I wanted to
make a small pouch for essentials which I could hang across my body and forget
about. I made it in this glamorous faux
leather to make it more like an evening bag.
This is what I would take out for the evening if dancing or alcohol were
involved - no more dancing round my handbag!
I wouldn’t have to worry about my valuables as I would be wearing
them. The finished size is 6" across by 7".
This was very
simple to make because the bag was made in one piece. The only tricky part was topstitching along
the second side of the zip. It took a lot
of concentration to make sure that I didn’t catch any other part of the lining
as I sewed. I love this bag so much that
as soon as I have time, I'm going to make another in an everyday colour for
daytime use.
I used ¼”
seams throughout and my normal stitch length of 2.5 for seams and 3 for
topstitching.
Skills used in this project:
- Working with faux leather
- Keeping it simple
- Using eyelets
- Using rivets
Step 1: Cutting out
From the faux
leather, cut out:
6 ½” x 14 ½”
Bag body (cut 1)
1 ½” x 2 ½”
Zip tabs (cut 2)
2” x 48”
strap (cut 1)
From the
lining, cut out:
6 ½” x 14 ½”
Bag body (cut 1)
From medium
weight sew-in interfacing:
6 ½” x 14 ½”
Bag body (cut 1)
Trimmings
2 rivets (I
used 6 x 5 mm - about ¼" nickel rivets)
2 eyelets (I
used a 14mm kit - about ⅝")
5” zip (I
used an N5 zip cut to size but it was really a bit bulky for this small bag –
N3 would be better)
½” x 15"
binding or ribbon (this does not need to be cut on the bias)
Step 2: Inserting the zip
Make the zip tabs by folding the tab fabric in half (narrow end to narrow end) and turning under the raw edges at the ends by ¼”. Place a tab at each end of the zip, overlapping it by ½” and top stitch across making sure that both top and bottom of the tab are sewn. The will make the zip really secure. Do not pin the faux leather as this will leave visible marks – it is better to use clips to hold the fabric in place while sewing. I use Clover Wonder Clips but any clip would do, even a hair clip.
Clip the
interfacing to the wrong side of the faux leather bag body. Clip one short end of the bag body/interfacing
to the zip, right side of zip to right side of faux leather. Place the lining on the other side of the zip
and sew the zip in place along one edge. Top stitch along the right side of the
fabric, through all layers to create a crisp edge along the side of the zip.
Sew the other
end of the bag body to the zip in the same way, making sure that the fabric is
not twisted. Top stitch along the edge of the zip making sure not to sew over
any other part of the bag while doing so.
Step 3: Creating the bag
With right
sides facing inwards, fold the bag so that the top edge of the zip is approximately
1½” from the top. Make sure that the zip
is partly open so that the bag can be turned through. Sew along both side seams. Sew binding or ribbon over the side seams to
neaten. As these are straight seams rather than curved, it does not need to be
bias binding – any strip of co-ordinating fabric or ribbon will do. I used ribbon-type bias binding as I already
had some in my stash that co-ordinated with the lining. Turn bag so that right
side is facing out.
Step 4: Making the eyelets
Large eyelets
need to be created in both corners at the top of the bag for attaching the
strap. Follow the instructions on the
eyelet packaging. I used a kit which
contained a cutting tool to cut holes the right size for the eyelets. This easily cut through all the layers of the
bag, but as there were several layers, I had to do a fair bit of hammering. I
then put the eyelet in the tool which came with the kit and hammered it until
it was secure.
Step 5: Making the strap
Fold the faux
leather strap fabric in half lengthways and then fold each side inwards so that
it looks like bias binding. Sew along the long open edge so that the raw edges
are hidden inside the strap.
Pass one end
of the strap through one of the eyelets, fold the raw edge at the end over and
secure it with a rivet about 2” above the eyelet. If you do not want to use rivets, sew the end
of the strap securely in place.
I bought a
rivet kit which contained a round anvil, cylindrical setter tool and rivets.
Rivets come in various shapes and sizes. . I used double sided
rivets but that isn't essential.
You need to choose a rivet with a shank which is about the same length
as the thickness of all the layers of the fabric it will have to go
through. I choose the smallest I could
get as this fabric was quite thin despite the number of layers it had to go
through. First of all, you need to decide where you
want the rivet to be and make a hole using a fabric punch or awl. Rivets are in 2 parts. Poke the part with the long shank through the
hole you have just made from the right side of the strap. The end of the shank
needs to be long enough to pass all the way through but only just otherwise it
won't fit tight. Fit the other part over the shank. Place the 'good' end on the anvil and, using
the setting tool over the other end, hammer the two parts of the rivet
together. It is recommended that you use
a special hammer but I used a normal hammer and was happy with the results.
At the other
end of the strap, insert a slider so that the strap length can be adjusted. A slider isn’t essential, but without it, the
strap will not be adjustable so you will have to try it on and decide how long
you want it to be.
To attach the slider, make sure the strap isn't twisted and then attach the slider so that the bar across the middle is on the rear of the strap. Pass the end of the strap through the eyelet, over the top of the bar and down so that the raw edge will be hidden between the two parts of the strap.
In this project I learnt:
- Faux leather is a description that can be applied to a wide variety of fabrics which vary enormously. When buying online, it can be very hard to know what you will actually be getting. I originally planned to use wadding because the faux leather seemed quite thin, but it was too bulky and I swapped it for interfacing. The faux leather had a woven backing and was quite thin and flexible, making it easy to sew. The eyelet cutter easily cut through all the layers at the same time, but faux leathers vary enormously. A thicker one would have to be cut in stages and wouldn’t really need an interfacing. The faux leather was easy to work with, the only problem being that I couldn’t use pins as these would have left permanent holes. Instead I used my Clover wonder clips which always do a magnificent job.
- Using large eyelets through several layers of fabric requires practise. The trick with the eyelets was making sure that the eyelet hole was cut cleanly. I practised on some scraps of fabric and didn’t use enough pressure. I tried again and the second cut wasn’t in exactly the same position. I ended up with an oval shape and when I inserted the eyelet, part of the hole was visible at the edge. I made sure that, when I made the bag, I didn’t make this mistake again.
- Rivets come in lots of different shapes and sizes. I tried to use a fabric hole punch to make holes for the rivets but I hadn’t realised that they don’t work on woven fabrics and this had a woven backing. Instead, I used a fabric awl to pierce a hole through all the layers of the strap and then fitted the rivet and hammered it in place. I didn’t realise that rivets come in many sizes. The most important thing is to choose rivets with a shank depth that matches the thickness of the fabric. If they are too small, then they won’t lock into place and if they are too big, they will be loose and wobble around.
- Keeping it simple and uncomplicated is worth the effort and I think I'm improving at this (and improving is the whole point of this year's challenge). This was another attempt at making a simple bag. I thought about putting in several zips and creating pockets on both sides, but it was more of a challenge to keep the clean lines and instructions to minimum. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Now I'd like to make one is a less dramatic colour for everyday use.
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