Bag #13: Belt Bag

This week I wanted to make a bag for a man.  Most of the bags I have made so far have been quite feminine, but men need bags too.  I canvassed the men in my life for their views about the type of bag they would use most.  I got the obvious answers – laptop bag, gym bag, messenger bag (watch this space for them in the not too distant future) – but I was intrigued when one of them suggested a belt bag.  I wasn’t even sure what a belt bag should look like. The request was for a small bag to be attached to his belt so that he wouldn’t have to carry it around and it should be large enough to hold a mobile phone and small wallet.  Well here it is. 

I made it out of a chocolate brown faux suede because most of my other fabrics are brightly coloured quilting fabrics which wouldn’t have looked right.  One of the key points stressed by my male respondents was that they wanted their bags to blend in whereas my female friends want their bags to stand out.  The brown would look good with jeans and wouldn’t show the dirt. And it wouldn’t make them a laughing stock in the pub.

The finished size is 5” x 7” and it fits over a 1½” belt.  The belt loop could easily be made bigger to suit a wider belt.

I made it with a foam stabiliser because I wanted quite a structured shape but wadding is much easier to use if you don't mind a softer shape.

I used ¼” seams throughout.  As the foam made the seams really thick, I used a longer stitch length (3) for both the seams and top stitching.

Skills used in this project:

• Using rivet snap fasteners
• Working with bag foam
• Designing a man's bag

For this project you will need:

• A 5 ½” strip of outer fabric, lining and foam (iron-on or sew-in)
• Scrap of interfacing (medium or heavy, sew-in)
• 2 rivet snap fasteners

 

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following pieces:

18” x 5½” body (cut 1 outer fabric, 1 lining and 1 foam)

2” x 6½” side panels (cut 2 outer fabric, 2 lining and 2 foam)

3½” x 5” belt loop (cut 1 outer fabric)

3½” x 1¾” interfacing for belt loop

Step 2: Attaching the fasteners

Pin the foam to the wrong side of the outer body fabric (or use an iron to join them if using iron-on foam).

Make a mark on the foam where each fastener should go. The fasteners are attached to one of the short ends of the fabric. This should be 1¼” from top and side edge. 

Make a hole in the fabric and foam which is only just large enough for the prong of the fastener to pass through – I used a tailor’s awl.   Follow the instructions for your hardware - there are lots of different types of rivet fasteners and the fitting instructions vary.  For most types you will need to push the inner part of the fastener through the hole and attach to outer part using the appropriate tool and hammer gently so that they are firmly attached

Repeat for the other corner of this short edge.

Step 3: Making the bag parts

Pin the right side of the lining to the right side of the outer fabric (which has the foam already pinned or ironed to the wrong side).  Sew all round leaving a gap of approximately 4” for turning along one of the long sides.  Gently pull the fabric through the gap so that the right sides are facing outwards and hand sew up the gap.

Top stitch along the short edge where the fasteners have been attached (see image under step 6).

Trim 2 corners on one of the short sides of each side panel so that they are curved (the curves will go at the bottom of the bag).  I drew round a coin to create a symmetrical shape. For each side panel, sew the lining, outer fabric and foam together as above.

Top stitch along the short edge which does not have curved corners on each of the side panels. This will be the top edge.

Step 4: Making and attaching the belt loop

Fold the outer fabric in half, right sides together, so that the shorter sides meet.  Sew around one long and one short side.  Turn the fabric right side out.  You will now have a pocket.  Slip the interfacing into the pocket. Turn the ends of the remaining raw edge towards the inside and top stitch the seam in place. Top stitch along the opposite side to create symmetry and to hold the interfacing in place.

The belt loop with need to be in the centre of the bag, with the top of the loop 5” from the end of the flap (the end which doesn't yet have fasteners attached).  When pinning it in place, pin the top and then put a finger between the top and bottom before pinning the bottom.  This allows some ‘give’ so that the bag does not become misshapen when attached to the belt. Top stitch along the top and bottom though all layers of the fabric.                                                                                                                                          

Step 5: Assembling the bag parts

Pin the side panels to the body, wrong sides together, starting at the top of the front of the bag (the end with the fasteners already attached). The top of both parts has already been top stitched.  Curve the body around the side panel, pinning it in place. Join them by sewing all round the side panel.

Do the same for the other side panel.

Top stitch around the flap of the bag.

Step 6: Attaching the top fastener

The fasteners are attached to the corners of the flap.  Make a hole 1” from the side and 1” from the end through all layers of the fabric.  The stud part of the fastener goes on the right side of the outer fabric with the other part on the lining side.  Hammer them gently but firmly together. 

Do the same in the other corner.

Congratulations!  You have completed your belt bag. Slip a belt through the loop on the back and wear it with pride.

In this project I learnt:

• The rivet snap fasteners were easy to use once I had worked out which bits went together.  I bought a kit with all the parts and tools but it didn’t come with any instructions.  Why is that???  Anyway, I looked on the internet and found out how to do it.  The first part went in absolutely fine.  When I came to fixing the rivets on the flap at the end, one of them was a bit crooked.  It still works but needs more pressure to fasten. I was a bit disappointed that the last step didn’t go quite to plan.  I think I lost concentration because I was rushing to finish.  Next time I’ll try to remember to give the hardware my full attention.

• The faux suede was easy to work with but not the bag foam.  This bag’s design meant that the seams were really thick and my poor sewing machine struggled. Wadding would have been softer and easier to sew through.  However the bag would have had less structure and I particularly wanted a very structured shape.  A mistake I made at first was using my sewing machine’s normal stitch length which was totally unsuitable for that level of thickness.  As soon as I increased the stitch length the machine coped better.  Looking back, it’s fairly obvious, so I don’t know why I didn’t realise at the start.

• Designing a bag for a man required a completely different outlook.  I’m glad I asked around for suggestions because it was interesting to hear a man’s viewpoint.  When I suggested all the extras I love to include like pockets, zips, D-rings, they weren’t interested – all they wanted was something plain and functional.  The words ‘not girly’ were used more than once, so perhaps peer pressure is a bigger concern than I thought it would be.  I’d love to hear your views about what a man wants from a bag.  Feel free to add a comment and help me to understand this alien species!

Bag #12: Child's Easter Bag

It's Easter at the end of the week and I'm looking forward to some time off work for some serious bag making. There were several suggestions for what I should make with this gorgeous 100% cotton Easter fabric.  I chose to go with this child’s bag for an Easter egg hunt and here it is, just in time for Easter. The finished size is 9” (at the widest point) x 7” (excluding the handles). Although, with longer handles, this would be a great size for a handbag, or make it larger and it would be a good shape for a tote bag. You could add pockets inside and maybe a magnetic fastener.  I used a cotton lining which was very easy to work with.

I lined it with foam so that it holds its shape, but it would work just as well with fleece or wadding. As fleece and wadding are thinner than foam, you would need to cut the handle fleece/wadding the same size as the outer fabric handle pieces, attach it to the wrong side and sew through it, turning through and then follow the rest of the instructions.  To give the handle more shape you could wrap the handle around thick piping cord or rubber tubing when folding it in half lengthways and use a zip foot to sew along the edge.  This would give the handle more shape.  It wasn’t necessary with the foam which is already quite bulky.

I wondered whether to make the handles of a contrasting fabric to make it more interesting but decided to stick to the Easter fabric in the end. Was that the right choice?

I used ¼” seams and my machine’s usual stitch length on the seams but lengthened it from 2.5 to 3 for the top stitching.

This project could be made from a fat quarter of the outer and lining fabric and a 7 ½” strip of stabiliser (either foam, wadding or fleece).

This would be a good bag for a sewist who is new to bag making as the stages are fairly straightforward.

Skills used in this project:

• Making bag handles
• Using bag foam

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following pieces:

For the bag body, cut 10 ½” x 7 ½” Outer fabric, lining and foam (cut 2 of each).

For the base, cut 6 ½” x 2 ½” outer fabric, lining and foam (cut 1 of each).

For the handles, cut 12” x 2” outer fabric (cut 4) and cut 11 ½” x 1 ¼” foam (cut 2).

Step 2: Making the bag body

Attach the foam body to the wrong side of the outer body fabric by ironing (if using iron-on) or pinning.  Sew outer bag body pieces together along side seams, right sides together.  

Pin and sew body lining pieces together along sides seams, right sides together.

Step 3: Attaching the base

Draw round a curved object to create the rounded corners on the base outer fabric, lining and foam, then cut along these lines.  I used a coin to give an even shape in each corner.

Attach the foam base to the wrong side of the outer fabric base (as above).  Pin right side of base to right side of body, using lots of pins to ease the parts together.  Sew. 

Pin and sew lining base to lining body, right sides together.

 

Step 4: Making the handles

Round the corners of the foam handle as you did for the bag base.

Place the fabric, right sides together with the foam sandwiched between them.  Using a zip foot, sew all round the foam (but do not sew the foam – you are just creating the shape to ensure that they are a tight fit), leaving a gap to turn through.  Pull out the foam through the gap.  Trim the ends with pinking shears.  Pull the fabric through so that the right sides are facing out and push the foam back into the handle casing.  Hand sew the gap.

     

Fold the handles in half lengthways, matching the side seams and pin.  Leaving 2” at each end, top stitch along the edge, just inside the side seams.

Step 5: Attaching the handles

 

The handles will be attached to the right side of the body with the seam facing inwards.  Pin one end of a handle with the end 1 ½” below the top of the body and the centre 3” from one side seam. Do this for all the ends.  Sew.

Step 6: Attaching the lining

Pin the top of the lining to the top of the outer fabric/foam, right sides together, matching the side seams and ensuring that the handles are tucked between the fabric as you do not want to sew over them.  Sew round the top leaving a gap for turning of about 4”.  Pull the fabric through the gap and sew it up by hand. 

Top stitch around the top seam, making sure not to sew over the handles, to create a professional finish.  This also ensures that the lining stays in place.

Wait until Easter, hide Easter eggs around your house or garden, give an Easter bag to each child and send them off to find the eggs while you put your feet up and have a well earned rest.

In this project I learnt:

• I was a big scared of making fabric bag handles and have always avoided them before, but as with most fears, they were completely unfounded.  I took it slowly and used a profusion of pins to ensure that everything stayed where I wanted it and sewed slowly and carefully. I was conscious that the stitches at the ends of the handles would be very visible, so rather than backstitching at the beginning and end, I left long threads  which I pulled through to the wrong side and knotted together. They were then hidden by the lining.

• I’m fairly new to using foam in bag making.  It’s very bulky and sometimes my sewing machine objects to the thickness but I like the fact that it gives bags a really nice shape and enables them to stand up by themselves. It’s more expensive than fleece or wadding, so I wouldn’t use it unless it made a visible difference. I found it easier to use lots of pins to make it do what I wanted and it worked a treat. Being able to use pins in this fabric made it much easier, unlike in the sewing of faux leather when pins can't really be used because they leave long term holes. 

Pyramid Bag

I couldn't resist making this bag from a pattern at
http://www.thesewingdirectory.co.uk/pyramid-purse-project/

It doesn't count towards my 52 bags because I've used someone else's pattern, but it has inspired me ... watch this space.

Bag #11: Peg Bag

I have seen lots of PVC peg bags for sale online and they looked very simple to make, so I thought I would have a go.  Some have two co-ordinating fabrics which are really effective.  I love all the bags I have made from PVC.  It is such a forgiving fabric.  However many mistakes I make, they never seem to show.

This bag would work well with any fabric.  If I was using a fabric other than PVC, I would add French seams all the way round.

I decided to use my bias binding tool to make the binding at the opening.  It gave me a chance to have a quick cheap colourful binding.

With spring around the corner, it will (hopefully) soon be mild enough to hang the washing out in the garden.  It will be so much nicer to have my wipe clean peg bag to keep my pegs clean and dry.

I used a leather needle for sewing the PVC.  For the seams I used my normal stitch length (2.5) and for the bias binding I used a slightly longer stitch (3).  I used a ½” seam allowance because I sewed each seam twice, ¼” apart for extra strength.

I cut this out across the width of the fabric and used only 13" or 33cm, but if the fabric pattern required the largest piece to be cut along the length rather than the width, you would need 16" or 41cm but you would get 2 or more bags out of the fabric depending on the width.

Skills used in this project:

• Making bias binding

• Using PVC

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following pieces from PVC:

13” x 16” Back

13” x 6¼” Top Front

13” x 11¼” Bottom Front

(13” is the width)

You will also need:

26” x ¼” bias binding or 26” x 1” contrast fabric for binding (it does not need to be cut on the bias)

Child’s wooden coat hanger

¾” – 1” x 52" bias binding to neaten internal seams

Step 2: Shaping the fabric pieces

Draw around the top of the child’s coat hanger.  This can either be done on paper to create a pattern or direct onto the wrong side of the fabric at the top edge of the back and top front. Cut the fabric to this shape.  Mark the centre point where the coat hanger hook will go.

Step 3: Adding the binding

The two front pieces have binding along the opening.  It does not need to be bias binding as it is a straight edge (bias binding is only needed for a curved edge).  However, I used a bias binding tool to make the binding from a 1” straight strip of fabric.  The fabric was pulled through the tool and ironed as it came out to set the shape.

 

Place the right side of the binding against the wrong side of the fabric at the opening and sew along the fold line.  Fold the binding over to the right side of the fabric and sew in place. Do the same for the other front piece.

Step 4: Sewing the bag

Sew the top front to the back of the bag, right sides together leaving a gap of about ½” at the centre for the hook to go through.  I sewed twice with one seam ¼” from the edge and then the second a further ¼” in to strengthen the seam.

Sew the bottom front to the back of the bag, as above.  The bottom front will overlap the top front.

Step 5: Neatening the internal edges

The binding covers the raw edges to neaten the internal seams.

Using ¾” bias binding (and this really does need to be bias binding because it has to go round curves), turn the end under and start to attach it where the coat hanger hook will go.  Sew one side of the binding all the way round and then wrap it round the seam and sew the other side in place so that the raw edges of the fabric are covered by the binding. Do not cover the hook hole, but start the binding on one side and finish on the other.

    

I realised afterwards that I hadn't taken any photos showing how to join the bias binding so I used a scrap of left over fabric and some binding to illustrate this step.

Turn the peg bag the right way out, fit the coat hanger hook through the hole.  Hang it up and fill it with pegs.  Laundry day will be so much more fun with your lovely wipe clean peg bag.

In this project I learnt:

• Using a bias binding tool was really straight forward once I got into the swing of it.  I used it for making straight binding rather than bias binding, but it worked just as well.  At first, the binding was a bit wobbly but I soon learnt through trial and error how to use the tool.  It gave me the opportunity to use binding in any fabric and any design which opens up a world of choice.

• I had planned to sew French seams but forgot how hard it is to sew PVC when the shiny side is against the feed dogs.  I soon realised it wasn’t viable and sewed  2 rows  of stitching all the way round instead, but this left raw edges which I hadn’t bargained for.  I knew I couldn’t leave them unfinished (I have a horror of unfinished seams) so I decided to bind them.  They needed bias binding because they had to go round the curve of the coat hanger as well as the straight sides.  I wanted a plain binding because I didn’t want it to show through.  I couldn’t find a suitable fabric in my stash to use to make my own binding so I used a bought bias binding from my stash but it was only ½” wide and it was too narrow really for these deep seams.  I really needed ¾” – 1” binding. I should have realised that French seams wouldn’t work with PVC but I know now.  

Bag #10: Miniature Make Up Bag

I decided to make another (smaller) make up bag because I thought the size would be a challenge in itself.  I’m not the most patient of sewists and I can’t be bothered with anything too fiddly.  However, this pattern is very straightforward.

It’s Mother’s Day in the UK this weekend and my mother likes all things small, so this is an ideal little extra gift for her.  She loves pink too, so her presents will have a pink theme (I’m also giving her the pink cat tote bag I made earlier this year.

This really is a teeny tiny bag.  It can take one lipstick or small eyeshadow, so I’m not sure how practical it is.  I think my mother will actually use it as a coin purse.  I might fill it with chocolate coins when I give it to her if I can get them at this time of year. It would take those tiny nail files you can get and a small nail varnish, so that might be a good idea for a girly gift for a teen.

The finished size is 2 ¼” tall x 3 ½” wide.  As usual, I used ¼” seams and normal stitch length for seams (2.5 on my machine) but 3 for topstitching along the side of the zip and the D ring tab. It only uses small amounts of fabric so you can delve into your scrap bag and use up some of your left overs.

I recommend that you read my comments at the end of this post before attempting this bag.

Skills used in this project:

• Miniature making
• Matching up seams/fabrics

Step 1: Cutting out

From the main outer fabric cut:

4” x 2 ½” bag upper body (cut 2) – trim so that one of the long sides is curved

From the contrasting fabric cut:

4” x 1 ½” bag base (cut 2)

1 ½” x 2” D ring tab (cut 1)

1 ½” x 1 ½” zip tabs (cut 2) (but see comments at end of this post)

From the lining, cut

4” x 3 ½” Bag lining (cut 2) - trim so that one of the long sides is curved

From the medium weight sew-in interfacing, cut

4” x 3 ½” Bag body (cut 2) - trim so that one of the long sides is curved

From the lining, interfacing and contrast fabric, cut a ¾” square from the bottom corners.

You will also need:

½” D ring

4” zip (I used N3 size bought from a roll)

Step 2: Making the bag sides

Sew the main fabric and base together to make the two sides.

Step 3: Making the zip tabs

Tack the sides of the zip together at each end to make sure that they stay firmly together when attaching the tabs.

To make the zip tabs, fold the fabric square in half and fold the raw edges inwards so that they will not be visible when the zip is sandwiched between both sides of the tab.  Overlap the zip by about ½” at each end.  Top stitch across the zip making sure that both sides of the tab are sewn in place.  This will make the zip ends secure. Trim so that the tabs are the same width as the zip. 

Step 4: Attaching the zip

To attach one side of the bag to the zip, lay the fabric on a flat surface, first the interfacing, then the outer fabric (right side up), then the zip (right side down), then the lining (right side down).  Pin to hold in place. Using a zip foot, sew the zip to the fabric through all layers. Do the same with the other side of the zip. Press. Top stitch along the fabric on each side of the zip.

Step 5: Adding the D ring tab

Fold the tab fabric in half along the longer side.  Fold each side in towards the previous fold so that the fabric looks like bias binding.  Press.  Top stitch along the open side.  Attached the D ring and sew the ends together to secure.  Sew the tab to the main fabric where you want it to go.  The top of my tab was ½” from the zip.

Step 6: Assembling the bag

Flatten the bag pieces so that the 2 outer parts of the bag and interfacing are together and the 2 lining pieces are together.  Make sure that the join between the main and contrasting fabric matches perfectly on both sides.  The zip needs to be open so that you can turn the bag inside out.  Sew along the sides and bottoms, leaving a gap in the base of the lining for turning through.  Do not sew the corner cut outs yet.

Once the main seams have been sewn, flatten out the corners so that the side and bottom seams meet and the corner now forms a straight line.  Sew this seam in place for each of the corners, making sure that the side and bottom seams match perfectly.

Turn the bag through the gap in the lining so that right sides are facing out and sew up the bottom seam. Press.  

Well done!  Your bag is now finished and ready to take all those tiny things you've been waiting to put in it.

       

In this project I learnt:

• You can’t just reduce everything by the same proportions and expect it to work. The measurements have to be adjusted to take into account the fact that the seams are still the same size.  If I made this bag again, I would make the zip tabs bigger and the curve at the top of the bag more pronounced.

• I made the zip tabs small as it was a small bag.  They still serve their purpose in making the zip ends secure but they are barely visible as they have been swallowed up in the seam allowance.  If making the bag again, I would make them about ¾” longer i.e. 1 ½” x 2 ¼”.

• In other respects, the small size wasn’t a problem and was no more difficult than a larger bag but I think that’s because the bag had quite a simple shape.

• I was really pleased with the way the seams/fabrics matched up – the bag had a very professional finish.  I’m definitely becoming more precise as a result of this year-long project.