This has taken me so long. I think I bought the fabric last summer when we moved Harriet into a big bed. Then I started sewing in October. Then I finished the quilt top in the winter. Then I quilted it in the spring. I finally got about to binding this past weekend and Harriet was so happy and excited. I am too.
I used the same pattern as I did with Alma’s big quilt. But, again I had to modify it. I wanted to try the color gradation, but that was only designed for queen sized quilts. I had to put on my thinking hat, do some math, and hope for the best. It actually worked out just right and I really love the finished effect.
I used the same color scheme as I did with Alma’s quilt, but it is mostly different fabrics. I love these scrappy quilts because it’s fun to use fabrics with sentimental value and find cute little quirky fabrics – I like the idea of the quilts being like eye-spy books with hidden things. Harriet’s favorites are the pink mermaid tails scattered throughout the quilt.
Here’s a photo of the front of the quilt:
And the back. I love making quilt backs more interesting than just a big expanse of fabric:
I love wrapping gifts, but I’m so, so bad at it. The ends are always crumpled and there’s way more tape than there should be. I also hate all the trash that we throw away on Christmas morning. But, I love how reusable gift wrapping is getting more popular!
Start by ironing down about a half inch on the top of the bag. You should note, at this point, that I don’t use actual measurements to make this bag. It’s all estimated and eyeballed. This is partly because the amount of material you use will determine how you construct your gift bag. Also, it doesn’t have to be perfect since it will be all scrunched up in the end. 
Fold down again, this time a few inches. You can see this in the below photo. If you look to the left of my hand, you’ll see the first fold, then how I folded again on top. Does that make sense? I hope so.
Unfold the fabric, and put your buttonholes in. (My sewing machine manual had instructions on making a buttonhole, and I’m not sure if the directions would be similar for different machines, so if you don’t know how to make a buttonhole, you should search for your specific machine.) You want to make sure you just put the holes in the top layer of fabric, so be very sure that you unfold your fabric before you start sewing the holes.
Refold your fabric and sew along the bottom edge, all along the top. Now, you’re going to finish the channel for the ribbon. Start above the buttonhole, and sew all the way across the top to make the channel. For me, I had a narrow ribbon, so I sewed my second line a couple inches above the bottom line. 
For these gift bags, I love making it as finished looking as possible, so I like to do a French seam on the inside. French seams are really fun, and I actually use them a lot when I make clothes, too.
Turn your bag inside out, and sew around the seams you just sewed, again with a 1/4 inch seam. You’ll want to make sure the first seam is nestled inside this seam. 
Now, all you have to do is string your ribbon. Cut your ribbon so it’s about 4 times as long as your bag is wide. I’ve ready about fancy ribbon threading tools, but I’ve always done just fine with the safety pin method. Attach a safety pin to one end, stick it in one of the holes, and work your way around until the pin comes out the other hole, pulling the ribbon with it.
Magic! 
The purpose of quilting is to hold the three layers all together. I have yet to get too fancy with my quilting. I usually just do straight or wavy lines, and I like how that turns out. For this quilt, I didn’t really want to see the lines, so I used a technique called stitch in the ditch. Basically, this means that you will sew right over the seams. The quilting lines are almost hidden in the seams. I used red thread, so it stands out more than if I had really been trying to match, and hide the quilting lines. 
Keep quilting until it’s all sewn together! To bind it, use 
