Molly's Sketchbook: Back to School Lunch Bag

School is starting and that means lots of new things: a new teacher, new clothes, and new school supplies. We thought we'd add to all the excitement by making a new re-usable, totally washable lunch bag!

Materials

To make one 10-inch tall by 5-inch wide by 3-inch deep lunch bag:

• 1/2-yard of Amy Butler Decorator Solids in Natural
• A Clover Kitchen Clover Embroidery Pattern
• Valdani Embroidery Thread in Lime Sherbet, Bright Turquoise, and Christmas Red
• A water soluble fabric marker
• One 25mm Fab Button in Orange
• An embroidery needle

Making the Panels

Cut two 13-inch by 9 1/2-inch panels of the fabric.

Using the water soluble marker, mark a 2-inch tall by 3 1/2-inch wide rectangle in the middle of one of the panels- 5-inches from the top and 3-inches from either side of the panel.

Iron on the embroidery pattern pieces you want to use inside this marked rectangle. Be careful doing this step. The markings from the embroidery patterns are permanent. If you mess up you can try it on the other side or cut another piece. However, keep in mind that you can only iron the patterns on a couple times before they fade completely.

Embroider over the marked pattern with a small back stitch.

Spray the rectangle marking with water to make it disappear and iron the panels.

Hem each of the panels by folding the tops over 1/4-inch two times towards the fabric's wrong side. Sew these hems down with a scant 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Sewing the Bag

Pin the panels right sides together around their three raw sides and sew them with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.

Pull the bag flat so that the two long seams meet each other and a diamond shape is formed by the bottom of the bag as shown above. Iron the diamond shape flat.

Using any kind of marker (I used clover tailor's chalk) mark the point where the diamond's bottom and top point measure 3-inches across. You can make sure this mark is straight by using a see though rotary cutting ruler and placing it perpendicularly to the straight  bottom seam as shown above.

Sew on top of each of these markings and cut the outside corners off about a 1/2-inch from the seams.

Zig zag stitch around all the raw seams, especially at the top of the bag.

Turn the bag right side out and iron the edges straight as shown above.

Finishing

To make the little strip of fabric that will be the button hook:

• Cut the fabric into a 1-inch by 5-inch piece.
• Iron this piece in half length-wise to make a crease and then open it back up.
• Iron the long sides in to meet the middle crease.
• Iron this in half length-wise so that  the raw sides are encased and the outside is smooth.
• Pin the piece closed this way.
• Edge stitch the piece closed along the open edge.

Cut this piece to be 3 1/2-inches long and fold it in half so it's raw ends are next to each other and laying flat (as shown above).

Place it on the wrong side of the back bag panel in the exact middle of the panel and sew it down a 1/4-inch from the edge.

Sew on your button in the middle of the front panel 3 1/2-inches from the top edge of the bag.

Now pack a lunch and enjoy! --Molly