Season's Greetings

Designer: Sherri Falls of This & That

• 3⁄8 yard total assorted green prints (bag body)
• 1⁄3 yard mottled gold (bag body)
• 1⁄4 yard total assorted gold prints (bag body)
• 1⁄4 yard total assorted brown prints (bag body)
• 7⁄8 yard total assorted red prints (bag body, handle, tie, bottom, binding)
• 3⁄8 yard purple print (lining)
• 14×40" thin batting

Finished bag: 10×12-3⁄4×7"

Finished blocks: hourglass, 3-1⁄2" square; small and large tree, 4×6"

Quantities are for 44⁄45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in following order. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern piece.

From green prints, cut:

• 2--4-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 8 triangles total
• 6--2-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangles
• 14--1-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangles
• 8--2-1⁄4" squares

From mottled gold, cut:

• 4--1-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangles
• 4--1-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangles
• 12--2-1⁄2" squares
• 12--1-1⁄2×2" rectangles
• 28--1-1⁄2" squares

From gold prints and mottled gold scraps, cut:

• 2--4-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 8 triangles total
• 8--2-1⁄4" squares

From brown prints, cut:

• 2--4-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 8 triangles total
• 4--2-1⁄4×4" rectangles
• 6--1-1⁄2" squares

From red prints, cut:

• 1--2-1⁄2×42" strip for tie
• 2--2-1⁄4×32" binding strips cut on the bias
• 2--3×28" strips for casing
• 2--9×12" rectangles for bag bottom
• 1--4×10" rectangle for loop
• 2--4-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 8 triangles total
• 4--2-1⁄4×4" rectangles

From purple print, cut:

• 1--14×30" rectangle

From batting, cut:

• 1--14×30" rectangle
• 1--9×12" rectangle

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each green and gold print 2-1⁄4" square.

2.    Align a marked green print square with one end of a brown print 2-1⁄4×4" rectangle. Stitch on marked line. Trim seam allowance to 1⁄4", then press open attached triangle (Diagram 1).

3.    Align a second marked green print square with remaining end of brown print rectangle. Stitch, trim, and press as before to make a green-and-brown Flying Geese unit.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make four green-and-brown Flying Geese units total.

5.    Using marked gold print 2-1⁄4" squares and assorted red print 2-1⁄4×4" rectangles, repeat steps 2 and 3 to make four gold-and-red Flying Geese units.

1.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together two assorted green print triangles and two assorted brown print triangles in pairs. Press seams toward darker print. Join pairs to make a green-and-brown hourglass block. Press seam in one direction. The block should be 4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four green-and-brown hourglass blocks total.

2.    Using assorted gold print and red print triangles, repeat Step 1 to make four gold-and-red hourglass blocks.

1.    Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each mottled gold 1-1⁄2" and 2-1⁄2" square.

2.    Referring to steps 2 and 3 of Assemble Flying Geese Units, use marked mottled gold 2-1⁄2" squares and green print 2-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangles to make six gold-and-green Flying Geese units.

3.    Align marked mottled gold 1-1⁄2" squares with each end of a green print 1-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangle. Stitch, trim, and press as in Step 2 to make a branch unit (Diagram 3). Repeat to make 14 branch units total.

4.    Lay out one mottled gold 1-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangle, one gold-and-green Flying Geese unit, two branch units, two mottled gold 1-1⁄2×2" rectangles, and one brown print 1-1⁄2" square in rows (Diagram 4). Join pieces in bottom row; press seams toward brown print. Join rows to make a small tree block; press seams in one direction. The block should be 4-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four small tree blocks total.

5.    Substituting a branch unit for the mottled gold 1-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangle, repeat Step 4 to make a large tree block (Diagram 5). Repeat to make a second large tree block.

1.    Lay out remaining Flying Geese units, hourglass blocks, tree blocks, and mottled gold 1-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangles in three rows (Diagram 6). Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row. Join rows to make bag body rectangle.

2.    Layer bag body rectangle with batting and purple print 30×14" rectangles; baste.

3.    Quilt as desired. Designer Sherri Falls stitched an allover loopy pattern in the gold and brown print pieces. Using matching thread, she stitched an arc on each seam of the red and green print triangles in the Flying Geese units and hourglass blocks.

4.    Trim purple print and batting even with edges of bag body rectangle. Join short edges of bag body rectangle; press seam open.

5.    With wrong side inside, fold red print 4×10" rectangle in half lengthwise; press. Open up fold, and press raw edges to meet at the center fold. Then refold on pressed center fold. Stitch 1⁄8" from long edges. Baste strip in place along top edge of bag body to make hanging loop (Diagram 7).

6.    Join short ends of two red print 3×28" rectangles; press seams open. With fabric wrong sides together, align seams and press. Fold strip in half lengthwise and press to make casing (Diagram 8). Aligning raw edges, baste casing to top edge of bag body over hanging loop (Diagram 9).

7.    Layer red print 9×12" rectangles on either side of batting 9×12" rectangle. Quilt as desired. Trim quilted rectangle using Oval template to make bag bottom.

8.    With wrong sides together, align bottom edge of bag with quilted bag bottom; baste. Bind with red print binding strips. Repeat to bind top edge of bag.

9.    Turn under 1⁄2" at each end of red print 2-1⁄2×42" strip. Fold strip in half lengthwise; press. Open up fold, then press long raw edges under 1⁄4". Refold strip on pressed center fold, then stitch 1⁄8" from all edges to make drawstring. Feed drawstring through casing to complete bag.