Pamela, The heavier the canvas, the heavier your bag will be. I would recommend that you select the fabric based on what is available locally, what you want your bag to feel like, and what you feel your machine will be able to sew. The standard cotton duck (I don't usually see multiple weights at my shops) is what I usually buy.

Thank you, all! Sally, All of my bag patterns describe how to make every part of the bag, including the handles.

Thank you, Sally, but I don't do anything special or label my fabric. I just follow collections and handle fabric enough that I usually remember what it is.

Beckyjopdx, I think that would be awesome. Thanks!

T, Thanks for signing up for the Craftsy class! In answer to your question, there is really no overlap in terms of the designs in that class, my books, and my blog. Dawn, I'm sure you could do any number of different things with it. You would just need to figure out the math so that your pieced stacks ended up the same size.

Wayne, Please take a look at the Basics section in my sidebar above. I've done a few posts on this topic. Thanks!

The trees are pieced. There is no applique in this quilt. :)

Dianne, Unlike what I would do with wonky piecing, I do the wonky QAYG by overlapping the fabric a lot. So, I'm starting with rectangular pieces and just sewing them at odd angles.

Pamela, I haven't decided yet, but it's one of my WIP's, so I'll definitely post about it when I do it.

Thanks, Veronica! I don't think flannel is probably a good choice for the outside of a bag. It's too absorbent and prone to getting dirty. Suitable textured fabrics for this project include linen, cotton/linen, twill and denim. I used Essex yarn-dyed cotton/linen in Black. I say textured because a fabric with a subtle texture will look a lot better than something completely flat like Kona. Kona solids are great for quilting (and would be great in the patchwork part of these bags) but, to me, they don't look very appropriate for the main exterior of a bag. If you think about the kinds of fabrics you see used in commercially-available bags, you'll probably get a good idea of what would work here. Mid-weight means quilting weight (not too heavy and not too light). Because of the layers of utility fabric and batting, you just want to avoid getting anything too bulky that will make it difficult to sew the bag together.

I didn't make the false bottom, but I did put a Peltex insert in the base (per the pattern). I quilted my Peltex layers together to make them more sturdy.

Cala, It's no different than sewing any other heavy fabric together. Just think about the weight that would be created by a layer of the utility fabric, a layer of batting (outside the seam allowances) and the fabric you're adding and you'll have a good idea.

Thank you, all! Julie, the Marmalade pattern will be available after QuiltCon (early March 2013).

Thanks! Utility fabric like drill cloth or cotton duck is a heavy woven fabric that you don't end up seeing in the finished project (so it doesn't have to be pretty). It's used as an alternative to heavy interfacing. The utility fabric behaves like, well, fabric, so it doesn't crinkle and buckle like the heavy interfacing can.

Bailey, I just make a sandwich like I would for a quilt. Malini, The floral is Suzuko Koseki. (I linked to it in the first post about this project.)

Patti, The layer of utility fabric will keep the panels from shrinking appreciably as you quilt. However, even if the panels were to shrink, they would all be shrinking by the same (negligible) amount and should theoretically still fit together. The addition of the utility fabric creates a very different texture than that of a quilt.

Debbie, No. There's still lining. The duck is the base of the main bag panels. It ends up functioning more like interlining.

I'm not sure that a quilt ever gets "dangerously" large but, yes. Some of these are going to be big. Of course, they have two sides . . .

Laura, I actually prefer using colored pencils and grid paper. That is definitely what I would recommend!

Wendy, I don't really recommend using bed sheets in quilts (unless we're talking about vintage sheets that are being used for the prints). Fabric is so much better for quilting!

Annilu, I'm having a hard time commenting on your blog post, but I wanted to thank you for the link. Your quilt is beautiful!

Shannon, Of course! I would love to see your photos in the Flickr group!

Julie, It sounds like maybe your seam allowance is on the large side. A precise quarter inch seam allowance should get you a 15" block. If your seam allowances are a little bigger, the block might end up a little smaller. I don't think it matters as long as you're able to square the blocks to a uniform size and you're happy with it though! :) -Elizabeth

Robyn, Although I've never tried what you're suggesting, it's not something I would recommend. Quilts are sandwiched the way they are (with graduated layers, with batting and backing larger than the quilt top) for a reason. Quilting from the back would require adjusting this setup considerably, possibly completely redesigning the quilt top and back so that the sizes were reversed.

Ha! Nina, She used to play with my mother's old-school manual typewriter all the time, so she knows what one is. :)