Saturday 6 November 2010

Made a bag! :)

So I am very excited as I have finished my first bag!
This was a pattern I bought in America and I bought the fabric at the same time to make sure I had everything I needed, as the pattern was using inches and some wording was different to what I recognised.
The pattern was for two bags one large and one small.
I decided to make the large bag first as I was unsure of how big it was to be.
I started by washing and ironing the fabric. The bag would be made from a pattern fabric, a lining fabric and an iron on interfacing. The cutting took a bit of time to ensure that I was making the most out of it and not wasting any.

Pinning and cutting pieces

All cut and sorted!
Next I ironed the interfacing onto the pattern fabric. The bag lining was formed, and then the shape of the outer bag.

Lining section

Main bag done
Next I made the strap and had a bit of a tough time getting it the right way round. After the strap I attached the top banding and lining.


Sewing lining, bag and banding all together

Sewing the inner lining
Lastly the inner lining was hand sewn to finish it off. The pattern said to use a button for the clasp, but my shop didn't have any buttons I liked, and I thought a magnetic clasp would be better on this size bag.
Ta-Da!

Inside - a handy double pocket
All together this took about 3 days, but this was including working and other things. I really enjoyed making this, sometimes I found the pattern hard to understand until I actually did it. I discovered a few techniques to remember:
  • ·         The cutting and pinning are just as important as the sewing, so don’t rush it.
  • ·         Accuracy is crucial and a small mistake when cutting will show up later on.
  • ·         I have become much better at unpicking now!
I used interfacing for the first time and found it very effective. When buying it I was concerned that it wouldn’t be good for a bag this size, but it has worked really well and anything thicker would have caused problems later on.
Overall I am pleased with how this turned out, I will be testing it next week when I go away to make sure everything is fine ;) . It would be good as an overnight or schoolbag as it is very spacious.
Enjoy!
Please add any comments or tips below. x