Hello and happy Monday! I hope your weekend was a good one. Today’s post is titled: Sew Organized: Best Quilting Bags for Quilters. I’m looking forward to not only sharing some of my favorite quilting bags but also sharing what I keep inside of them and why. And to add a little more fun to today’s post, I have a short video to share where I talk about each bag and its contents. Let’s get started! (Some of the links below are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own).
I hope you’ll enjoy the video…where I talk about each bag and each item inside…and then read below for more information, thoughts on other bags, and links to products!
Quilting Bags:
Project Storage Bags
Project storage bags are one of my favorite types of bags. I find them more useful than plastic boxes or bins when traveling because they are simple to put in a suitcase. I end up flying to a couple of retreats a year, and it’s great not to have to re-pack things. Even when I drive, these types of project storage bags are just the best. Since they are lightweight, they also lighten my load whether driving or flying.
I love this Project Bags pattern and have made the three largest sizes included (the largest size will hold everything you need when making a nice-sized quilt). Be sure not to skip the handle, because the handles provide a terrific method of storing these bags–simply place the handle over a hanger, and store them all in a closet!
Binding Clips Bag
Another bag I can’t live without is my binding clips bag which I made from this pattern. I love having a bag that is always ready to go for when I’m able to sit down and spend some time binding. Here is what I keep inside:
- Clover Wonder Clips
- Small Pair of Scissors
- My favorite binding needles
- Just a few of the larger Clover Wonder Clips (so useful when making bag projects).
Sew Together Bag
My Sew Together Bag is an absolute necessity. I’ve made several for gifts over the years and recently just made a new one last week in our Harper’s Garden fabric. I do a couple of things differently when I make this bag: First, I use Soft & Stable for the outer bag to give my bag more stability. And second, I use a double slide handbag zipper to make my bag much easier to open. I keep my most needed supplies in this bag and always have it ready to go when I head off to teach or take a class, or to attend a retreat. Here is what I keep inside (I know it’s a long list, but this bag truly holds so much!):
- Karen Kay Buckley Scissors
- Paper Scissors
- Pins (not shown in the video, but these are my new favorites)
- Applique Pins
- Sewing Machine Needles
- Straw Needles Size 9 & Size 11
- Extra Spool of Thread
- Aurifil cream floss
- Container Store Tape Measure for measuring for borders
- ½″ wide ruler
- 2 ½″ x 6 ½″ ruler
- A few large and small Clover Wonder Clips (linked above)
- Clover Seam Ripper
- Clover Stylus
- That Purple Thang tool for bag making and turning corners
- Alphabitties
- Small Screw Driver
- My favorite marking pencil by Sew Line with extra lead
- Tweezers
- Pen
- Sew Line Glue Pen
- Chapstick
- Rotary Cutter
- Extra rotary blade
I love the fact that all of these items fit in the bag and that I always have them ready to go at a moment’s notice.
English Paper Piecing Bag
I actually show two bags for this in the video, but they are both made with this great pattern (mine are the two smaller sizes in the pattern). I love the shape of these bags for carrying my English Paper Piecing supplies because of the ease of packing and the ease of seeing everything that is inside. Also, I can keep finished Grandmother’s Flower Garden blocks in the bottom of either bag. Here’s what’s inside:
- Small cutting mat
- 4 ½″ x 8 ½″ Creative Grids ruler (one of my favorite sizes)
- Rotary Cutter
- Kai Scissors to wear around my neck
- Mini Charm packs
- Thread
- Pincushion with my favorite pins (linked above)
- 1″ and ¾″ paper piecing templates.
- Needles
- 1″ x 6″ ruler
- Pre-trimmed hexagon shapes ready to sew
Other Favorite Bags
- The Open Wide Bag…small is great for your purse, medium and large are excellent for projects and for use as packing “cubes” when traveling. See my blog posts on these bags here and here.
- The Catch All Caddy is a great storage caddy that also works well when traveling.
- I use my Stash & Dash bag for my phone, Ipad, and watch charger cords when traveling, but I really should make another one to use for more sewing essentials. See my blog post on this bag along with a few tips here.
What’s in your Bag?
If you have any favorite bag/quilting accessory storage patterns other than the ones I’ve shown and talked about here, please let me know about them in the comments. And, if there are favorite things you love to carry in your sewing and quilting bags, I’d love to know…also leave those ideas in the comment section below.
I hope you enjoyed this Sew Organized: Best Bags for Quilters video and post…thanks so much for stopping by!
Anita says
The Sew Together Bag is also fantastic for knitters. Fits into my knitting bag and holds all my miscellaneous tools.
elizabeth streeter says
I have made a slightly widdr sew together bag for all the electrically cords that we have to carry around these days and it works beautifully
Susan Smith says
Hi Sherri, I couldn’t find the video. Did you link it on this page?
JANE says
Zippers have always scared me, but I am determined to conquer my fear with one of these patterns!
sherly says
Sherri,
What a wonderful post ! I just took a class on my first pouch and just loved it and reading your post today is so inspiring. I’m happy to see that most of the pattern of a video since I’m just learning how to sew. I love all the bags and want to make them ALL. Hoping to at least temp to make one for now.
Thanks for the inspiration,
Sherly
Gail Staehle says
Wow…really great video Sherri and watched it twice…thanks for all this info and very helpful. Never can have enough bags and love that you took the time to put it all together here. Another great blog post!
gail
sherri McConnell says
Thank you so much Gail!
Linda says
Sherri, there was no link for the videos, thanks
T Holzer says
I couldn’t believe what all you pulled out of the green bag! This was a great post and video, Sherri and thanks for sharing! Last week I finished Byannie’s Trendy Totes 2 and it is a beautiful and functional bag for hauling just about anything.
Nelda Shumway says
I couldn’t find the video link, either. I love the bags!
Mildred Yost says
Where can I find the around the neck scissors and holder? Thank You wonderful video
Hanya Moschner says
Thanks so much for this video SherrI. My favourite combination of practicality and bags ByAnnie. Always love to get ideas on using bags and checking out how you have quilted the Soft and Stable.
Ann Conrad says
Thanks for your binding clips bag post. Going to terry it!
Mary Konvicka says
I just love your videos. I need to try to make a Sew Together bag. When you were showing what you had in there it was like watching a clown car. ?. Thank you for sharing your tips.
Peggy says
Sherri, Thanks for the all this great information. I loved the video but have to admit that I have a bit of “bag making phobia” going on and really want to get over it. Your bags look so perfect and I really want to be a “bag lady” 🙂
The Sew Together bag is real similar to a pattern I bought called the “Bionic Gear Bag”, which as I said, I have not made yet because I am more than a little inhibited by it. The directions seem greek to me and while I have done zippers and applique and quilting for years, I have never made a bag and wonder if there is a ‘learner” bag design that you might recommend?
Perhaps one that has a pocket inside like these other bags, (for practice/learning) but might not be so detailed?
Hmm, was just thinking, maybe that first one you showed that you put your projects in (with the clear window) might be easier to start on? I have sewn with vinyl before and have a silicon foot, so perhaps I could try that to break this curse?
Thanks for reading my novel. I do so appreciate all that you share with us and greatly admire everything you create.
Kind Regards
Peg in Alaska
Hildy says
Love all your bags and pouches!
Teddie says
I too cannot find a video. Thx
Janis T says
I can’t find the video either!
Monica Kostak says
Enjoying our videos-and love the bags too! Did you quilt the bags with a boxy square and floral pattern on your home machine? thanks
sherri McConnell says
The straight line quilting I am able to do on my machine…but the florals I have quilted on a long arm…