Quilted bags, totes, and fabric pouches of all sizes are having a moment. Why not join in on the fun?
As I have mentioned several times, giving yourself a challenge, and trying new things is a terrific way to exercise your brain. And what better way to work your brain than learning a new skill like bag making?

There are sew many options from super simple bags with button closures to fancy purses or overnight bags with multiple compartments, see-through mesh or plastic pockets, and numerous zippers and everywhere in between. There are bags for every skill level and time commitment, from a quick evening clutch made in an afternoon to a multi-day effort for the perfect bag for your next travel adventure.

As you might guess, there are many different options for learning how to make a bag and finding patterns, from loads of downloadable PDFs on Etsy and websites to an array of online tutorials and classes (both free and paid). There are many materials available to help make the process easier and more efficient. For most bags you will need a stabilizer to give support and stability to your bag. For many bags you will need zippers and or other “hardware” and then also mesh or sewable plastic or vinyl for pockets or compartments. If you are feeling adventurous you can experiment with tapestry/ upholstery type fabric or even cork fabric, yes, you can really sew with cork! Are you getting excited about making a bag? I hope you are. Remember, one secret to staying young is continuing to learn new skills.

Personally, I had not made a bag since I made a simple fabric bag/purse without zippers or pockets about 20 years ago. Then I was challenged to make a bag as an Island Batik Ambassador. One of our sponsors is ByAnnie, a Utah-based company, owned by Annie Unrein, built upon patterns and supplies for making bags and other containers. For my first Challenge in 2022, I played it safe and made an easy pattern – Contain Yourself. I made all three sizes of soft sided fabric bins from the pattern. I got braver in 2023 and made two bags from the Night and Day pattern – a purse and mini tote with zippers, and magnetic snaps (see photo). It was challenging to work with zippers and sewing magnets was interesting, but then I do like a challenge. Both patterns had bonus “add-on videos” that really helped me in following the step-by-step patterns. This year, I will be making more containers/bins, this time with zippers, from the Room With a View pattern.

Have fun and be creative. You can use new fabric to make a bag or recycle leftover blocks or UFOs (unfinished objects) or old shirts. You can even upcycle an old quilt. Using a quilt as prequilted fabric is a quick way to make a brand-new bag. And speaking of easy, try the sew by numbers, quilt as you go batting by June Tailor. The pattern is printed on the batting, and you simply follow the numbers to create a bag (like paint by numbers). Another great option is the Mondo Bag, one of the most popular quilty bags ever. The QuiltSmart pattern is printed on fusible interfacing, and you sew on the lines to create an easy, really big bag perfect for carrying a quilt to show and tell at your next guild meeting. Explore the internet for many more options and challenge yourself!

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As I mentioned last month, if you have not been making butter or repairing wagons, you may not be aware of the history behind the classic Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench quilt pattern.

A brief refresher: “Churn Dash” is based on the block’s similarity to a dash or dasher; the cross-shaped paddle in the center of a

butter churn. “Monkey Wrench” is based on the block’s resemblance to a fixed carriage or wagon wrench and to adjustable wrenches (look at the top row of the block and visualize the gripping teeth of a wrench). The quilt block and these names and many others have been around since about 1855.

If you ask quilters for their favorite quilt design, of course, you will get a variety of responses, but many will answer with the Churn Dash or Monkey Wrench block. It is a great pattern for beginning quilters, but intermediate and advanced quilters enjoy it as well. There are more than 40 published names for the traditional block, another indicator of the pattern’s strong approval with quilters. The block is a variation of a nine patch; composed of a center square, half square triangle corners with four rectangle sets or squares in between. The blocks are pieced as either an even nine patch or uneven nine patch.

The pattern has never gone out of style and is still extremely popular today. If you do a search for Churn Dash, you will find a variety of antique, traditional, modern blocks, and quilts. There is so much inspiration and direction for your next project. I have enjoyed playing, creating, and experimenting with the traditional block over the years and giving it a modern twist. Like my Echoing Churn Dash (see photo) made for Quiltmaker 100 Blocks, many modern versions highlight multiple Churn Dashes in one block reminiscent of nesting dolls.

You will see Churns or Wrenches all over the quilting universe from Pinterest boards to Etsy shops, how to quilt books, quilt history books, blog hops, quilt alongs, social media accounts, and many magazines – including the cover of the newest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting (June 2024) that is arriving to newsstands now. And speaking of that cover quilt, Scrappy Churn Dash by Jen Kingwell is a unique modern version of the classic pattern. It features an uneven nine patch with neighboring blocks sharing their corner squares and a single blue fabric for the large centers and backgrounds.

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Learning about the past can be fun! One of the things that I love most about collecting antique quilts, blocks, and fabrics are all the interesting tidbits of history that I have gleaned along the way. I have learned about so many aspects of American history by studying fabrics and quilts in my collection. For example, from an 1850 Quaker signature quilt made near Philadelphia with a hand-drawn picture of a whale and a boat, I discovered that Quakers were prominent in the whaling industry. Similarly, from inkings of grapes on another signature Quaker quilt from the same era I learned that grape growing dated all the way back to William Penn. And during the mid-1800s Pennsylvania had a wine production boom. It is impressive what you can learn from quilts.

Recently, my friend Mea sent me a photo of some interesting antique fabric she had found on a new to her quilt. The quilt had tiny pieces, but she could see partial printed words or text on a couple of fabrics and thought I might have an idea about it. As luck would have it (or almost 20 years of antique fabric study), I immediately recognized it as a fabric that I had researched: Fabric that was related to famous politicians and United States presidential campaigns. I had found an intriguing antique printed fabric advertising the presidential campaign of Ulysses S. Grant with the text “US Grant, First in Peace and First in War” and “Let Us Have Peace” with a depiction of Grant. Interesting mix of war and peace slogans, but it was soon after the Civil War. Later, during a tour of the Manchester New Hampshire Historical Society with the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG), we were treated to a selection of antique swatch books from the local fabric mills. I was delighted to find another US Grant campaign fabric with the same slogan along with his 1871/1872 running mate Henry Wilson. I have yet to find either Grant fabric in a quilt, but my friend had found campaign fabric from Grant’s 1872 presidential opponent, Horace Greeley, in her quilt! And I had photographed that very fabric and several other Greeley fabrics in the same swatch book that had the Grant fabric. The fabric mill was covering all its bases and printing fabrics for both campaigns — an equal opportunity printing company for sure.

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