TUTORIAL - Alterations to the FREE Buttercup Bag Pattern

A few of us Craftsters have made the free Buttercup Bag Pattern from here: http://madebyrae.blogspot.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern.html. I made a bag with quite a few alterations to it, including enlarging the pattern to 125% on the photocopier. Here's the link to the one I made: https://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=296978.0.

The alterations I made were:

Firstly - enlarged to 125%
Added a mobile phone pocket instead of a flat pocket
Added a zipper
Lengthened the strap to 24"
Interfaced the outer top

A couple of words of advice. If you choose to interface the lining, the outer top and the handle and you sandwich the strap between the lining and outer - make sure your machine can handle thick layers otherwise you'll be breaking lots of needles!!!

OK. Firstly, I'll show you how I added the zipper. You need to start by altering your pattern. Cut the lining an inch or so down from the top, then add 1/4" seam to either piece, like this:

Then cut your pieces for the bag. You need to cut extra pieces. 4 pieces, width of the zipper x probably 2 or more inches (for the ends of the zipper) and another 4 pieces, 2 inches x a bit longer than the length of the outer upper piece of the pattern (for the sides of the zipper). If this is a little confusing now, it may make more sense in the pictures further down. You need to add the little tab bits to the ends of the zipper like this:

Then you need to add the side bits to the zipper, like this:

Then you need to cut the whole piece to 1 3/4" wide x length of outer upper piece, centering the zipper, like this:

Now you need to sandwich the zipper between the lining bottom and top, like so:

Repeat for the other side. This is what it should look like:

Then sew the lining together. With the ends of the zipper, make sure they go 'upwards' when catching in the lining, like this:

Make sure you leave an opening in the lining to turn right sides out:

OK. This ends the tutorial on the zipper. If it seems a little confusing, I've used a couple of tutorials. One of my own: https://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=85354.msg805095#msg805095 and another: http://www.themikkelsens.net/sarah/journal/2008/06/recessed-zipper-how-to.html

Now onto how I did the mobile phone pocket. I cut two squares of fabric (outer and lining) 5 x 5 inch square with 1" squares cut from the bottom of each fabric, like this:

Put right sides together and sew across the top:

Sew the corners of lining and outer:

Put right sides together. Sew around edge leaving gap for turning:

Turn right sides out. Press and top stitch along top edge:

Pin to lining:

Sew to lining:

Finally, the pleats. I followed the directions of the pleats but somehow, I could not get them to fit. This is how I ended up doing them. I must say, that I do like this way:

I placed a pin in the middle of the fabric. I pinned the other 4 pleats according to the pattern. This is what it looked like: