FAT QUARTER PROJECTS: LUNCH SACK WITH NAPKIN AND POTHOLDER

Posted by Melissa on 5 April 2008

This lunch sack is perfect for work. It is a good size for variously shaped plastic and glass containers, and has a potholder for taking hot things out of the office microwave!

You will need:

Step 1: Cut the fat quarters up as shown in these diagrams. Note these are not patterns, just schematics! They are not necessarily to scale! Blue areas indicate unused fabric; dotted lines indicate a cut, solid lines indicate a fold.

Step 2: Fold the outside and inside of the sack along the edge indicated right-sides together (as shown below) and sew around the outside, leaving the top open and about 1 inch at the top of the side seam open.

Step 3: Sew a seam across each pointed corner of the sack, to form an isosceles triangle orthogonal to the seams, then snip off the triangles.

Step 4: Turn the outside of the sack right side out, but keep the inside right-side in. Place the inside of the sack into the outside, seams together, and fold in the top. There will be a gap where you have left the side seem open. Just fold and pin the fabric there such that your stitch will run over the top, holding the top together but leaving an opening. Pin together as shown.

Step 5: Sew the outside and inside together along the very top edge. Then, run another stitch parallel to the top stitch about 3/4 of an inch below the top stitch. This will be where you drawstring sits.

Step 6: To make the drawstring, sew the two drawstring pieces right-sides together on the short end, then fold the long way and sew along the edge with 1/4' or so seam allowance. Turn right side out using a tube-turning tool or by shimmying a safety pin attached to the end through the length of the tube. Sew the ends closed.

Step 7: Pull the drawstring through the opening in the sack, then sew both ends of the drawstring together. Pull the sewn ends back into the sack. Now you have a loop hanging out of the sack.

Step 8: Fold the edges of the napkin over twice, folding to get 45 degree angles at the corners, and sew the edges down.

Step 9: Make a "quilt sandwich" with the potholder fabric and batting, as shown.

Step 10: Sew around the very edge of the quilt sandwich.

Step 11: Bind the edges of the potholder. For each side, sew the binding fabric on right sides together, then flip the binding fabric over the other side, fold under, and sew on top the binding. Do top and bottom bindings, then sides, folding the ends of the side bindings over the edge of the potholder and under the folded side of the binding before sewing on top of the folded side of the binding.

The finished project is a reversible sack, with a lovely matching napkin and potholder!