Amour Granny Square Bag Tutorial by Amy of Happy Hippie Studio

Hey there! I’m Amy from Happy Hippie Studio , and I am stoked to be bringing you a tutorial for the Amour Granny Square! This pattern combines my two favorite things: yarn and fabric. 

A little backstory: 

I started crocheting when I was eleven. My family lived in Montana where the winters were long and there wasn’t much to do other than drink coffee and crochet (let’s not talk about how I developed a caffeine addiction at eleven!) For many years, I only used fine thread and made so. many. doilies. As I got older, I wanted to make things that were utilitarian as well as beautiful, so I ventured into making blankets and bags. 

I didn’t start quilting until 2013 when my oldest was a baby and I was a stay-at-home-mom struggling with depression. Making simple quilts gave me the quick wins I needed to feel like a productive adult again. 

Now that the kids are a little older, I’m enjoying taking the time to dive deeply into both crochet AND quilting, and finding unique ways to combine them! Just don’t ask me to knit anything. It will likely take a really long time. 

This tote bag is a fun combination of crochet and machine sewing. Yes...you can absolutely use your sewing machine to sew through crocheted items! It’s not scary, I promise. 

Just grab your copy of the tutorial at the link here and get stitching! 

Are you nervous about sewing fabric to yarn? Don’t be! Here are a few tips to help it go super smoothly: 

1. SLOW DOWN! Put your machine at half speed or less. 

2. Pins are your friends! The heat from the iron won’t penetrate the thick yarn,   so use lots of pins. Seriously. If you think you have enough, use more anyway. 

3. Use a longer stitch than normal. Mine is set at 2.7 mm. 

4. Don’t change the tension. 

5. Use a thread that matches the background fabric on your bag. This will make seams disappear.

6. Use a 1⁄4” seam. I’m lazy, and don’t like taking off my quilting foot, so this pattern was written with 1⁄4” seams. If you’re a quilter, this will save you a step since you’re accustomed to using your 1⁄4” foot for, well, everything. 

The variation in thickness will hide a lot of flaws, and look really artisan. Perfection is so overrated anyway! 

Grab your copy of the free tutorial and get started ASAP here! 

While my style tends toward the vibrant and scrappy, this tote would be GORGEOUS in a neutral palette (hello, earth tones!). If you make it in neutrals, please don’t forget to tag @happyhippiestudio and @tiedwitharibbon so we can feature your work on our accounts and use #amourgrannysquare and #tiedwitharibbonpatterns

Thanks for sewing along, Amy

Piece. Love. Quilt.