I have made 15 bow tucks and I don't quilt them. I use pellon 987F and once they are sewn together they will not bunch up. Mine stand up nice and I put a stiff bottom in them covered by a fabric sleeve. It's totally your preference and the pattern does say to do some quilting on the outside pocket and the outside of the purse. I make them to sell and this is too time consuming for me. I put three to four rows of stitching on the handle but not as much pellon as the pattern calls for. Make one and see how it turns out. They're very easy and you can't just make one! Like pringles!

One word of caution. Parts are thick and your machine should be able to handle that. Can be done on a lightweight machine but it's a strain trying to push it through..

I just ordered the pattern and after Christmas plan to make one. Thanks for all the great tips