Finnangers Fave bucket bag

This step by step photo tutorial will assist in the making of the Tilda Club project released November 2023.  The full pattern will be released to the general public in May 2024.

If you need EPP Iron-on orange peels you can order them here.

Prepare your 36 orange peel shapes following the instructions – if you need more assistance please visit my EPP and applique videos.

Audition your peels onto a background fabric you like best.

Outer bag background fabric:
Mark using a chalk or blue watersoluble pen a 2” grid on your fabric rectangle. Note: leave a 1/4” seam allowance
all sides.

Spray baste fabric lightly to foam bag batting and using a walking foot and blending thread quilt through both layers on all marked lines.

Repeat this process with the outer bag base and foam circle. Use the 7 1/2” circle ruler to mark and cut the foam circle. Spray baste onto the fabric base circle (use the 8” circle ruler to mark and cut this)

Quilting the bag base - Start by folding the circle and marking the centre creases, then make and quilt 2” either side of centre lines.

Position prepared orange peel shapes onto your outer bag gridded fabric following the diagram in your pattern.
Gluebaste into position using Roxanne’s basting  glue or similar.

Applique into place by hand or machine.  You will have two peels leftover which will be applied once the bag is sewn into a tube.  Optional: stitch a running stitch around the orange peels using a HNK stitchery needle and
Perle thread for added interest.

Join the 12 tilda 2 1/2” x 5” strips together to make one strip 24 1/2” long. Press well.  
Place right sides together with the 5” x 24 1/2” fabric and stitch along one long edge. Press open. 

Fold so that the two short ends are right sides together and stitch.  Fold tube in half along the seam and press. Edgestitch around the top edge.

Stitch another row 1/2” below the edgestitch to form a channel.

Fold outer bag panel right sides together to form a tube and stitch down short edge. note: the foam was 1/4” shorter on all sides so will not stitch into the seam.  Gluebaste and applique the last two orange peels into
place.

Flatten the tube and mark the four quarter points of the tube - the quilting lines should match up with these points. Place the quilted circle base right sides together with the bag tube and match the 4 quarter points and pin.
Ease the circle around the tube and pin or Klip to hold. Stitch using a 1/4” seam allowance - again the stitchline should pass along the edge of the foam which was 1/4” smaller than the fabric.  Clip the curves- after checking you have no gathers, pleats or holes where you missed catching both seams. Turn to right side and press.

Repeat this process with the lining strip and base. You will first need to flatten and mark the quarter points of the tube and also fold the circle to mark the 4 quarter points.

Place the lining inside the other bag (wrong sides together) and pin around the top edge matching the seams.

Position the pieced tube inside with the plain fabric against the lining  - the tilda fabric will be showing.

Ensure all top raw edges are even. Match a seam of the pieced tilda strip with the seams on the other tubes. Stitch around the top edge with a scant 1/4” ensuring all layers are caught in the seam.

Handles: Fuse stabiliser to the wrong side of the two handle strips. Fold in half and press, open and fold each edge to the centre fold. Then fold in half again. Edgestitch with matching thread down boths sides. All raw edges
will be hiding inside the folds.

Position the top raw edges of a handle on a stitch line of your gridded outer bag - 4” apart. Position the other one on the opposite side. Baste in place.

Binding: press over 1/4” hem on one end of your binding strip. Fold and press the whole strip in half.

Beginning with the folded end attach your binding to the top outside edge of the bag.  Stitch with a generous 1/4” seam allowance around the top of your bag enclosing all previous stitch lines. Overlap the end of the
binding strip 1/4” past your folded start point. Turn binding to the inside of the bag and slip stitch in place using a matching thread.

Cords:  Run your two strips through a 1/2” bias maker. Fold the strip in half and press. Edgestitch to hold closed using a matching thread.

Using a quick unpick or fine embroidery scissors carefully cut the seam on opposite sides of the pieced tilda strip just in the channel. Note: ensure the openings are at both sides of your tube.

Using a safety pin or bodkin thread a cord through one side - right around the tube and back out the same hole. Repeat this for your other strip but starting at the opposite opening. With the tube fully opened knot the two
ends of the cord just outside the opening and trim any extra ends off. Repeat with the other side.