Steph's Easter Egg Hunt Bag Project: decorated using Bernina 3-Groove Cording Foot #22

Instructions

There are more instructional images to guide you available in the project’s downloadable PDF.

Stage 1

1. To start, you will need to print off the templates. Print the templates on A4. You will need to tape the bag, butt the top left and top right together – do not overlap! Do the same with the bottom section. The black outlines need to meet.
2. Overlap the top sections onto the bottom sections using the dotted line as a gap. There are markings that need to be noted – these are indicated with the arrows.
3. Cut out the paper templates: Rabbit head and large ears in grey/rabbit colour. Inner ears in print.

Stage 2

1. Cut out bag templates, then cut out the bag in the relevant base and lining fabrics. With a water soluble marker, on the wrong side of all 4 pieces - mark where the arrows are on the template.

We advise that you iron your fabric prior to cutting out.

Stage 3

1. Next, place the rabbit templates onto your chosen fabric - cut the bondaweb to fit over the whole area.
2. Remove the templates and iron the bondaweb in place.
3. Draw around the templates onto the bondaweb and cut out.
4. Using a pin, score gently across the back of the bondaweb, this will make it easier to be able to remove the paper backing.
5. Iron the fabric bondaweb in place onto your base fabric.

Stage 4

1. Attach your Cording Foot to your machine. We went for the Bernina 3-Groove Cording Foot #22. You can use Bernina 5 -Groove Cording Foot #25.
2. You should be able to see the grooves for the cords under the black bar that pivots and on the underside of the foot.
3. The cord has to slip through the front slit on the right of the foot. It needs to sit into the grooves, making sure the cord is in the same groove on the top to the underside.
4. I’d recommend tying the cords towards the back in a knot. You may find this easier to do before you insert the cords.
5. Thread the machine using a suitable coloured thread top and bottom.

Stage 5

1. Line your fabric underneath the foot. We would recommend that you line your middle cord with the raw edge of the appliqué.
2. Select a stitch. You need to select a stitch that goes across the width and will stitch through each cord. I like to use stitch #4 - the Serpentine stitch. Another stitch that works well, especially for 3 cords is stitch #422. This can be found in the satin stitch group, this is a satin stitch square that stitches across each cord. I like to make mine shorter.
3. Once ready, start sewing around the raw edges. Keep an eye on your cords and make sure that they stay in their grooves. Be careful when you go around corners. Watch a video of this step demonstrating the 3 Groove Cording Foot in action:

4. I corded the ears and inner ears first and then the rabbits head. You can watch videos of me cording the inner ears:

5. To finish off the cording, cut as closely to the stitch as possible. The ears will be hidden by the cord of the head. The head will be hidden within the seams.

Stage 6

1. Place the eyes (buttons) and nose in place.
2. Use bondaweb on the nose to help stay in pace.
3. Attach the Bernina Open Embroidery Foot #20.
4. Select a straight stitch, move the needle positioning as far to the right as possible.
5. Line the inner side of the right part of the foot along the raw edge. Sew a few straight stitches to secure.
6. Select a blanket stitch and adjust the length and width accordingly. Change the needle position completely to the right. Continue to stitch the nose with the blanket stitch. Change back to the straight stitch to shortly go over the start. Secure the stitches.

Stage 7

1. To create the mouth, select a straight stitch with centre positioning.
2. You may want to draw the mouth with a fabric marker.
3. Attach a free motion embroidery foot. Bernina Darning Foot #9 was used for ours, yet any will do.
4. Lower the feed dogs, raise the bobbin thread for your start position.
5. Lower the foot onto the fabric, hold your tails of thread. When ready, stitch the mouth.

Stage 8

1. Attach the buttons in place, this can be done by hand sewing or using Bernina -Button Sew on Foot #18. I used metallic cord to hand sew the button on.

Next, to attach the whiskers!

Stage 9

1. Choose the cords and stitch number that you would like to use.
2. Don’t forget to lift your feed dogs back up if you haven’t already
3. Place the cord and foot in position to where you want. Sew the cord into place.
4. Secure the ends by cutting the cords close to the stitch.
5. I sewed 3 sets of whiskers that continued off the face of the rabbit.

Stage 10

1. Once you are happy, now to construct the bag. Use 1/4 inch seam allowance. I used Bernina Patchwork Foot #37 to help get my 1/4 inch seam.
2. Place the pieces with the right sides of the same coloured fabrics together.
3. Pin and stitch along the top edge of the long strap.
4. Press seams to one side.

Stage 11

1. Open up both pieces. Lay the pieces right side together and pin.
2. Machine stitch the outside edge of the long strap between the arrows.
3. Machine stitch the inside ‘U’ alongside the inside long strap and along the inside of the second ‘U’.
4. You may want to snip into the curve, this will help when pressing later on.

Stage 12

1. Turn the bag through to the right side, you will need to pull the back through the long strap. Be careful and do not force it.
2. Press the ‘U’ shape on each side and along the long strap.

Stage 13

1. Pin the top edges of the short strap right sides together so that the same coloured fabrics are facing each other. Stitch along the top edge making sure that you match the seam.
2. Press the strap seam.

Stage 14

1. Top stitch 1/4 inch away along the ‘U’ shape all the way around or use Bernina Edge Stitch #10 Foot.

Stage 15

1. To close the bottom of the bag, Pin the right sides of the main fabric together and stitch between the arrows.
2. Sew the lining by pinning the right sides together and stitch between the arrows.
3. There should be an opening on the short strap. The bag can be turned through this small gap.

Woo-hoo! Your bag is complete. Doesn’t it look wonderful?

Stage 16

1. Turn the outer edges of the short strap under by 1/4inch. Hand stitch around the edge to secure close - a ladder stitch works well.

Stage 17

1. Press the bag to finish.

Now to create the Easter Eggs!

Stage 18

1. Cut the paper templates out. The larger egg is for the fabric, the smaller egg is for wadding. You will need to cut two of each.
 

Stage 19

1. Place the larger egg paper templates on your fabric, make marks on the fabric with a fabric marker to suggest where you would like to embellish.

We would recommend you embellish the egg prior to cutting the fabric as you want the embellishments to reach the edge of the egg.

Stage 20

1. Embellish the egg by using the techniques learnt from creating the rabbit.
2. Get creative! Here is what I did:
- I decided to bondaweb my lining fabric across by egg fabric, cording the raw edges.
- Another egg was created by sewing a range of 3 and 5 cords horizontally across the fabric in a range of different decorative stitches.
- The third egg was created by running cord vertically down the strips using a decorative stitch.

Now to construct the egg!

Stage 21

1. Cut out the egg fabric pieces.
2. Place the back piece with the wrong side facing up.
3. Place both pieces of wadding on top.
4. Place decorative piece of fabric facing upwards on top.

Stage 22

1. Sew around the edge of the egg using stitch #6. This is a 3 step Straight Stitch, many use this for stretch stitch.

I used the Bernina Reverse Foot #1 and the 3/8 mark on my needle plate.

Stage 23

1. Once complete, using pinking shears to trim the edges of the fabric.

Ta-da, your fabulous Easter Eggs should look like this!

Did you have eggcellent fun creating your Easter Hunt Bag?

Then be sure to check our website regularly as we will be bringing you monthly how-to’s!
 
Up next is a special baby project for all those with a new addition in the house or who know someone that is expecting. There’s just something so rewarding about sewing for little ones isn’t there?!
 
Let Bernina inspire you at this very exciting time… Project coming soon!