Orbit is a great introduction to quilting, but what if you’re not in the mood to learn to quilt? Or you have an existing quilt that is just begging to be upcycled? Maybe you have some pre-quilted fabric in your stash? Well, Orbit can be made from pre-quilted material and today I am going to walk you through it!
Sewing Orbit from pre-quilted material makes this project a pretty quick sew. We will be making view B, and there are just a couple of small changes that need to be made.
I’m using a quilted poly-cotton broadcloth from my local Fabricland store.
Materials Required
- ½ meter/yard of pre-quilted material
- 4” x 60” long piece (10 x 152 cm) of fabric for the strap (alternative: 1” wide webbing)
- 10” (25 cm) of double fold bias binding
- 12” (31 cm) zipper or longer
- Optional: An additional 2 meters/yards of bias binding to finish the inside edges
- Optional: Bag slider hardware
Cutting Out the Project
Cut the following pattern pieces from the pre-quilted material:
- Bag Front
- Bag Back
- Back Pocket
- Bag Lower Edge
Do not cut the Bag Upper Edge just yet. Instead, follow the cut chart for the pattern and cut two pieces, each 14” x 2.5” (36 x 6 cm).
I don’t recommend making the strap from quilted material as it can get quite thick. If your material is on the thinner side, you might be able to make it work. Otherwise, make the strap from interfaced fabric as directed in the instructions. Alternatively you could use 1” wide webbing like I did for this version.
In addition to your pre-quilted material, you will also need a 10” long piece of double fold bias tape. You can make your own or use leftovers from another project. I made my own so I could make additional tape to finish the inside seams later (this is optional).
Construct the Back Pocket
Finish the upper edge of the back pocket piece with the bias binding. If you don’t want visible binding, you can fold it to the inside and topstitch it. Continue with steps 31 to 25 to add the inside pocket and complete the bag back.
Construct the Upper Bag Edge
Finish one long edge of both pieces of your upper bag edge. I used a serger for mine. Sew the pieces to either side of the zipper, lining up the finished edge with the zipper tape. Understitch. Trim the whole unit to size using the Upper Bag Edge pattern piece.
Construct the Bag
All of the rest of the steps are as instructed! Continue on step 44. I chose to finish the inside of my bag with matching bias binding to my exterior pop of coloor and I like the tie-in. Instructions for how to do this are included with the pattern. I think this bag turned out so cute and it was so fast to make!
I hope you try sewing Orbit!
