Tutorial with loads of pics......

I was supposed to be busy with the books today, being a good little student, but my muse visited me last night and I dreamed this bag, so today I just had to make it!

I've been asked before if I'll do tutorials for my baggies. Hmm, bear with me. (Pun intended) I'm not sure I'm up to that, but I'll try.

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You need three different fabrics. A plain piece, I used off white, and two patterned pieces, either matching or contrasting, according to your taste. Plenty of vliesenine, matching sewing thread and some embroidery thread, maybe a few buttons or other trimmings and some long thin scraps of wadding.

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I cut two pieces 14 x 7 from the off white. (All measurements are in inches) Then I added a piece of vliesenine 14 x 3.5 along one half of each piece and ironed a crease along the length. If you want a wider opening on your bag, cut a longer strip. I got my pretty threads out and stitched a complementary design onto the stabilised side of the fabric, you could add buttons and trims at this point too.

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I also cut two pieces each of the other fabrics, 3 x however long you want your straps. I dug out some wadding scraps too, I wanted nice wide comfy straps.

Next I cut the body of the bag, you can vary the size according to your taste, for a fuller or deeper bag, cut larger pieces.
I cut 21.5 x 15.
Iron vliesenine to both pieces of one of the fabrics, the bears will be on the outside of my bag, so they got the treatment.

Next I took my long thin strap pieces and stitched them right sides together and ironed the seam to one side, then ironed them wrong sides together. I tucked the wadding in between the fabrics and pinned them around it.
Then top stitched the pinned side closed. I also top stitched the other side too. You could quilt your strap if you like, I did consider a few rows of stitching along the whole length of the straps, but decided against it.
Now your four pieces of 21.5 x 15. Fold the 21.5 length in half and mark the centre, pleat toward the center, and pin until you get a nice effect which measures 14 inches. I have four nice big pleats, you may prefer more smaller pleats, or just one on each side of the center, it really is up to you, so long as the top edge finishes at the same width you made your off white pieces.
I stitched along the top edge of my fabric and also stitched into the pleats to hold them in place.
Do this to all four pieces, two innies, and two outies.

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Time for that off white again. Pin it along the top edge of one of you outer pieces and stitch in place.
Now do the same for a bag inner piece, but also include the ends of one of your handle pieces. Stitch in place.
Iron the whole thing with the seams toward the patterned fabrics and top stitch 1/4 inch into the patterned fabrics, ensuring that the strap is laying over the off white, not the patterned fabric as you see below.
At this point I decided to add a pocket inside my bag.
I also added one of my little labels. You could stitch your name or what ever to the pocket and make it a large label, just do it as you would for a hand stitched quilt label, but remember to add a backing before stitching it into the bag.
I flattened out the lining as best I could and added the pocket quite low in the lining fabric.

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Now lay your two bag halves right sides together, matching the lining fabrics and the outer fabrics and start pinning. If you like to have rounded corners on your bag, using a saucer or a lid or what ever, now is the time to do that bit. Pin all the way around, leaving an opening across the bottom of the lining, mine is about 6 inches across. I back stitch a little at each side of that too.
If you like to have square corners/ bottoms on your bag, now is the time to do that. I measured in 3 inches, it's up to you what size you make them, just remember to line up the bottom and side seams.
Chop off the ears!
Turn the bag to the right side through the opening you left in the lining. Slip stitch the lining closed after poking into all the corners to pop them out.

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I top stitched around the top and bottom edge of the off white. At the bottom I caught in the straps, but at the top, I left the straps loose.
One cute bag all ready to go shopping, plenty of room for a diary, your coin purse and one or two small purchases, you know a reel or two of thread, some buttons, a fat quarter, maybe a zip! And you won't loose your keys, cause they have a pocket!
All I have to do now is clean up the mess before my Hunney gets home..........
The postie brought me two magazines today, Homespun and Australian P&Q are here at last, so I'm off to sit and read. I hope you enjoyed my tute, please let me know if you make a bag using it. Better point out if I missed anything or made any mistakes too! LOL

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Click on the images for a slightly larger version.

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Gratitude's

1) Patterns in my sleep.

2) A fun day.

3) Inspiration.