52 Week UFO Challenge Project #11 - Wool appliqué gift bag

Reindeer Sparkle pattern by Upper Canada Quiltworks

I wasn't too sure what to do with this little wool appliqué piece but then I realized how well the colours matched the Northcott Reindeer Prance fabric that I had left over from our Reindeer Sparkle pattern. I decided that it would look lovely appliquéd to the fabric, and that it was just the right size to make a Christmas gift bag.

Embroidery sample

I cut a rectangle of the reindeer fabric and folded it in half. I centred the wool sample on the folded fabric and stuck it in place with 505 Spray .

Ready to stitch

Next, I used my sewing machine to top stitch around the edges of the wool piece.

Wool sample stitched to the reindeer fabric

I decided to do a French seam to finish the insides of the gift bag. The first step was to topstitch the top edge of the bag then I sewed along the remaining two edges of the bag with a 1/8" seam, with wrong sides together.

1/8" seam with wrong sides together.

Next, I turned the bag wrong sides out and stitched the edges again, this time using a 1/4" seam to enclose the raw edges.

1/4" seam to enclose the raw edges.

I sewed a ribbon to the back of the bag about 2 inches from the open edge, so that it's ends can be pulled around to the front and tied in a bow.

Project #11 is done - now to find a special present to put inside of it for next Christmas.