Sew What! Bags: 18 Pattern-Free Projects You Can Customize to Fit Your Needs (30 page)
Read Sew What! Bags: 18 Pattern-Free Projects You Can Customize to Fit Your Needs Online
Authors: Lexie Barnes
To get a good measurement for your strap: take your measuring tape or some string and measure from your hip across your chest to your shoulder and back again to your hip.
2.
CUT YOUR FABRIC
. Draw the pieces on the wrong side of the fabric and cut out the following (the front/back, flap, and lining pieces are all the same size, but we’ve separated them out since you might want to make them from different fabrics):
featured fabric: one front, one back, and two flap pieces
Put It Together
3.
STITCH THE BODY OF BAG
. With right sides together, stitch the sides and bottom strips into one long piece, stopping ½" from each end of the seam and backtacking. Press the seams toward the center. With right sides together, pin the front panel to the strip. Stitch the seam, pivoting at the corners, and press. Attach the back panel in the same way.
4.
MAKE AND ATTACH THE FLAP
. With right sides facing, stitch the two flap pieces together on three sides. Trim the seam allowance, clip the corners, turn the flap right side out, and press. Pin the flap to the back of the bag as shown and stitch.
5.
MAKE AND ATTACH THE STRAP
. Fold the strap in half lengthwise, right sides facing, and stitch the entire length. Turn it right side out and press. (
See page
42
.) With right sides together, pin the ends of the straps to the sides of the bag, stitch, and backtack.
6.
LINE THE BAG (OPTIONAL)
. With right sides together, stitch the lining pieces together in the same way as the body of the bag (step 3), leaving an opening (about 4" or 5" long) on one side of a bottom seam. Press the seam allowances open. Turn the bag right side out and place it (straps, flap, and all) into the lining, which should be wrong side out (
see the next page
). With right sides together, pin the bag into the lining (the flap
and straps will be between the two layers). Stitch the top edges together, and trim the excess. Turn the bag right side out by pulling it through the opening in the lining. Turn under the edges of the liner opening, pin, and edgestitch.
If you are not lining your bag, it’s a good idea to use a zigzag stitch on your raw edges. This will reinforce your bag so the fabric won’t fray and the bag won’t fall apart down the road. Another idea is to use bias tape to bind the edges. (
See page
46
.)
HEAVY DUTY
The Messenger style is a great option for a laptop bag. But keep in mind that a laptop needs serious cushioning and secure sewing. If you want to beef up your bag, here are a few options that’ll do the trick:
. Choose sturdy fabrics like canvas, cotton duck, denim, or anything labeled “upholstery” or “home decor” weight. You can also use heavier weight thread and make sure your stitching is secure.
. If you’re looking for more structure, you can attach interfacing to most fabrics. You just apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric at the beginning of the project and then continue as you normally would.
. To protect your goodies inside, you can use a soft, plush lining like fleece, flannel, or corduroy. If you need extra cushioning, you should probably add some foam or batting. To add the foam or batting, you’ll need to leave an opening and insert the padding just before stitching up the panels. (
See the
Artist’s Roll
on page
133.)
. If you are lining your bag, like this one, you’ll probably want to leave a wider opening in the lining to pull the bag through, depending on the combined thickness of your beefy extras: the fabric, batting, and interfacing.
Ask your local shop for advice when choosing padding and interfacing. There are plenty of options and a little help will go a long way. Whatever you choose, it should have manufacturer’s directions to help you out, too.