This document provides instructions for making a Peepsqueak book bag with embroidery and quilting. The instructions include cutting fabric and batting pieces, assembling the bag sides by quilting strips of fabric to the batting and lining, adding a pocket and nameplate with embroidery, attaching a zipper, sewing the sides together, and adding handles. Optional instructions are given for making a matching pencil bag with similar construction.

1. PRESENTS PEEPSQUEAK BOOK BAG
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2. Created with Peepsqueak by Leslie Ann Clark
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3. Cut your fabrics
• Cut 2 pieces of fabric 18” by 20” for lining
• Cut 2 pieces of batting 18” by 20”
• Cut 12 assorted 2 ½” by 20” pieces (We used 2 of each fabric)
• Cut 2 strips 2 ½” by 20” for handles.
• Cut 1 piece large enough for your embroidery hoop for pocket
• Cut a 6” square for the pocket lining
• Cut 1 piece large enough for your embroidery hoop for nameplate
• Cut a 5” by 2 ½” piece for the nameplate lining
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4. Create the bag sides
• Lightly spray one piece batting with temporary adhesive spray and
attach to the wrong side of one of the pieces of lining fabric.
• Place one 2 ½” by 20” strip along the 20” length of the batting side
of the project right side up.
Batting (with lining fabric basted to back)
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5. Create the bag sides
• Place the second strip on TOP of the first strip, right sides
together. The top strip will be wrong side up.
• Stitch ¼” from the
top edge of the strips
through ALL layers.
Place second strip over the first strip so the
two strips are right sides together.
Stitch ¼” from top through ALL layers
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6. Create the bag sides
• Flip the top fabric up along the seam and press into place.
Flip the second strip up and press.
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7. Create the bag sides
• Now add the third strip, right sides together with the second
strip, aligned at the top of the second strip.
• Stitch ¼” from the top
edge of the strips through
ALL layers.
• This way the “quilting” and
the “piecing” are done at
the same time.
Place second strip over the first strip so the
two strips are right sides together.
Stitch ¼” from top through ALL layers
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8. Create the bag sides
• Flip the top fabric up along the seam and press into place.
Flip the third strip up and press.
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9. Create the bag sides
• Repeat this step until all 6 fabrics are stitched to the base.
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10. Create the bag sides
• Repeat the whole process until you have two sides, both with all
6 strips quilted to the base.
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11. Create the bag sides
• Now, finish the top edge of each of the sides with a serger or
zig-zag stitch.
Finish these edges
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12. Create the pocket
• Embroider the Peepsqueak and Balloon (Design #4) onto your
pocket fabric. Use two layers of a medium weight tear away.
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13. Create the pocket
• Unhoop your design and remove the excess stabilizer.
• Press the embroidery, pressing it face down onto a towel or
washcloth to prevent crushing of the embroidery stitches.
• Trim the finished embroidery to 6” square.
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14. Create the pocket
• Place the 6” square of pocket lining fabric right-sides together
with your embroidered pocket.
• Stitch all the way around the square with a ¼” seam allowance,
leaving a 3-4” opening on the bottom side.
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15. Create the pocket
• Clip the corners.
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16. Create the pocket
• Turn the pocket through the opening.
• Push out corners with a corner tool or chopstick.
• Tuck seam allowance of opening into pocket and press along the
seam line
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17. Create the pocket
• Turn down the upper left corner of the pocket.
• Stitch a button onto this folded pocket corner.
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18. Stitch the pocket to the bag.
• Place pocket onto bag side in desired location and pin.
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19. Stitch the pocket to the bag.
• Edgestitch the pocket to the
bag along the side and
bottom edges.
• The edgestitching will “seal”
the unfinished edge from
where you turned the pocket
inside out.
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20. Embroider the nameplate (optional)
• Embroider the child’s name on the fabric chosen for nameplate.
• Remove excess stabilizer.
• Trim to 2 ½” by 5”
• Place the nameplate lining right sides together with
embroidered nameplate.
• Stitch around all four sides.
• Clip the corners.
• Cut a slit in the back of the lining.
• Turn the nameplate right side out and press.
• Pin the nameplate in place.
• Edgestitch to the bag around all four edges of the nameplate.
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21. Add the zipper
• Place a zipper (at least 22” long) right-sides together along the top
edge of one bag side. Open the zipper all the way.
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22. Add the zipper
• Using a zipper foot, stitch along the edge of the zipper (close to the
edge of the zipper tape, not up close to the teeth)
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23. Add the zipper
• Now, fold the sewn edge under the fabric, so the print side of the
fabric is facing up, and the zipper is now face up. The sewn edge
will not be visible.
• With the sewn edge folded under, adjust the fold to reveal just the
teeth of the zipper. Remember, the zipper is un-zipped. Pin the fold
into place.
• Edgestitch along the folded edge.
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24. Add the zipper
• Repeat stitching the zipper tape to the other bag side, making sure
the bag sides align to each other.
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25. Sew the bag sides together.
• Unzip the zipper enough such that the pull is to the inside of your
bag.
• Pin the two bag sides together and stitch along the side and
bottom edges, using a ½” seam allowance. Stitch over the zipper
ends.
• Cut off any extra zipper tape.
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26. Sew the bag sides together.
• Finish the edges with a serger or zig-zag stitch.
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27. Create the handles
• Fold each of the remaining 2 ½” x 20” strips in half lengthwise.
• Stitch along the open edge with a ¼” seam allowance.
• Turn the resulting tube inside out and press so that the seam is
along one edge of the strip. Press well.
• Turn under each end of each tube approximately ¼”.
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28. Add the handles.
• Tuck in each end of each tube approximately ¼”.
• Mark the desired location to stitch your handles to your bag.
• Stitch the handles to the
bag, stitching an “x”
inside a rectangle at each
end to ensure it is secure.
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29. Make a matching pencil bag
• Using your scraps you can create an adorable matching pencil bag.
• Ours is unlined, but you could make it quilted using the same steps
as the larger bag.
The construction of the
bag front is essentially the
same, except we start with
the middle piece and add
the borders instead of
working from the bottom
to top.
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30. Make a matching pencil bag
• When stitching designs with tiny details like these eyes – add a
piece of water soluble stabilizer before the last color (outline stitch)
This creates a barrier
between your scissors and
the rest of the threads
when you trim the jump
stitches.
This way you won’t
accidentally clip or fray the
underlying embroidery
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31. Thank you!
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