Textiles: Tai Chi Sword Bag Instructions

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These instructions are for a simplified version of the sword bag shown in these photographs: simpler in that you won’t get the plain bands which appear on the red brocade bag. I used a gorgeous synthetic brocade with dragons and phoenixes on it, but it was difficult to work with as it was floppy and the threads pulled if I caught the fabric on a pin or on my machine’s feed dogs, or if I looked at it in a funny way. This delicacy necessitated the use of bands of the inner fabric (a tough, red cotton) to protect the brocade from being rubbed when the bag was used. The brocade also melted at a much lower temperature than the cotton, something I forgot when I was halfway through making it. Thanks to Fabricland for tracking down a roll of the red brocade to its Poole branch for me, so I could buy some more and start again! If I was making it again I’d use cotton for the outside and inside, so that’s what these instructions assume. I’ve written this for competent quilters; if that’s not you, then ask a friendly quilter or look in a quilt book or magazine for advice. One photograph shows the weapons this was designed to hold: if yours are different sizes, then adjust the measurements to fit.

Materials:
2 pieces of fabric, each 38” x 56” (this gives a 1” seam allowance all round)
2oz wadding (batting), 38” x 56”
1” wide ribbon, 2¼ yards
Medium piping cord, approx 3 yards
Beads, buttons or toggles, 5
Thin cord, leather tubing, etc, to attach the above if necessary (approx 1 yard) and to make loops for them (approx 1 yard)

1. Mark seam and quilt lines on fabric (see diagram).
2. Sandwich wadding between inner and outer fabrics to produce an oblong ready to quilt. Because I wasn’t going to do decorative quilting, I used the ‘bag’ method, so by this stage all the edges were turned in and finished off. If you’re going to do heavy quilting on it, you may want to turn the edges under later.
3. Do decorative quilting if you want to.
4. Finish edges if necessary.
5. Top-stitch ¼-½” in from the edge all round.
6. Quilt 6” in from top and bottom (see diagram). These are the horizontal fold lines.
7. Turn up bottom 6”, ready for stitching.
8. Quilt the long lines, top to bottom (see diagram). Stitch at each side, too, over your top-stitching. This makes permanent pockets at the bottom, and gives vertical fold lines.
9. Turn the top 6” down to see where to place the fastenings. The top pockets can be opened, so put fastenings at each side and on each of the 3 long quilt/fold lines. I used wooden beads and braid loops.
10. Attach ribbon 14” up from the bottom edge and 14” above that, stitching at each edge and on each quilt/fold line. Allow a little ’give’ in each section: lay ribbon flat on fabric, then add about ½” before stitching.
11. If using a tassel, attach it near the top of the outside of the last section of the bag. (This tassel came off the Chinese sword.)
12. Tie ends of piping cord together. This is used as a removable strap for the bag.