Alpen Belt Bag by Center Street Quilts
I recently completed the Alpen Belt Bag by Center Street Quilts. I’ve never made a project like this and was so happy with the result! Back when I learned to sew (in the early 2000s) I did it because I wanted to make tote bags. Tote bags were a big deal back then, ha! This will not be the last quilted bag in my future! Let me walk you through my thoughts and materials on this project!

Quilt Pattern
As I stated above, this is the Alpen Belt Bag by Center Street Quilts – you can find it here: Alpen Belt Bag PDF Pattern – Instant Download – Center Street Quilts
Fabric
I used fabric I received as a giveaway winner on Instagram for this! As I don’t use a lot of prints, this was perfect for this project. The fabric on the outside is Moda’s Dawn on the Prairie by Fancy That Design House. The interior fabric is Spark by Rub Stary Society (I think, after doing some Google searches). The yellow trim is Kona Solids in Curry.
Other Supplies (Hardware, Thread, etc.)
Other supplies used in the Alpen Belt Bag are:
- I used batting, although it gives the option for foam stabilizer in the pattern, I do think I’ll try that if I make another. But the cotton batting is fine, the bag just has a very flimsy structure – which is fine with me in this bag. But I would like to see the structure with the foam stabilizer.
- The pattern also calls for Fusible Interfacing, which I ordered the SF101 by Pellon as recommended and that worked fine!
- Webbing and Hardware I ordered from Stitch Supply Co. They had little kits of hardware to keep it simple. I also did the math wrong on the webbing I needed and made an error in my order, which they were quick to help me fix. I will be ordering from this shop again for sure!
- The webbing was in the color Seaglass – found here: Solid Cotton Webbing – 1.5″ wide (stitchsupplyco.com)
- The hardware was in color gunmetal – found here: Alpen or Everest Belt Bag Hardware Kit (stitchsupplyco.com)
- The zipper is Navy – found here: Zipper Tape by the Yard (stitchsupplyco.com)
- I used the same thread I use for everything – Aurifil 50 weight cotton thread.

Helpful Tips
The best part about this for me, as this is really the first “real” bag I made, is the pattern author had a highlight on her Instagram page that had a series of reels showing how to put together the bag. They are just visual videos, but they helped a lot. My brain doesn’t really think in 3D, and this helped me a lot. I’m sure I could have gotten there with the written pattern alone, but there would have been a lot more swearing! Here is a link to the highlight with the videos if you decide to make this bag: Kristina Brinkerhoff || Modern Sewing and Quilting Patterns (@centerstreetquilts) • Instagram photos and videos
Strap Sizing Adjustments
Once you get the pattern, it will have a comment in there about the size of the pattern working well for those from a XS to XL and you may want to adjust if a different size. Of course, I read that bit after I had ordered my supplies and was about to start – so I decided to move forward as the pattern is written. I am currently a size 2XL – maybe a 3XL in some things – and as you can see in the photo, I’m wearing the bag quite loose and have some room to go. So, if you’re a plus-size sewist giving this a go, hopefully this helps you factor any adjustments you may want to make.
Final Thoughts
I really feel like this Alpen Belt Bag is my gateway to a lot more quilted bags and bags in general. This was a great pattern and the videos she has on Instagram really helped. I have gotten some many compliments on the bag already – and if you’re looking to dip your toe into the bag making world – this is a great way to do it!