Toiletry Bags, three sizes

Toiletries Bags
These lovely bags are so roomy that they are ideal for make-up or toiletries. They also look
so smart that they make perfect gifts. Just three fabrics are used, and these are suggested, but
of course you can use any Tilda fabrics. There are three sizes of bag – small medium and
large – all made the same way, with the instructions describing the small bag. See the end of
the instructions for the measurements for the other two bags.

Materials for Small Bag

• Fabric for bag exterior: two pieces 9½in wide x 6½in tall (24.1cm x 16.5cm) – Wendy
blue (100341)
• Fabric for bag lining: 10in x 13in (25.5cm x 33cm) – Aella coral (110029)
• Fabric for tabs: 5in x 3in (12.7cm x 7.6cm) – Stormy blue (100343)
• Fabric for binding: 2¼in x about 20in (5.7cm x 51cm) – Stormy blue (100343)
• Wadding (batting) 10in x 13in (25.5cm x 33cm)
• Zip 8½in (21.6cm) long – choose the colour of zip to suit your fabrics

Finished Sizes
Small Bag: approximately 6in (wide) x 3⅜in (high) x 3⅜in (deep) (15cm x 8.5cm x 8.5cm)
Medium Bag: approximately 8in x 4¾in x 4¾in (20cm x 12cm x 12cm)
Large Bag: approximately 12in x 6¾in x 6¾in (30cm x 17cm x 17cm)

Making the Small Bag

1 These instructions are for the small bag, but the method of making is the same for all bags,
with only the sizes of the fabrics changing. Join the two pieces of the bag exterior fabric
together along the 9½in (24.1cm) width, but rotating one of the pieces 180 degrees first, as
shown in Fig A. If you are using a pattern with a direction, this rotation will ensure that the
pattern direction will be the right way up on both sides of the finished bag. Press the seam
open and check the joined piece is 9½in x 12½in (24.1cm x 31.8cm).

Fig A
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2 On this bag exterior piece, mark and carefully cut out the sections shown in Fig B (the blue
line shows the seam allowance). Place the piece of lining fabric right side down, add the
wadding (batting) and then the bag exterior piece right side up. Quilt the layers together. We
used straight lines, but you can use another pattern. When quilting is finished, carefully trim
the excess wadding and lining fabric to match all the edges of the bag, including the cut-out
sections, as shown in the diagram.

Fig B

3 Position the zip right side down along the top of the patchwork, as in Fig C and sew it in
place along one edge – use a zipper foot on your machine if you have one, so you can sew
close to the zip teeth.

Fig C
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4 Fold the bag in half across the width as in Fig D. Open the zip a little and then sew the
other side of the zip in place on the other edge of the patchwork. The bag will look like a sort
of tube at this stage. Turn the bag through to the right side.

Fig D

5 From the tab fabric cut two pieces 2½in x 3in (6.4cm x 7.6cm). Take one piece and fold
each long side in by 1in (2.5cm), to make the width about ⅝in (1.6cm). Sew down the open
side and then fold the tab in half as in Fig E. Repeat to make a second tab. Position the tabs
on the right side of the bag, with the tabs facing inwards (Fig F). Stitch them in place along
one short raw end (not through both ends of the bag). Turn the bag through to the wrong side.

Fig E

Fig F
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6 Take the binding strip and press in half all along the length, wrong sides together. Cut two
pieces long enough to bind the bag sides. Bind along each short edge of the bag, as Fig G.
Now fold the binding over and hand stitch the pieces into place (Fig H).

Fig G

Fig H

7 To create depth to the bag, fold the bag on an open corner, matching the two short edges.
(One side will be slightly longer than the other due to the insertion of the zip.) Using a ¼in
(6mm) seam sew across the corner (Fig I). Repeat this on all four corners and then bind all of
these sewn edges, turning the short edges of the binding under first to hide raw edges (Fig J).
You could use a thicker machine needle for these later stages of the bag, as there are many
layers to sew through. Fig K shows the completed binding from the inside of the bag.
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Fig I

Fig J

Fig K

8 To finish, turn the bag through to the right side and press, making sure the tabs are pulled
out and pressed downwards (Fig L).

Fig L
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Medium Bag
Materials for Medium Bag
• Fabric for bag exterior: two pieces 12½in wide x 8½in tall (31.8cm x 21.6cm) – Breeze
coral (100346)
• Fabric for bag lining: 13in x 17in (33cm x 43.2cm) – Aella blue (110030)
• Fabric for tabs: 5in x 3in (12.7cm x 7.6cm) – Stormy coral (100349)
• Fabric for binding: 2¼in x about 25in (5.7cm x 63.5cm) – Stormy coral (100349)
• Wadding (batting) 13in x 17in (33cm x 43.2cm)
• Zip 11½in (29.2cm) long – choose the colour of zip to suit your fabrics

Making the Medium Bag

1 The Medium Bag is made in the same way as the Small Bag, but the measurements are
different. For the medium bag exterior cut two pieces of print fabric each 12½in wide x 8½in
tall (31.8cm x 21.6cm). If using a fabric with a directional pattern, rotate the bottom piece
180 degrees (as described in Step 1 of the Small Bag) and sew the pieces together to make a
piece 12½in wide x 16½in tall (31.8cm x 42cm) (see Fig A below).

2 From this joined piece, cut out the side sections using the measurements in Fig B below.

3 Make a quilt sandwich, quilt the layers and then trim the wadding and lining to match the
patchwork. Continue on to make the bag following the instructions for the Small Bag.

Fig A Medium bag exterior piece

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Fig B Medium bag cut-outs

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Large Bag
Materials for Large Bag
• Fabric for bag exterior: two pieces 18½in wide x 12½in tall (47cm x 31.8cm) – Skyler
blue (100342)
• Fabric for bag lining: 19in x 25in (48.2cm x 63.5cm) – Aella coral (110029)
• Fabric for tabs: 5in x 3in (12.7cm x 7.6cm) – Wendy blue (100341)
• Fabric for binding: 2¼in x about 35in (5.7cm x 89cm) – Wendy blue (100341)
• Wadding (batting) 19in x 25in (48.2cm x 63.5cm)
• Zip 17½in (44.4cm) long – choose the colour of zip to suit your fabrics

Making the Large Bag

1 The Large Bag is made in the same way as the Small Bag, but the measurements are
different. For the large bag exterior cut two pieces of print fabric each 18½in wide x 12½in
tall (47cm x 31.8cm). If using a fabric with a directional pattern, rotate the bottom piece 180
degrees (as described in Step 1 of the Small Bag) and sew the pieces together to make a piece
18½in x 24½in (31.8cm x 42cm) (see Fig A below).

2 From this joined piece, cut out the side sections using the measurements in Fig B below.

3 Make a quilt sandwich, quilt the layers and then trim the wadding and lining to match the
patchwork. Continue on to make the bag following the instructions for the Small Bag.

Fig A Large bag exterior piece

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Fig B Large bag cut-outs