There should be a 'printer friendly version' here
1.Cut two pieces of main bag fabric, two pieces of inside fabric and two pieces of batting/wadding
at least 4" bigger than your cutting mat, that's 2" for each side, like the picture.
2. Layer one inside fabric, one main bag fabric, right sides together with one piece of batting. Like the picture (I used the same fabric inside and out)
3. Using your walking foot, sew a seam through all three layers, just use your walking foot edge as a guide.
4. Lift top fabric... like the picture and press it upwards
5. Press well then fold it over to the other side of the batting and press again, it should look like an un-pinned quilty sandwich.
This picture shows better what I mean, (it's from another attempt) This 'bagging' method gives you a lovely, already finished neatly, bag top, so you won't need to add any binding or hand stitching.
6. Now also using your walking foot, sew a couple of straight lines at the top of the bag side. Repeat all this for the other side of the bag.
7. You'll then have a bag front and a bag back that are stitched together at the top.
Now, either using your walking foot or with free motion quilting OR using both!!!... you need to quilt the two pieces....
**Do not start in the middle as you are probably used to doing... Quilt from the top, stitched side, down to the bottom,
So... you have the front and the back of your bag quilted.
8. The edges will most probably be wonky by now, especially if you used free motion quilting, no problem, trim them, they do need to be the same size so be careful. Set them on one side...
9. For the ruler pocket... Layer a piece of batting and a piece of fabric (fabric will be inside pocket, not seen) 2" + wider than your ruler and a bit longer than your bag.
You can use a single piece of fabric to make the pocket top, but here's how I did my pockets, to use up scraps and to add interest.....
10. Dig into your scrap bag or cut strips from yardage if you want more co-ordinating fabrics...
11. Place one strip roughly in the middle of the pocket piece and pin it in place. Choose second strip, any width will do but the strips need to be a bit longer than the width of the pocket...
12. Place second strip on top of middle one, pin and stitch, using your walking foot..... this is quilt as you go...
.... fold the strip back and finger press the seam.
... then just continue adding strips in the same way....
...stitching all of them using your walking foot...
.... taking care to finger press the seams back to prevent unwanted baggy strips....
13. Keep going until you have the batting/wadding covered. Trim off as little as possible from both long sides to get them straight...
if you want to use some of your decorative stitches, like in crazy quilting, you could do so now, follow the seam lines... go for it
14. To finish the pocket top now..... fold back the last fabric strip
then trim away the batting and backing fabric with your rotary and ruler, leaving 1/4", like the picture...
then it will look like this.....
fold strip fabric over to neaten the edge then fold again to cover raw edges.... then pin it neatly in place....
Sew a seam to hold it all in place
then it should look a bit like this, very neat and very easy?
15. Now cut two strips of fabric for the pocket sides, they need to be longer and can be any width, 2" is very easy, press strip in half, pin to pocket sides and stitch raw sides together, you need the strips to be overhanging the pocket top.
then press the strips away from the pocket..... Done!
16. Place the completed pocket onto the right side of a bag piece. It is a good idea to centre it too... use the bottom of the bag as your level starting point, you can trim off the edge bits ONLY from the bottom.
then, these bits need to be folded over the edges of the pocket top
and pinned in place all neat and tidy.....
and then you can sew, with your walking foot, a couple of lines of stitching down each side of the pocket....
if you haven't already done so, trim off the bits at the bottom of the bag....
Do you understand it all???
Handles, Cut two pieces of fabric 4" - 5" wide, long enough for your handles. We all like our handles just the right width and length so this measurement is up to you, mine are cut 28" long and 5" wide...
press the strips in half length ways so that you have a centre crease to follow when you open it back up ...
... fold each half over into the fold, like the picture, then fold in half again...
then machine stitch close to both edges, I love the Bernina foot number 10 for this job, just use what you have for edge stitching.
If you use thin fabric you don't need to neaten the ends because you can just fold a bit under, my fabric is very thick so I have used an overlock stitch, just to stop it fraying ugly.
Pin handles in place, I do the bag front first because I want to use the pocket as a placement guide....
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en stitch it down and repeat for the other side, try to level up the handle placement as best you can
You are nearly done now... pin both front and back, right sides together, matching corners, don't use your best delicate patchwork pins for this job, they will bend easily.....
when you have the two sides stitched, go across the bottom, be careful when you get to the pocket part....
look how many layers you have to stitch through when you pass the pocket! go slowly and it will be fine as it squishes down with the foot...
Turn the bag right side out now and give it a good pressing, especially on the seams...
This is the first time I have used cotton batting and with this thicker fabric and it proved to be quite difficult. I would suggest poly batting with thick fabric and cotton batting with thinner fabric... extra info there)
Then go round the bag, top stitching close to the edge, just about the inner-seam width from the edge of the bag is perfect.
and... voila!!! another Mat & Ruler Bag, my 5th.
This is a closer shot of the top stitching, it is hard to get square corners, good job I like 'em a little bit rounded off!
Have you made one yet or was it just too confusing?
This is Helen's Bag
14. To finish the pocket top now..... fold back the last fabric strip
then it will look like this.....
fold strip fabric over to neaten the edge then fold again to cover raw edges.... then pin it neatly in place....
then, these bits need to be folded over the edges of the pocket top
and pinned in place all neat and tidy.....
and then you can sew, with your walking foot, a couple of lines of stitching down each side of the pocket....
Handles, Cut two pieces of fabric 4" - 5" wide, long enough for your handles. We all like our handles just the right width and length so this measurement is up to you, mine are cut 28" long and 5" wide...
press the strips in half length ways so that you have a centre crease to follow when you open it back up ...
... fold each half over into the fold, like the picture, then fold in half again...
then machine stitch close to both edges, I love the Bernina foot number 10 for this job, just use what you have for edge stitching.
Pin handles in place, I do the bag front first because I want to use the pocket as a placement guide....
You are nearly done now... pin both front and back, right sides together, matching corners, don't use your best delicate patchwork pins for this job, they will bend easily.....
when you have the two sides stitched, go across the bottom, be careful when you get to the pocket part....
look how many layers you have to stitch through when you pass the pocket! go slowly and it will be fine as it squishes down with the foot...
Turn the bag right side out now and give it a good pressing, especially on the seams... 
Then go round the bag, top stitching close to the edge, just about the inner-seam width from the edge of the bag is perfect.
and... voila!!! another Mat & Ruler Bag, my 5th.
This is a closer shot of the top stitching, it is hard to get square corners, good job I like 'em a little bit rounded off!
