Sew a Hobo Bag from a Vintage Quilt and Bed Sheet

When I came across an incredible bargain on vintage quilts recently, I gave no thought to what I would do with them, I just knew I had to have them. I settled on a hobo bag for my first project design. Now I would never recommend cutting a family heirloom quilt, but since these had a lot of worn and deterioration problems, and they had no ties to my family what so ever, I had no qualms about cutting them up.

I purchased a pink vintage bed sheet at the thrift store to use as the bag's lining. It coordinated well with the quilts. That along with a special button from my button box to use for the clasp and I had the makings of a completely repurposed and recycled vintage bag. Considering how much of the quilt and sheet I had leftover, I spent less than 50 cents to make this project.

Newspaper
Yardstick
Pencil
Scissors
Quilt
Sheet
Straight pins
Sewing machine
Iron
Hand-sewing needle and thread
Button

1. Cut a 14-inch wide by 18-inch long rectangle from newspaper. Fold it in half, matching the two short sides. The new rectangle is now 9 inches wide by 14 inches long. Position the folded rectangle lengthwise, with the folded edge on the left.

2. Measure across the top edge of the rectangle, 5 1/2 inches from the folded edge and mark. Mark with a pencil. With a pencil, round the bottom and right hand bottom corner, continuing the line up to the mark on the top edge. Cut along the line through both layers of the folded newspaper. Unfold the pattern for your hobo bag.

3. Fold the quilt into two layers with the right sides together. Pin the pattern to the quilt and cut out. Cut out the lining from the sheet in the same way.

4. My quilt had a lot of worn areas and fabric that had come loose so I decided to re-quilt over the surfaces of my cut quilt pieces. I used the sewing machine to scribble stitches over the bag pieces. If your quilt isn't as worn or damaged, you can omit this step, but it does make a cool texture on the quilt's surface.

5. Cut two, 2 1/2-inch wide by 24-inch long strips from the sheet and two from the quilt for the handles. Also from the sheet, cut two, 6-inch wide by 7-inch long rectangles for the inside pocket and one, 2-inch wide by 4 1/2-inch long strip for the loop closure.

6. Place the two pocket pieces together with the right sides facing and pin. Sew around the pocket, leaving a 2-inch opening on one long edge. Turn the pocket right side out through the opening and press. Lay one lining piece on your work surface with the right side facing up. Center the pocket 4 inches below the top edge. The long edges of the pocket are horizontal and the opening in the seam is on the bottom edge. Pin the sides and bottom of the pocket. Stitch the pinned edges a 1/4 inch from the edge.

7. Place the quilt bag pieces together with the right sides facing and pin the sides and bottom. Sew using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Sew the lining pieces together in the same way, leaving a 5-inch opening along the bottom.

8. Place a quilt handle and a sheet handle with the right sides facing and pin. Sew the long edges using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Sew the remaining handle pieces in the same way. Turn right side out and press. Top stitch the length of each handle starting on one edge and spacing additional top stitching lines a 1/4-inch apart.

9. Fold the loop closure strip in half, matching the longer edges and iron. Open the strip. Fold the long raw edges to the center crease and iron again. Fold the strip in half again. Iron and pin the strip. Sew along the pinned edge.

10. Turn the quilt bag right side out. Center and pin the ends of one handle (sheet side up) on the top edge, spaced 5-inches apart. Turn the bag over and pin the remaining handle. Fold the loop closure in half, matching the ends. Center the ends between the handles on one side of the bag.

11. Insert the quilted hobo bag inside the wrong-side-out lining bag. Match the side seams and the top edges and pin. Sew around the top edge.

12. Turn the bag right side out through the opening in the lining. Hand sew the opening closed. Fold the loop closure from the back edge of the bag to the front to determine the button location. Hand sew a decorative button to the bag.