Bags… Bags… And More Bags AN E-BOOK FROM WWW.SEWINGINSIGHT.COM © 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ………………………………………………………………… 3 Chapter 1 Purses ………………………………………………………………… 4 o Basic Envelope Purse ………………………………………… 5 o Envelope purse with an Adjustable Shoulder Strap…… 9 o Small Shoulder Bag …………………………………………… 13 o Bucket Bag ……………………………………………………… 22 o Round Purse……………………………………………………… 28 Chapter 2 Shopping bag …………………………………………………………… 40 Chapter 3 Carry-on bag …………………………………………………………… 43 © 2014 – www.sewinginsight.com The contents of this e-book may not be reproduced or distributed in any way without the expressed written consent of the copyright owner. 2 Page INTRODUCTION At some point in her life, every little girl gets a purse. As she grows older, the purse gradually goes from being a dress-up plaything to an essential accessory – one that many of us simply cannot live without. Before you know it, our closets are filled with dozens of purses in almost every imaginable size, shape and color. The biggest challenge for most of us is that many of our purses, although very attractive, are not at all functional. The purses and bags in this book are designed to be fashionable first then functional. Every bag in this book has lots of functional features that I personally think are essential not only for me, but for anyone who loves purses but hats the inconvenience of fishing around for keys, glasses, and all those necessities that seem to get lost just when we need them most. The really great thing about making the bags described in this book is this … since you are using the tips and patterns inside this book to make your own purses and bags, you can embellish them to suit your own personality, taste and whim. The reason I like to sew, making my own clothes and purses, is I like the idea of having truly one of a kind items. For a very long time, I did not make patterns for my bags. Since I was making only one of a kind for my own personal use, there was no need to draft a pattern. I simply drew my cutting lines directly onto the fabric and lining. However, since I love to share my ideas, sewing tips and techniques, I decided to draft patterns for some of the more complex bags and share my secrets for making the ones that are more simple and easy to sew. Use these patterns and ideas as a jumping off point. Make your purses your own by using the fabrics and linings that have special meaning to you. Embellish your bags and purses with things that speak to who you are. Let your imagination run wild and stand out from the crowd with your own one of a kind bags. Anyone with basic sewing skills can make the purses and bags in this book. All you really need is a basic sewing machine. It doesn’t hurt to have a serger or the capability to embroider or create appliques, but these things aren’t really necessary to create an entire wardrobe of great looking bags. The most important thing is that you not only enjoy yourself as you read through this e-book, but that you get inspired to create a collection of your own purses, tote bags and small to medium size luggage items. Happy Stitching Vernelle Nelson 3 Page PURSES I don’t know about you, but when it comes to purses, I can never have enough. While we’re talking about never having enough… who among us can have enough shoes, but that’s another subject? The topic of the day is purses. One of my pet peeves is never being able to get my hands on what I want when I need it. It didn’t matter what size purse I had, finding things like keys, lipstick, hand sanitizer and pens seems to have always been a challenge. That hasn’t been the case since I started making my own bags. The trick for me has been to add customized pockets inside all my purses. Before deciding to make my own bags, I tried all kinds of opt9insk including that gizmo they sold on television that they said could be inserted in every bag. The problem there… the thing got lost in the bottom of really big bags and didn’t fit in the smaller ones. For me, zippers and snaps on purses are more trouble than they’re worth. Instead, I use hook and loop tape because it can be opened and closed easily and quickly with just one hand. My bags are made with machine washable faux leather, faux suede or machine washable upholstery fabric. The linings and nearly all of the inside elements and embellishments are machine washable as well. A little known secret is that even faux leather and suede are machine washable. This means that every single bag I make – regardless of how delicate or fancy it may look – can be tossed into the washing machine. With the exception of my faux leather and suede bags, they can all go into the dryer as well. How about that for easy care? There are a few exceptions, however. I recommend hand washing for bags that are embellished with fancy decorative doodads, wooden beads or shells. If you must wash them in the machine, be sure to use the delicate or hand wash cycle and protect them from cracking and breaking by covering them with protective button covers or some other form of covering to keep them safe, and do not put them in the dryer. My advice is to choose your embellishments carefully. You want to be able to show off your ingenuity and at the same time be able to enjoy your bags without having to be overly concerned that the elements you use to personalize them will stand up to normal use. 4 Page BASIC ENVELOPE PURSE The secret to purse making is that there are just a few basic styles. The envelope purse happens to be my favorite because it can be made in any size and work great. In addition, the envelope flap can be decorated or embellished with a monogram giving your purse that real personal touch. I also prefer the envelope purse because the flap is also an excellent and speedy way to open and close your bag. The envelope purse could be as small as a tiny evening clutch or a cosmetic bag or large enough to hold books, or a laptop and or anything in between. You can even add a strap for your shoulder or wrist. You may have already read about my basic envelope purse pattern on Sewing Insight. It is the basis for several of the purses and bags inside this book. What you will find, however, is that each purse described in detail in Bags… Bags… and More Bags has its own distinct features and individual design details. When it comes to the basic pattern pieces, they are all the same. The only difference is the size of the purse that would serve you best and any embellishments you may decide to add. Fabric – cut one Fabric – cut one Fold line Lining and fusible interfacing – cut one Fold line Instructions: Before you do anything, you must decide how large your want your envelope purse to be. The pattern above is for a basic square envelope purse. You can make it as wide and as deep as you like. Once your decision is made, measure your fabric and remember to add seam allowances all around. 5 Page 1. Fuse the lining and interfacing. 2. Sew one short edge of the lining fabric to the edge of the fabric triangle that will be on the fold line. 3. Sew the sides of the fabric triangle together – right sides facing each other. Trim the edges, turn the envelope flap and press. Topstitch if desired. 4. Sew the side seams of the lining to the fabric wrong sides together, leaving the bottom edge – the edge open. 5. Turn the open edges in and topstitch to close. Press. 6. Fold the fabric at the fold line with the right sides of facing and Sew or serge the purse sides. 7. Trim the edges and overcast if necessary, turn and press. Topstitch if desired. NOTE: Add dimension to your envelope purse with piping or cording along all of the outside edges. When it comes to closures, you can use a button, snap or our personal favorite – hook and loop tape – also known simply by its brand name… Velcro. Magnets are also functional closing devices, but they could pose a major problem with credit cards and super sensitive electronic devices. For this reason, I recommend that you avoid using magnets unless you are certain your contents will always be protected. I recently repurposed an old drape with thick backing to block sunlight to make a set of three envelope bags that I use when traveling, two of them are 4” x 6”. I use one of them for my makeup brushes and the other one for my makeup. The third purse is 9” x 12”. I use this one for my toiletries – soap, comb, brush, body lotion, deodorant, cleansing cream and facial moisturizer. Since my fabric had this great backing, it was not necessary for me to use a linin for these bags. I cut and sewed my purses according to the instruction outlined above. Since there was no lining, I opted to use my serger to finish the edges along the front and the flap and then attached small snaps to close my bags.