So has everyone been hopping through the awesome blogs and enjoying the gorgeous tutorials? Have you stopped by Ellison Lane and entered the awesome fabricworm giveaway? After all the awesome ladies before me, I’m a bit intimidated to present my tutorial to you, but hopefully, you’ll find something here that is useful to you 
If you want to check out all the other awesome blogs, just follow the list!
Friday, October 14- Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts
Saturday, October 15- Ayumi/Pink Penguin
Sunday, October 16- Amy/ Lots of Pink Here
Monday, October 17- Faith/Fresh Lemons Quilts
Tuesday, October 18- Penny/Sew Take a Hike
Wednesday, October 19- Kati/From the Blue Chair
Thursday, October 20- Lee/Freshly Pieced
Friday, October 21- Elizabeth/Don’t Call Me Betsy
Saturday, October 22- Melanie/Texas Freckles
Sunday, October 23- Lindsay/Craft Buds
Monday, October 24- Amanda/A Crafty Fox
Tuesday, October 25-Vanessa/Little Big Girl Studio
Ever since Sewing Summit, I have had the other Amanda‘s concept of mini quilts on the brain. She said she likes her minis to tell a story, a simple concept. So I paired that with a simple, sawtooth star and came up with this little lined zakka-style lunch sack. We are going to use some upcycled vinyl so that any fabric can be used for the lining and it will still be waterproof and easy peasy to clean! I made it using linen and Heather Ross Far Far Away III, but it could easily be adapted for a little boy or even a grown up (I am going to make one for my darling hubby who is so good about taking his lunch to work)
To make this lunch sack, you are going to need:
1 FQ Linen or Background
Large scrap of focus fabric for star
1 FQ for Lining
Upcyclable piece of vinyl (or purchased from Joanns)
13″X 22″ piece of Insulbright (or batting, if you prefer)
Button, Needle, Thread
Pins and notions (I
Lets get started!
Cut:
(2) 3.5″ ‘fussy cut’ squares from your focus fabric
(8) 2.5″ linen squares
(8) 2.5″ focus fabric squares
(8) 2″ squares of linen
(2) 2.5″x 6.25″ pieces of linen
(2) 3″ x 10.5″ rectangles of linen for the below the star
(2) 4.5″ x 10.5″ rectangles of linen for above the star
(2) 10.5″ x 12.75″ from lining fabric
(2) 10.5″ x 12.75″ from vinyl
(2) 10.5″ x 12.75″ from insulbright
Whew! Now that’s done, let’s make our star! Start by making 16 Half Square Triangles using the 2.5″ inch squares. Draw a diagonal line corner to corner on the back of the linen, match up with the focus squares and sew 1/4″ on each side of the line. Snip apart and press!
Sew the HST’s into pairs. On four of the pairs, add the solid 2″ square at either end. Like so:
Sew the short pairs onto the 3.5″ fussy cut square. Then, sew the the longer pieces onto the empty sides of the 3.5″ squares.
Next we are going to assemble the outer shell of the lunch sack. Sew the 2 2.5″x 6.25″ to either side of the star. Then, place the 3″ strip on the bottom, the star strip in the middle, and the 4.5″ piece on the top. Sew together.
Once they are assembled, make a small mark on one of your outer shell pieces in the middle, right above the star. Iron a small piece of fusible interfacing on the back of the fabric, then affix your button on that mark.
I then bribed my little helper with Halloween Oreos to go play in the other room. And if one or two delicious cookies happened to slip into your sewing room, you won’t tell, right?
Now, we are going to assemble the lunch box. Gather your lining fabric, vinyl, and insulbright.
****NOTE: I sourced my vinyl from my linen closet. I have several of these vinyl zipper pouches that sheets come in laying around. I simply cut it along the seams with scissors, pressed out the wrinkles by laying some flannel on top and pressing with a hot iron. I would NOT recommend placing your hot iron directly onto the vinyl****
Layer your three lining pieces like this:
I pinned these three together and zig zag basted around the edges, just to keep the vinyl from slipping all over the place. You will do this twice, once with each set. Then, I placed them vinyl sides together and sew the sides and bottom together. Do the same to the outer shell by placing the two pieces right sides together and sew the bottom and sides together. Move to your cutting board, and cut and 2.5″ square out of each bottom corner.
Now, fold the bottom corners so that the side seam touches the bottom seam and pinch and pin it. Sew a generous 1/4″ from the edge (I reinforced the seam with a zig zag as well)
Do this with all four corners.
Now for the fun part. Leave your outer shell piece inside out. Turn the lining right side out. Place the lining inside the outer shell. Place pins around the outside, remembering to leave a 3-4″ gap (on the opposite side to the button!) to pull it all through in the end.
Sew about 1/2″ from the edge, leaving your gap. Pull lining and outer shell through the gap. Stuff the lining inside of the outer shell.
Pin a piece of elastic (I used a {new} hair elastic) into middle of the gap, and tuck the raw edges in. Pin. Top stitch around about 1/8″ from the edge.
Now, Voila! You have a finished lunch sack all ready to be wrapped up for Christmas! Yay, you!
On to the giveaway. Many of you know my husband and I run a little shop, WestWoodAcres on etsy. It is a fun hobby for us and we want to give away a $30 gift certificate to one lucky reader! To enter, just leave me a comment on this post telling me what you or your little ones are going to be for Halloween. This mama has no idea what to do for her toddler!
Followers (new or old) will get an extra entry if they leave a 2nd comment.
I’ll pick a winner using random.org on Wednesday , October 26th (although we have a halloween party that night, so I may not get to it until Thursday!)
Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments as I try and reply to everyone!
I’m a follower!
Great tutorial! Such a cute little bag!
I’m a happy new follower!
I don’t have little ones but I do have a witch’s hat that I will wear to great the little ones.
I am a new GFC follower!
What a cute lunch sack. What a great tip to use the plastic that is from those bags. I think everybody has one of those. Thanks for the tutorial, great job. My children are grown so I don’t have small children that are dressing up. I love sitting out front, watching all the kids and passing out candy.
Thanks for the giveaway and a chanc to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
I am a happy follower.
Thanks for a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
Haloween we see me in hospital impersonating Frankenstien as they repair a hernia. Ah making lemonade.
Nice lunch bag yumm
I have a little nephew that is going to dress up like Mickey Mouse. He is going to be soooo cute, or I should say cuter! lol
Your lunch bag is so cute. I love how you fussy cut the center. Thanks for the giveaway.
Yes, I’m a follower of your blog. A new one. Thanks againg for the giveaway.
Hi – we’re doing nothing for Halloween! I guess I think it’s a load of nonsense and a waste of time, money and energy! Bah humbug! Hope that doesn’t cancel out my entry!
I’m a follower too!
My newphew wants to be a pumpkin. Thanks for the tutorial on such a cute lunck sack.
Great tutorial- thanks for sharing! When my daughter was little, one year she went as Raggedy Ann for Halloween. She looked adorable! Her aunt had made her the Raggedy Ann doll and she carried that with her. Happy memories!!
I’m a follower. Thanks for the giveaway!
Great post! My daughter is all about princesses, so she is going to be Cinderella…and a fairy princess this morning for dance class.
Cute bag! Thanks for the tutorial.
What a cute bag, Think I’ll make them for the grandkids.
This halloween my kids are going to be an Army Ranger and a Banana. Too funny!
When my girls were toddlers they were princesses and fairies. We usually just trick or treat family and friends and their buckets were always full. This year we will be attending a Harvest Party, followed by a pizza and movie at home.
We are going to a neighbour’s halloween party and some trick-or-treating (if it doesn’t rain). Thanks for the chance to win!
I’m a new follower
I don’t have human kids, but my kitty is going to be dressed up as a shark! I found a fantastic costume at Target and am so excited to try to get her in it
I am a new follower and have decided that I have to start making a list of projects that I WANT TO DO along with my other have to’s – this is #1 on my list – thanks.
Thanks for the tutorial! And thanks for the chance to win – your shop has some great stuff! My daughter wants to be Rapunzel which is just a pretty dress and a bulky braid of yarn and ribbon around her head with a long braid hanging down – easy!
I’m going to sit in a dark house and eat Halloween candy :_) . The last time I opened the door to trick or treaters they were bigger than me.
I’m a follower…….thanks for a chance to win!
What a great tutorial. That FFAIII print is so cute that I may even make one to match it!
My daughter wants to be a pumpkin fairy for halloween
Thanks for the wonderful giveaway.
I’m a happy follower
Brilliant! I just threw one of those vinyl thingers away last weekend- it never fails- as soon as I get rid of something, I find a use for it. I love the way you upcycled it into such a stylish bag. And your fabric choices are great. Love it!
I love your tutorial. I’m a little lazy, so will be making one star, lol, and leaving the other side blank
But then, hey, I can make two!! Thanks for the time spent on this, and for the extra give-away 
barzi10091-at-aol-dot-com
I have also followed you on Google Reader
barzi10091-at-aol-dot-com
Thank you for the fabulous tutorial! Have fun at your party tonight!
I’m a follower.
cute lunch sack! If we celebrated halloween I’d dress my girl as little red riding hood
ps. I’m a brand new follower!
Oh so cute! I make my daughter a new lunch box every year for school and I’m always looking for cute lunch box/bag tutorials. I love yours! Especially how you used the clear vinyl with cute fabrics. I hate how much oilcloth costs, and you’ve come up with a perfect solution. THANKS!!
This is lovely! As for Hallowe’en…I’ll be home giving out candy! I don’t have kids of my own, so it’s the only way to see all the cute costumes!
What a great bag and what a sweet helper! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m a follower too, thanks!