Please Ann Flower Mural Ice
1b. Mod Geo Green
1c. Traffic Jam Road Stripe Blue (lining)
2a. Deer Valley Antler Damask Celadon
2b. Modern Dots Blue + Brown
2c. French Laundry (lining)
3a. Wonderland Metamorphosis Pistachio
3b. Mingle Pebbles Summer
3c. Dumb Dot Brown (lining)
This is a great pattern! Very versatile for many gift occasions. Hope to be able to try this soon!
This was so much fun, I love pairing colors together.
1. Robert Kaufman’s “Metro market chicken summer”
2. Erin McMorris’s “Wild wood checked floral green”
3. and for the lining – Michael Miller’s “ta dot Lagoon”.
With the linen base, I would make the exterior fabrics: school yard friends and music friends; the lining would be Obinasama princess red.
Oh my, what a wonderful bag! For the exterior I would use: traffic jam beep beep blue and traffic jam trasportation blue; the lining would be traffic jam conffetti blue. The other fun combination would be resort cabana and sprockets on the exterior (play and work–get it!) with street stripe on the inside! Have a wonderful 4th!
I could spend all day picking fabric combinations. Now I want to make a bag for everyone I know. A bag for my daughter would be made from…
Paper doll bunny (japanese) & Wonderland snip snip tomato, lined with urban chiks sweet spots bubblegum.
This was a lot of fun… Thanks!
This is so hard but I guess I would choose Mutt, Ta dot Lagoon and Quarter Dot Kiwi.
Thanks
Tanya
So many possibilities! The obvious one for me (having boys) would be the traffic jam line, but after looking, and leaving, and coming back I thought that a Christmas bag would be cool … so my selection is …
1. Candy Colored Christmas (Alexander Henry)
2. Joyful Damask Lime
3. Holiday Ditzy Red for the lining
Awesome bag!!!
b.
What a fun giveaway!
My choices would be:
1. Daisy Chain Deco Rose Forest
2. Fresh Poppies Sky
3. Red Letter Day Pearl Bracelet Pond
Thanks!
I can say with certainty that I do not need another project but those bags are so super cute, I’m probably going to have to make some!