This month’s blog hop is called It’s In the Bag as the Island Batik Ambassadors will all be making a project using different upcoming fabric collections from Island Batik and a pattern and supplies from byAnnie.com. I am looking forward to seeing all the wonderful projects that will be created during this month’s Island Batik blog hop as Patterns byAnnie are so easy to follow that they can turn anyone into a bag maker. Since this month is a blog hop, you can check out the Island Batik blog and enter each week to win a fat quarter bundle of some of the fabrics the Ambassadors are using in their projects. I will show the other fabric collections later in this blog along with a link to the giveaway from Island Batik and links to other ambassador’s blogs.
Check out the fabric I was given to use to make the Switchback bag: Porcelain Blue by Kathy Engle from Island Batik. Just look at this gorgeous blue and white collection of batik fabrics with a woodsy theme. The Porcelain Blue collection may be found at your local quilt shop that carries Island Batik, such as Boutique4quilters in Melbourne, FL and Fabric Smart in St. Petersburg FL. This collection should be in your local quilt shop Spring of 2024. You may find them online at https://www.boutique4quilters.com/ or call them at (321) 768-2060 or www.fabric-smart.com or call them at (727) 914-8850. Another online option for you to shop for this fabric would be Hancocks of Paducah: Hancocks of Paducah
The bag I made is 11″ x 11″ x 4. The fabric collection has various shades of blue and white. The Porcelain Blue collection has many woodsy elements like leaves and flowers. Making this bag was easy and fun using the pattern byAnnie.com.
Here is Blue Bear who is thrilled with his new Switchback bag.
The first thing to get started on this project is to get your supplies and tools all lined up. You of course will need some beautiful batiks like the Porcelain Blue collection from Island Batik and some Aurifil 50 wt. cotton thread. You will also need pins, a ruler, rotary cutter, cutting mat and some snips. You will need the Switchback pattern from byAnnie. I was provided some needed supplies from byAnnie as well such as the Soft and Stable foam stabilizer, fusible interfacing, fold-over elastic, zippers, strapping and hardware.
The byAnnie pattern is very well organized and so easy to follow. It makes it possible for someone like me who has hardly made a bag before to make one. The pattern has detailed illustrations and boxes for you to check off each section as you have completed it. There is a page with a list of all the various pieces so that you can keep track of them and know which piece the pattern is talking about.
There are 5 different fabrics used in making this bag. The pattern refers to the fabrics by name type and thus I labeled the fabrics to keep straight which fabric was called for in the pattern.
One of the first things you do is quilt the fabric that is for the front and back of the bag, using the Soft and Stable foam stabilizer. I love this foam stabilizer as it is so easy to quilt with on a domestic machine.
You can quilt the pieces in a chain piece fashion to make the quilting go faster.
A lot of the lining pieces are stabilized with a fusible interfacing, which helps to give the bag more structure.
The pattern shows you how to make binding cut on the bias, which makes it have more stretch and makes it easier to go around the curved sections of the bag that need binding.
The strap of the bag is covered with cloth, which really gives the bag that finished look.
The pattern shows you how to make all the fabric steps and accessories that are needed for the bag. It has you make precise markings on the bag parts, so you know exactly where to put the accessories.
The pattern has you put zippers in the bag with several different methods. The zipper at the inside top of the bag is made with zipper strips. One of the best features of the byAnnie.com patterns is that many of them come with a coupon code that allows you watch a video that covers some of the more difficult aspects of making the bag. These videos come in really handy for someone like me that is not used to making bags.
This zipper is for an inner pocket that is accessible from the front of the bag.
This is a more standard zipper placement on an inside pocket.
Here I am installing the a zipper strip at the inside top of the bag opening.
One of the final tasks is to sew the bias binding around the raw edges that will be in the inside of the bag. This task can be a little daunting as you have to finagle so many layers of fabric under the needle and sew around curves.
Finally, your Switchback bag is complete and you have a stylish bag with so much room and so many pockets to take on all of your adventures.
Below is the image of my YouTube video of me revealing this bag. Here is a link to the video if you would like to watch it and see more details of the bag: Switchback Bag- reveal of November Island Batik Ambassador project
If you like the video, please be sure to give it a thumbs up, share it with your friends and subscribe so you don’t miss any upcoming videos.
The supplies I used to make this project were provided by:
Island Batik Porcelain Blue collection
Aurifil 50 wt Thread
Schmetz 70/10 Quilting needle
Patterns by Annie Switchback bag pattern and needed supplies
If you are on TikTok, be sure to check out the video I have posted about the inside of the bag. (Look for Blue Bear Quilts)
Blue Bear hopes you like his new Switchback bag. Please let him know how much you love it by writing to him in the comments!
The other amazing Island Batik Ambassadors are also posting their November Blog It’s In the Bag projects. Check out their projects by clicking on the links next to their names to be directed to their blog posts.
WEEK 1
November 1
Susan Deshensky, Lady Blue Quilts
Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
November 2
Lana Russel, Lana Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts
November 3
Blog Hop Week 1 Round Up + giveaway
WEEK 2
November 6
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs
Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany
November 7
Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels
Victoria Johnson, Forever Quilting for You
November 8
Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights
November 9
Sarah Pitcher, Pitcher’s Boutique
Preeti Harris,Sew Preeti Quilts
November 10
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway
WEEK 3
November 13
Elita Sharpe, Busy Needle Quilting
Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
November 14
Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts Thanks for stopping by!
Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
November 15
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
November 16
Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
Randi Jones, Randi’s Roost
November 17
Blog Hop Week 3 Round Up + giveaway
WEEK 4
November 20
Renee Atkinson, Pink Tulip Quilting
Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion
November 21
End of Blog Hop + Final Round Up
To enter for your chance to win one of the two prizes above, follow the simple Rafflecopter prompts below.
This giveaway ends on November 17th at 11:59 pm PDT. Two random winners will be notified by email on November 18th and announced on the Island Batik Facebook page on November 21st. If the winners do not respond within the first three days after being notified, two new random winners will be chosen. Please check your spam folders!
Make sure to follow Island Batik on social media to hop along with the It’s In the Bag Blog Hop. Be sure to check out the Island Batik Blog.
#islandbatikambassador #islandbatik #bagmaking #iloveislandbatik #aurifil #aurifilthread #schmetzneedles #Janome #HancocksofPaducah #fabricsmart #patternsbyannie.
Great pictures and video.
Thanks so much. I’m glad you like it.
Your bag is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t think I have seen this one before, but I love it. And the fabrics are so beautiful. Great job Reed!
Thanks Joyce. It’s a great bag. I am so glad you like it.