Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Welcome to Day 3
Welcome to day 3 of the Easy Duffle Sew Along! I am so excited to have you join me, my friend. Today... probably the most relaxing day of them all!
But let's dive right in.
Today we are machine quilting the outside panels of your duffle. Giving your Easy Duffle a wonderful, unique texture. This step is pretty much the most therapeutic. Kind of like quilty yoga (but no sweating, yay!).
And if you've chosen to make a whole cloth duffle and skipped yesterday - welcome back!
Schedule
And here again the schedule for the week!
- Day 1 - material pull
- Day 2 - piecing the outside
- Day 3 - quilting the duffle (today)
- Day 4 - handles and pockets
- Day 5 - assembly
- Day 6 - shoulder strap
Super quick turnaround. I would say it will take you about an hour a day each day of the Sew Along. Today even less... but who's counting the minutes when it comes to quilty yoga?!
If you feel you're falling a little behind. No worries. Don't feel pressured along. Catch up whenever you're ready. You are the one in charge!
Day 3 - Video
And here's the video for Day 3 of the Easy Duffle Bag Sew Along. Tab on the image below to play the video!
Today I am showing you how I machine quilt by panels and then prep them for the next steps. The most fun and relaxing step of the process, I think.
Technique
A couple words on machine quilting. I promise to keep it short.
Ok. Let's go.
Make sure your fabric panel is neatly pressed. All nice and flat. Same for your piece of soft and stable. I like to give it a good press as well - as it's usually quite wrinkly coming out of the packaging. And you don't want your duffle to be wobbly.
To stop your fabric from shifting it's best to use glue spray. Quickly applied and no need to remove pesky pins or needles while quilting.
And then... I like to use my hera marker to mark the first quilted line. Tracing it with my needle is so easy and the crease obviously doesn't leave any marks. And from then on I am using my (metal) quilting guide bar to trace the previous line. You can see all that in the video above.
Machine quilting 101 if you like.
Materials
And here a list with all the materials you'll need today. Not much really.
Batting. I like to use soft and stable. It gives great structure and is super easy to use (and won't give you much of a headache later when it comes to assembling your duffle). But of course - you can also use some left over batting from your last quilt (this is my fave type of batting). It's not as strong and your duffle will be a little softer, but that's totally fine. Fusible fleece would also work.
Thread. I am using Aurifil 28wt for machine quilting. It's a little thicker and creates some wonderful texture in combination with your batting. But of course... you can use whatever thread you have already.
Basic quilty notions. And finally, you'll need your basic quilty notions. Today I am using my hera marker and long ruler to mark the first line. And then a square ruler, marker and scissors to cut out the corners of my duffle. But again... you probably have those already.
Big picture
And if you like to sew the Easy Duffle in one go and need a little more visual help - watch the full video tutorial right here. Rather than me breaking it down into small quilty vlog chunks.
The video tutorial in combination with the pattern will walk you through every step of the process. Quick and efficient. If that's for you.
Share your progress!
And now the fun bit! Wahoooo! Please share your quilted panels over on Instagram (or Facebook) using the #easydufflebag. I can't wait to see your quilty goodness... Y-A-Y!
And thats's a wrap for day 3. You done it! Tomorrow we are making your pockets and handles. And again... if you made the decision on day 1 to skip handles and pockets - you'll have a day off! Not too bad, right?
Take care and big quilty hugs,
Laura x
-----------------------------------------------------------
This blog post contains affiliate links, specifically I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I will never post a link to a product I do not personally recommend. If you click on an affiliate link and then proceed to purchase something from that affiliated website, I receive a small commission. This helps me continue to provide high quality, free content. Please send me an email to laura@sweetcinnamonroses.com if you have any questions.
