I made 2 Bowtucks so far & have a mini cut out to sew.
I felt the directions were at times confusing so I made a "practice" bag. It went together great and looks okay. The second one I made I was distracted by a few things & had a couple of problems, (truly operator errors)
After reading posts on here in the first bag I used regular batting and spray basting. In the second one I made as a gift, I used the pellon that is recommended in the pattern.
The Pellon makes the bag stand up nicer a bit stiffer if you will. The batting makes it softer if that makes any sense. Some people do the quilting and I have a friend who says she doesn't even quilt many of them. I recommend taking the time to quilt it. It looks nicer in the long run and if you're going to take the time to make them, you should take the time to quilt it. It doesn't have to be fancy, just enough to keep the fabric and the backing together as the glue on the pellon is not exactly permanent.
In the directions it says to glue the bottom panel to the fabric. When you measure the fabric against the bottom "cardboard", it isn't long enough to cover the board. I used the Plastic canvas that many have recommended here on the board. I made a sleeve with my fabric, slipped the canvas in and stitched the sleeve closed. That way it can be laundered along with the bag if so desired. The plastic does not disintegrate, and you will have no raveling of fabric.
Be sure to leave the 8 inch opening at the bottom of the lining. I did not on one and had a small tear in my fabric when turning the bag.
I'm sure there are other experiences that can add more, but that's my nickels worth this morning.
Happy Quilting!
Susan