Skip to content
Over 180 freebooks free for newsletter subscribers

estimated reading time: 4 min

Sewing a pinwheel bag: easy, quick & beautiful

05.11.2016 by Sabine Schmidt

Windmühlentasche nähen: easy, schnell & wunderschön

Sewing a windmill bag: In this tutorial, I'll show you step by step how to sew a windmill bag in a chevron look.

Windmill bag - SewSimple.de

Do you love patchwork and quilting and love handmade bags? Then you've come to the right place! With many colorful strips of fabric, you can easily create your own bright fabric and sew a stylish windmill bag. This is super easy with the quilt as you go method. If you're short on time, you can also cut the fabric pieces from a single piece of fabric.

No matter which version you choose. The windmill bag simply looks amazing. I'll show you how to sew it.

Reading tip: Sewing a shopping bag

YouTube tutorial for sewing a windmill bag

Why is it called a windmill bag?

This is because the finished panels or fabric strips are laid out like a windmill before being sewn together. On the finished bag, the windmill blades swirl around each other a little and give the bag its shape and structure.

Which fabrics and interfacings are suitable for sewing a windmill bag?

I use fusible interfacing to stabilize the bag and as a base for the chevron strips. Fusible interfacing is therefore so suitable because it is thin but quite stable. It also glides better during sewing than regular batting. Alternatively, you can also use soy batting, which also has good "non-slip" properties, although it is not as firm.

For this sewing project, simple cotton fabrics are by far the best. They are easy to combine, cut, and work with. But linen scraps, denim, or corduroy are also great. Different surfaces and textures add extra eye-catching details here.

Sewing a windmill bag: Materials needed

You can assemble the pieces for the windmill bag from many small pieces of fabric or cut them from just one or two fabrics. In this tutorial, I'll show you how it works with small strips of fabric. If you want your bag to have a calmer look, simply choose two matching cotton fabrics and cut them to the specified size before fixing them to the fusible interfacing.

For the outside:

For the inside:

For the handles:

Also:

Conclusion: A windmill bag to die for!

Sewing a windmill bag really is easier than you think, isn't it? I love the bold yet precise striped pattern created by sewing the fabric strips together. This way, I can sew with fabric scraps and design a completely unique bag that no one else has. By the way, a windmill bag also makes a wonderful gift for friends and family. :)

Do you like this tutorial or do you have a question? Feel free to leave a comment.

Happy simple sewing, yours Sabine

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Step-by-step instructions

Sew a windmill bag

The windmill bag is made using the quilt-as-you-go technique from fabric strips quilted directly onto Thermolam. The bag is then assembled from the sewn squares, lined and fitted with handles.

  1. Step

    Draw guide lines

    First, draw guide lines at a 45° angle to the long side on the two Thermolam pieces. You can use these lines for orientation later. When marking, work in mirror image.

    Draw guide lines
  2. Step

    Arrange the fabric strips

    Gather some pretty fabric strips and lay them out the way you want to arrange them later. Important: They should be long enough that you don't have to piece them at the ends.

    Better to check that the Thermolam is still covered with fabric after sewing and pressing.

    Then you can fix the strips in the right order with a few pins.

    Arrange the fabric strips
  3. Step

    Start quilt-as-you-go

    Start in the corner: press the first two fabric strips and sew them right sides together onto the Thermolam. This is the quilt-as-you-go technique. I really love it because it lets you do the quilting at the same time.

    Start quilt-as-you-go
  4. Step

    Cover the Thermolam completely

    Work all the fabric strips this way until the Thermolam is completely covered.

    Use the guide lines to help you place the strips. And remember: perfect is boring. :)

    Cover the Thermolam completely
  5. Step

    Work and press the second fabric piece

    Work the second fabric piece in the same way. Then press both fabric pieces with steam.

    Work and press the second fabric piece
  6. Step

    Cut strips with the patchwork ruler

    Take your patchwork ruler and cut two strips from each pattern piece by cutting once around the ruler. The ruler is your pattern, so to speak.

    Cut strips with the patchwork ruler
  7. Step

    Arrange the strips

    Next, arrange the strips like this.

    Arrange the strips
  8. Step

    Mark the long seams

    It's best to mark both spots so that you can start the seam exactly there when closing the long sides.

    Mark the long seams
  9. Step

    Close the long sides all the way around

    Then close each pair of neighbouring long sides all the way around. Make sure to start the seam exactly at the marking.

    Close the long sides all the way around
  10. Step

    Prepare the bag handles

    Next, prepare the bag handles: Fold both strips in half lengthwise and press the edge. Then fold each side back to the centre, as if you were making your own bias binding.

    Place a 2 cm wide strip of interfacing inside the handle blank, fold the handle from both sides to the centre and edgestitch the handle closed.

    Prepare the bag handles
  11. Step

    Sew the handles to the corners

    Now sew the handles to the corners. Make sure the handles really sit centred on the corner. At the top, leave a small fabric triangle the width of the handle free. Repeat this step for the second handle.

    Sew the handles to the corners
  12. Step

    Sew the bag lining

    Sew the bag lining just like the outside.

    Sew the bag lining
  13. Step

    Sew the outer bag and lining bag together

    Place both bags inside each other, right sides together. Make sure the handles point neatly straight down. Pin both bags together along the upper zigzag edge and leave a turning gap open. Sew all the way around with a straight stitch.

    Sew the outer bag and lining bag together
  14. Step

    Trim the seam allowances

    Trim the seam allowances at the upper corners a little. Also carefully clip the lower corners to just short of the seam so that the edge lies nicely afterwards.

    Trim the seam allowances
  15. Step

    Turn and shape

    Turn the bag right side out, press it and shape the corners.

    Turn and shape
  16. Step

    Topstitch the upper edge and close the turning gap

    Edgestitch the upper edge with a 3.5 straight stitch. This also closes the turning gap. Done!

    Topstitch the upper edge and close the turning gap

Comments

Comments are loading …

About the author

Sabine

I come from Siegen-Wittgenstein, where I spent my childhood breaking in cows, jumping off haystacks and scraping a D- in needlework class.

Today, being creative feels like indescribable happiness to me – and it grows even more when I can share it with others. Since 2016 I have been celebrating my passion for sewing on this blog, and I love that sewing connects so many people.