I’m so excited to be part of the Wishflower Project Hop, a celebration of Wishflower, a fabric collection designed by Rachel Rossi of Designs by RR for Benartex Fabric.

Wishflower from Benartex has been out in the world for a little while now, and this hop is all about highlighting the beautiful ways makers are using the collection. Inspired by hope, growth, and everyday magic, Wishflower features flowing florals, gentle movement, and a soft color palette that works beautifully for quilts, garments, accessories, and thoughtful handmade projects.

Throughout the Project Hop, a group of talented makers are sharing projects created with Wishflower—each one offering a fresh perspective and plenty of inspiration. To make things even more fun, there’s also a giveaway with multiple chances to win!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

• Giveaway winners will be selected on March 20, 2026
• One winner will receive a Wishflower fabric bundle from Benartex (you definitely want this with the amazing colors and prints!!)
  
• Additional winners will receive prizes from each designer in the hop (OMG the prizes are incredible!)
  
• Rachel Rossi is also giving away multiple patterns (I already know which ones I want in my collection)

HOW TO ENTER:
Follow all participating designers on Instagram
Bonus entries are available for sharing and tagging friends from the @designsbyrr IG account

🌸 @designsbyrr - FOUR new projects made just for this line
🪡@homemadeemilyjane - a whole slew of quilts using Wishflower
🥁@shadowvalleyquilts - Percussion Quilt
🌼@onwilliamsstreet - A Wishflower Quilt
👜@thaicharmllc - Quilted Tote
🎒@cutemonkeyfabrics - Bag
👟@uhohcreations - Michael Traveller Bag
🖼️@maraquiltdesigns - an ombre wall hanging

Be sure to visit each stop on the Wishflower Project Hop to see the projects, meet the makers, and gather ideas for your own Wishflower creations. You can learn more about the collection and view the full hop details here:
👉 https://rachelrossi.design/wishflower-project-hop/

Now let's talk about my project for the hop... the Michael Traveler!!!!

Before you get going you're going to need to get the Michael Traveler bag pattern - it's available in PDF format on the website or you can get it as a paper pattern at select shops.

Fabric Selection

Let's gather up the things you need for your Michael Traveler from the Wishflower fabric line: 

• Wishflower Ombre Lime/Teal - SKU 16692-44 - for the main body of the entire bag - front, back, ends, and top gussets
• Windy Day Lime - SKU 16696-43 - for the zipper gusset on top
• Dandy Dark Teal - SKU 16697-85 - for the exterior accents, including the front strap anchors, pockets, and base
• Tallium Tangle Purple - SKU 16695-63 - for all of the lining

When I chose the Wishflower Ombre Lime/Teal fabric for the exterior of Michael, I knew the gradient direction needed to be just right. I cut the front, back, and ends along the lightest shade so the color flows upward from light at the base to dark at the top. The top gussets were cut from the darker section of the ombre, allowing them to coordinate beautifully with the Windy Day Lime zipper gusset.

Taking a few extra minutes to plan gradient placement can completely transform the finished look of a bag.

Using Dandy Dark Teal for the exterior accents created a bold, high-contrast look that coordinates beautifully with the ombre. I love the print that goes with the ombre beautifully and it added a perfect draw for the eyes. And thankfully, no fancy work for cutting out - no direction or thought to that one LOL

And finally, I always choose a lighter fabric for my bag linings. It means I can actually find what I’m looking for instead of digging into a fabric black hole! So the Tallium Tangle Purple offered another color choice (other than lime and teal) and yet a lot of movement to keep my interest while sewing. I love that interest on the inside and how it coordinated just beautifully. 

I truly think I chose perfectly for this project - the prints and colors come together so beautifully!! Now as a bag-maker you may be wondering about some of the fine details involved in here, so let me dive into some of those!!!

Interfacings and Stabilizers

I slightly tweaked the interfacing for this version of the Michael Traveler because I know what my B570QEE sewing machine from BERNINA Canada can handle. I prefer EB-Fuse from Emmaline Bags since it fuses beautifully and comes in three weights.  

I used EB-Fuse Medium for the exterior fabrics (an alternate to the light-weight interfacing). It gives me a bit more structure on the exterior of the bag. I did continue to use the EB-Fuse Light for the lining, just like the pattern calls for. Then I used EB-Fuse Heavy for the Strap Anchors instead of Decovil Light. And finally I stuck with Decovil for the base of the bag, as I like a firm bottom on a big bag like this!

Hardware, Zippers, and Accessories

All of the zippers and hardware come from Emmaline Bags. To keep the focus on the fabric, I chose nickel hardware and plain white zipper tape. 

Then there is an inside label that I couldn't resist adding to this beautiful Michael Traveler, it's part of the selection from The Heartwood and Hide Company where they do incredibly beautiful labels with some of the most fun phrases EVER!!!! This phrase "Cherish the Quiet Moments" really captured my mood while working on this project. 

Finally, you'll find the binding I used on this Michael Traveler is 1" (2.5 cm) wide fold-over elastic. I do have a short video showing how I like to apply that binding right here.

I absolutely love seeing this Michael Traveler in my collection now, it's truly a beautiful bag and it wouldn't be nearly so pretty without Wishflower from Rachel Rossi!!! Thanks Rachel for designing such a beautiful fabric collection, and thank you Benartex for putting that design on such a great fabric base!!!

If you’re feeling inspired, ask your local quilt shop to bring in Wishflower and the Michael Traveler paper pattern so you can create your own version. I promise, this fabric deserves to be stitched into something beautiful.