Quilt Square Valentine Bags

Remember the little project the children and I are working on? We have been working our way through our heart chart, and I told the children they would each get a little surprise after we completed all the devotionals. Focusing on the love of God's Word as a family has been a tremendous blessing! We are scheduled to finish the devotionals for this topic on Valentine's Day, so I wanted to make them something a little extra special.  

I used a gift card I earned with my swagbucks account to purchase some quilt squares on amazon. I have never made a quilt in my life, but I aspire to! I have been studying the topic recently. However, completing a project as large as a quilt is just not on my radar right now. Nonetheless, I think quilt squares are darling, and I had a smaller scale project in mind. I decided it would be fun to make our children some fun homemade valentine goodie bags! ♥

I gathered all the supplies I thought I would want from around the house...

Materials:

• Quilt Squares (5" x 5") ~ 4 squares per bag
• Felt
• Ribbon
• Lace
• Embroidery Floss
• Various sewing needles
• Sewing Machine
• Iron
• Small Embroidery Hoop
• Shears
• Thread
• Marker

~ We have three children, so I wanted to make three bags. ~

♥ Start to Finish Project Time: A couple of hours! ♥

First, I traced a heart on some cardboard and cut it out. That was my heart template. Then, I traced three hearts on some ivory and beige felt.

I cut them out...

Then I selected the quilt squares I wanted to use for each bag. I just love pastel pinks and blues! I chose 4 coordinating squares per bag.

I pinned each felt heart on one quilt square.

I placed the quilt square with a heart attached in my embroidery hoop and began to stitch around the perimeter of the heart ~ one stitch at a time.

This was my favorite part of the whole project! I love stitching! 

I finished all three in very short amount of time! Think I'll try to do some more of these soon!

In order to cover up the stitching on the back of the quilt square I just stitched the heart on, I picked a coordinating quilt square to sew over it. I did that for all three.

Then it was time to cut out some ribbon for the handles. I wanted two handles per bag.

Then I brought these materials over to my ironing board. I fired up the iron and first ironed out the wrinkles created from using the embroidery hoop. Then, I folded over the top edge of the quilt square about 1/8". I made a crease in the fabric with the iron there.

I repeated the fold and crease in the coodinating quilt square that would be stitched on the back. I also did the same with the other two quilt squares for this bag.

I did that for each bag I planned to make. {Each bag = 4 squares = 4 ironed creases}

Then I made a sandwich of the quilt square with the heart on it, the ends of one ribbon handle, and the coordinating quilt square {wrong sides together}.

Then, I pinned the sandwich together through all three layers at the ends of the ribbons inside to hold.

I stitched the first sandwich of the pink bag by hand across the top in a straight line parallel to the top edge.

However, when I got to this point with the first sandwich layer of the second bag...

I decided the sewing machine was the way to go. ♥ I simply sewed a straight line along the top edge about 1/4" down. The presser foot kept aligned with the top edge of the fabric.

I repeated the same exact process (sandwiched two quilt squares and one ribbon handle and sewed along the top edge) for the other side of the bag. So, now, I've used a total of 4 quilts squares and 2 handles per bag. {Front of bag = 1 sandwich; Back of bag= 1 sandwich}

These will be the insides of the bags... [2 bags shown]

These will be the outsides of the bags...

Now, it was time to sew the two sandwiches together ~ I placed right sides together. The seams will be sewn on the inside of the bag, and then the bag will be inverted so right sides are out.

I pinned the sandwiches right sides together to hold in place. I then planned to sew three straight seams following the schematic below ~ sewing a U-turn route by turning two corners (leaving the needle in the fabric ~ lifting up the presser foot on the sewing machine, and turning the fabric 90 degrees at the corners). I back-stitched a few stitches at the beginning and ending for a good hold.

Go slow when you first begin to make sure everything is aligned right and to make sure your machine is moving your fabric along properly. If everything is good, sew away!

Once you've sewed the U-turn, lift up the presser foot, cut the strings, and remove any pins.

Turn it inside out...

And you're done!!! :-)

Well, almost...

I wanted to embellish the pink bag with lace trim. {Didn't think the boys would care for that too much.}

So, after turning the pink bag inside out, I simply cut enough lace to cover the outer perimeter of the top edge of the bag, pinned it in place, and stitched a simple straight stitch by hand all the way around.

That's it!

Now, the fun part....filling them with special surprises!  

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." ~John 15:17

Linking to...

Teach Me Tuesdays