Once you get the idea of how the bag goes together, the possibilities are endless. Play with different color topstitching and coordinating materials for pockets and handles. This is a simple, no pocket bag. I used strap material I purchased and didn't add a pocket. If I do later, I will add pictures.
1. Get a piece of material, preshrink it (wash and dry in the DRYER!). Cut a rectangle. Folding it in half will give you the bag size.
2. Fold the bag in half and stitch the sides. Only leave the top of the bag unsewn.
3. You can leave the bag like this, and skip to step 6 or, follow thru to make a flat bottom on your bag.
4. To make a flat bottom. Turn the bag inside out, and use your hand to flatten the bottom. Measure and pin your seams. Doing both sides the same length. If you want a 4" bottom than stitch it at 4". The seam you see if the bottom of the bag. I use tailor chalk to mark my line, but a pin works too.
5. You can than trim the extra triangle area off, or fold and tack it onto the base of the bag. I choose to cut it off.
6. Now we are going to finish the top of the bag. We do a rolled topstitch just like a pant hem or skirt hem.
7. You can now move on to step 8 or to make the side seams on the bag and base, just stitch a thin topstitch line along the base and up the sides of the bag.
8. Adding the strap. You can use a premade strap or a piece of material. To make a strap, cut a pieces of material about 24" long, and 2" wide. Stitch along the long side. Turn right side out and iron flat. You can put the seam down the center, or along the side.
9. Stitch on the strap. Pin on the inside of the bag, and straight stitch along the topstitch hem. Zig zag a little higher, than fold up and zig zag again.
You now, have a bag!! You can add a pocket or iron on if you want as well. The pocket it easiest to sew before the sides seams, but it takes some figuring to get in the right spot. Have some fun with it!! I'll add some examples of my bags as a comment if I can. It won't let me add anymore pictures on this one.
JenD SAHM, Homeschooling, Baking, Sewing, Conservative, Green momma of 4 great kids. Join me on my blog and Cafe Mom groups: Christian Frugal Living . Sewing Modest . In This Dress
A few more bags I've made with this same idea. They just show the endless possiblities.
(above) my daughters bag for the truck. it's the perfect size for her, she's 2. It holds just enough to keep her occupied and she can carry it.
(below) This is my oldest dd's art bag. She likes to carry all her drawing stuff with her, so this was made to fit her folder and pencils The iron-on, on the pocket is one of her drawings that I scanned and printed on some iron-on paper from walmart.
(above) my son is into trains lol, so this is his "train bag"
(below) this is my 4 yrs old travel bag. He wanted fire lol. The red is just zig zagged around the edge, making in a applique. I did the pocket first, than sewed it to the bag.
(below) this is my sewing bag. The writing and picture are an iron-on. It's a great advertisement for my sewing..
JenD SAHM, Homeschooling, Baking, Sewing, Conservative, Green momma of 4 great kids. Join me on my blog and Cafe Mom groups: Christian Frugal Living . Sewing Modest . In This Dress
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Ruffle shirt!
- COGMOMJen
on Apr. 17, 2010 at 6:14 PM