I made this bag over the course of sunday night and monday during the day. it gave me a chance to try out some things I've been wanting to try. it's not great, but I think it turned out pretty well!
(sorry for the bad mirror shot, but I wanted to show it on me)
it has two pockets (back is thinner, front is deeper) separated by a zippered section. (it has a book and a hoodie in it to fill it up a little)
TUTORIAL (added 7-12-07)
note: this bag does not have different sized pockets in the front and back, they are the same size for ease of a tutorial. if you would like a larger front/back pocket you'll need to extend the tabs on the sides and bottom of the front/back piece, creating a larger square that you will sew up in step 6. remember to also increase the dimensions of your outer fabric to compensate for the larger lining.
at its roots, this bag is basically a combination of the
jordy square bottomed bag tutorial and the
lined zippered pouch tutorial. so if you're already familiar with those, you're a step ahead!
Materialsthe bag I made was 12 x 9 x 4 in. the dimensions I list correspond to that bag, but it should be simple to change these measurements. they include a seam allowance of 5/8 in.
- a zipper at least 12.5 in long
- approximately 2 yds of webbing
- a plastic clasp
- two lining pieces 12.5 x 7.5 in (a)
- two inner lining fabric pieces 12.5 x 7.5 in (lining for the zippered pocket) (b)
- one lining piece 16.5 x 12.25 in with a 1.75 x 1.75 inch square cut out of each bottom corner(c)
- one lining piece 16.5 x 21.25 in with a 1.75 x 1.75 inch square cut out of each bottom corner and a 8.75 x 1.75 in rectangle cut out of each top corner (for the flap) (d)
- one outer piece that looks as if the two lining pieces were connected at their bottoms - 16.5 x 33 in with a 3 x 1.75 inch rectangle cut out of each middle edges and a 8.75 x 1.75 in rectangle cut out of each top corner (for the flap) (e)
Step 1iron all your fabric - a good bag requires that extra step.
in fact, it's a good idea to keep the iron handy and iron it often.
Step 2using fabrics (a) and (b), follow steps 1-6 in the
lined zippered pouch tutorial.
top sew the inner lining to the zipper on each side as you go.
flip it around so that the zipper is right side out (it is not necessary to keep the zipper open).
Step 3line up the bottoms of the two larger lining pieces (c) and (d) with the bottom of the zippered divider (so that the divider is sandwiched). the two larger lining pieces should have their good sides towards the divider. there should be 6 layers of fabric (lining, lining, divider lining, divider lining, lining, lining).
Step 4sew across the bottom. do not sew all the way to each end so that you leave a seam allowance for sewing up the sides (about 5/8 in).
Step 5now line up the sides of the larger lining pieces with the sides of the divider. sew the side seams.
Step 6pinch together the corners of the lining and sew across it like steps 4-5 of the
jordy square bottomed bag tutorial. do this to BOTH corners of the lining (unlike the jordy tutorial).
now is a good point to zig zag all of the seams you have sewn. this will prevent fraying and help make the bag stronger.
you're now done with the lining! congrats!
Step 7cut the webbing into two pieces 36 in long pieces. zig zag the ends to prevent fraying.
center one piece of webbing on the right side of the outer fabric (e). the webbing should over hang the flap end by about 2 in.
sew along each edge of the webbing to attach it to the outer fabric. do NOT sew the very ends - end sewing 1.5 in from the edge of the flap edge and about 6.5 in from the other edge.
(I stuck paper under the portions that aren't supposed to be sewn down)
Step 8fold your outer piece in half, right sides facing each other. sew the sides, like step 3 of the jordy tutorial (do NOT sew the bottom since it already once piece of fabric).
Step 9pinch the corners of the outer fabric and sew BOTH of them as we did before.
again, now is a good point to zig zag the seams you have sewn.
Step 10leaving the outer piece turned inside out, flip the lining so that the right side of the fabric is on the outside. place the lining inside the outer piece.
place the second webbing piece (the strap) between the two layers, leaving a small portion poking up on each side of the bag.
Step 11sew the two pieces together. do NOT sew the very center of the flap - this is the hole you'll use to turn the bag right side out.
again, now is a good point to zig zag the seam you have sewn, along with the unsewn portion of the flap (be careful to zigzag each layer separately since you don't want to close the hole
).
Step 12turn the bag right side out. stitch around the very edge of the bag portion and flap, closing the hole in the flap as you go. do NOT stitch through the webbing on the flap.
Step 13secure the strap by sewing a rectangle with cross lines where the strap is inside the bag.
Step 14loop the flap end of the webbing through the top of the plastic clasp (rough end in back) and sew the loop closed.
take the other end of the webbing and thread it through the other end of the clasp. fold over the webbing several times and sew through the edge (this prevents the webbing from slipping through the clasp while allowing for tightening or loosening of the bag).
and you're done!
if you make a bag from this tutorial, please post a picture! and if you have any questions, just ask.
