Island Batik Sew Stylish Challenge with ByAnnie
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.The October challenge was the Island Batik Sew Stylish Challenge with ByAnnie. The Island Batik ambassadors were to make a ByAnnie bag. We picked out the bag we wanted to make and ByAnnie.com sent us everything but the fabric to make it. Island Batik let us choose the fabrics for the bag.
Get Out Of Town 2.1
I really enjoyed making the Get Out Of Town 2.1 duffle bag. The ByAnnie patterns are very well written and if you follow the steps…(unlike me) you’ll have no problems making it. I wouldn’t consider this a beginner project.
Stone Strata Batiks
I picked 3 fabrics from the Stone Strata Spring 2025 collection for my bag. You can find the collection at Batiks Etcetera & Sew What Fabrics.
Get Out of Town 2.1
The pattern I chose was the Get Out of Town 2.1 which is a stylish duffle bag. ByAnnie supplied everything I needed to make it. There is an add-on video to help with making the bag.
Lots of Pieces
There are a lot of pieces! I made a copy of the page with little cutouts that list each piece and then clipped that to each piece as I cut it.
Sometimes I don’t do well reading directions…I think I know what comes next and then I make a mistake. If you follow the directions you’ll have no problem. The pocket on the right was my big mistake.
Time to Use the Seam Ripper
I didn’t read the instructions for the front pocket and sewed the 2 pieces together and then topstitched around the pocket. BIG MISTAKE
The seams of this pocket were to be stitched to the bag under the handle and the top of the pocket was to have binding. I spent an hour or so carefully removing all of my stitching.
Correct Pocket
Here you can see how the pocket was placed under the strap.
Quilting the fabric
The first thing to do is quilt the lining and main fabric with the Soft & Stable foam stabilizer in between. This is fantastic to use when make a bag. I have enough left for another bag.
I used medium Aurifil Delft Blue 50wt thread for all of my stitching and a 90/14 Universal Schmetz needle which really helped with going through all the thicknesses.
Mesh Inside Pocket
This was the first time I worked with Mesh fabric and Elastic binding. This was easy to make.
Inside of bag
Here you can see the mesh pocket and also on the other side is a 3 section pocket made with the accent fabric. All of the seams are finished in the inside. There is also a plastic piece that is cover with a fabric sleeve to give stability to the bag.
More Photos
Here are a couple more photos of my bag.
Last Year’s Bag
Last year I made a large duffle bag that I gave my daughter for Christmas. She loves it. You can read about it here.
Thanks to ByAnnie.com, Aurifil, Schmetz, and Island Batik of Lumin Fabrics for the items that they sent me that allowed me to create this month’s project.
Be sure to visit the other Island Batik ambassadors and see their projects.
2025 Island Batik Ambassadors
- Brenda Alburl – Songbird Designs
- Renee Atkinson – Pink Tulip Quilting
- Susan Deshensky – Lady Blue Quilts Studio
- Tina Dillard – Quilting Affection Designs
- Brittany Fisher – Bobbin with Brittany
- Kimberly Flannagan – Kimberly’s Quilts
- Preeti Harris – Sew Preeti Quilts
- Mania Hatziioannidi – Mania for Quilts
- Kim Jamieson-Hirst – Chatterbox Quilts
- Connie Kauffman Kauffman Designs
- Connie Kresin Campbell – Freemotion by the River – me
- Emily Leachman – The Darling Dogwood
- Denise Looney – A Quiltery
- Leah Malasky – Quilted Delights
- Susan Michaels – Dragonfly Fiberart
- Lisa Pickering – Lisa’s Quilting Passion
- Sarah Pitcher – Pitcher’s Boutique
- Gail Sheppard – Quilting Gail
- Carol Stanek – Stitch with Color
- Solomae Stoycoff – Cuddle Cat Quiltworks
- Jennifer Thomas – Curlicue Creations
- Suzy Webster – Websterquilt
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About Connie
Hi, I’m Connie Kresin Campbell, the quilter, writer, and photographer behind Freemotion By the River. I enjoy inspiring others with my quilt tutorials and patterns. You’ll also see my sweet adopted dogs from time to time.
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This is a great bag, Connie! Love the fabric and it is so roomy!
That is gorgeous, Connie. I love your fabric choices for it. Sadly, I am he same way about instructions.
Thanks Mary, yep we’ve been quilting for a while and don’t think we need to read all the directions. I have to laugh because we have been going to card make & takes every week and many of us don’t read all of the directions.
Awe! Rusty and the travel bag. He must think it’s his overnight bag.
This comment has nothing to do with your post but a reply to your email. I had my yearly eye exam earlier this month and was thankful my prescription didn’t change. I bought new frames last year because the tech convinced me it had been a few years and I really needed new frames. Anyway I hate trying on frames. I chuckled when I read that you like to pick out frames.
Hi Sheryl, exam went well but he upped my prescription by a tiny bit. I don’t know…..I see fine and am wondering if it is worth it to get new glasses. We don’t have insurance for that. I have to go with my daughter to help her pick out new frames so we’ll see what I do.
Connie,
Your bag is beautiful! You always do a wonderful job. I like when you admit you make mistakes, it makes me feel better, I always make mistakes and have to pick out stitches. Thanks for the encouragement. I look forward to your posts. Have a Great day! Mona 😊
Thanks Mona, I always admit when I make mistakes….no matter how long you quilt….mistakes happen and it’s okay.
Oh my! That is a gorgeous tote!
The bag is beautiful and looks very professional. Bless you for tackling this project with all the pieces- very admirable. I’ll make basic totes, but still have a similar bag- unfinished- from a class several years ago. Of course, just one among many UFO’s!
My garden is waning also and picking the last tomatoes and peppers which were so good. Also NO insecticides!
Thanks Beverly, I always love a bag when finished but making a quilt seems so much easier!
Connie-I’m glad I’m not the only one who jumps ahead without ready the full directions!! We wouldn’t have even known if you didn’t confess because your bag is stunning and perfect in every way!!! Love it.
Thanks Mary, it took a bit to undo everything but so worth it in the end. Yep…..I do that with cardmaking now….skip ahead and make mistakes!
Your bag is sooo pretty Connie. It really looks awesome. I love the fabrics you chose.
Thanks Joyce, I always love bags made with batiks.
Your new bag is just gorgeous!! Wow!!
Thanks Sara