Travel Trio

Designer: Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis

(Luggage strap, laundry bag, and luggage tag)

• 4—1/2-yard pieces assorted black prints
• 4—1/2-yard pieces assorted white prints
• Contrasting heavyweight thread: lime green
• 2"-wide side-release buckle for luggage strap (strapworks.com); if the buckle you are using does not have a place to adjust the strap length, you may need to purchase a 2"-wide strap adjuster as well.
• 5" square of vinyl or plastic ID holder (luggage tag)

Finished luggage strap: approximately 2×84" (Lengthen the luggage strap by using more A and B segments.)

From each black print and white print, cut:

• 1—2-1/2 ×42" strip
• 1—1-1/2×42" strip

1. Referring to Diagram 1, alternate four black print 2-1/2 ×42" strips and four white print 1-1/2 ×42" strips; sew together to make strip set A. Press seams toward black prints. Cut strip set into four 4-1/2"-wide A segments. Set aside remaining strip set to make laundry bag and luggage tag.

2. In same manner, use four white print 2-1/2 ×42" strips and four black print 1-1/2 ×42" strips to make strip set B (Diagram 2). Press seams toward black prints. Cut strip set into four 4-1/2"-wide B segments. Set aside remaining strip set to make laundry bag and luggage tag.

3. Sew together alternating A and B segments end to end to make one long strip. Press seams toward black prints. The strip should be 4-1/2×96-1/2" including seam allowances.

4. With right side inside, fold Step 3 strip in half lengthwise. Sew together long edges and one pair of short edges to make a tube. Turn tube right side out. Turn remaining pair of short edges in 1/4"; edgestitch closed.

5. Using contrasting thread, quilt the tube as desired to make a luggage strap. Designer Tammy Silvers sewed two interlocking wavy lines along the length of the tube.

6. Separate pieces of side-release buckle (see photo, below). Insert the luggage strap end down through the buckle opening of the piece without the adjuster, fold it back on itself, and machine-stitch with a large X to secure. Bring the remaining luggage strap end up through the back opening of the piece with the adjuster, toward you, then loop it back down through the adjuster; tighten as necessary for the suitcase you are using.

Finished bag: 19×25-3/4"

From assorted black prints, cut:

• 1—2×42" strip
• 2—12-1/2 ×20" rectangles

From assorted white prints, cut:

• 2—12-1/2 ×20" rectangles

1. From remaining A and B strip sets, cut two 4-1/4"-wide segments each. Set aside remaining A and B strip sets to make luggage tag. Sew together A segments end to end and trim to make a 4-1/4 ×20" A strip. Repeat with B segments to make B strip.

2. Referring to Diagram 1, join a white print 12-1/2 ×20" rectangle, 4-1/4 ×20" B strip, and black print 12-1/2 ×20" rectangle to make bag front. Press seams away from strip B. Using contrasting thread, straight-stitch 1/8" from strip B seams, securing seam allowances.

3. Repeat Step 2 with remaining rectangles and 4-1/4 ×20" A strip to make bag back.

4. Layer bag front and bag back; rotate bag back 180º so black print rectangle is on top. Leaving top 2" on one side unsewn, use 1/2" seams to sew together long edges and a pair of short edges to make bag body (Diagram 2). Press seams in one direction.

5. Turn top edge of bag body under 1/2"; press. Turn same edge under 1-1/2"; press. Edgestitch along folded edge to make casing.

6. With right side inside, fold black print 2×42" strip in half lengthwise; stitch long raw edges together to make a tube. Turn tube right side out. Press flat, then tuck raw ends into tube. Stitch 1⁄8" from all edges to make drawstring. Feed one end of drawstring through casing. Tie drawstring ends together in an overhand knot to complete laundry bag.

Finished luggage tag: 3-3/4 ×5" (excluding strap)

From black print, cut:

• 1—1-1/4 ×17" strip

From vinyl, cut:

• 1—3-5/8 ×4-1/4" rectangle (or use a plastic ID holder of similar size)

1. With right side inside, fold black print 1-1/4 ×17" strip in half lengthwise; stitch long raw edges together to make a tube. Turn tube right side out. Press flat, then stitch 1/8" from seamed edge with contrasting thread to make luggage tag strap.

2. Cut one 4-1/4 ×5-1/2" rectangle from remaining strip set A and one from remaining strip set B.

3. Fold luggage tag strap in half to make a loop; align raw edges. With loop facing toward middle of rectangle, center strap on a short edge of a 4-1/4 ×5-1/2" rectangle. Place remaining 4-1/4 ×5-1/2" rectangle right side down over strap; sew together around all four edges, leaving an opening for turning, to make a tag unit. Backstitch a few times over strap to reinforce it. Turn tag unit right side out and edgestitch opening closed.

4. Position vinyl 3-5/8 ×4-1/4" rectangle on tag unit. Edgestitch around three sides of vinyl, backstitching at beginning and end to secure, to complete luggage tag. If using a plastic ID holder, edgestitch around all four edges.