Bag # 42: Metal Insert Handle Bag

I have lots of bag hardware but I’ve always been too scared to use it.  I decided it was time to bite the bullet and have a go.  I bought these metal handles at the Festival of Quilts.  They were dirt cheap so I wasn’t expecting much from them.  It turned out that they were really easy to use.

I think this bag looks really smart when made out of faux suede, but it would look equally good in cotton or faux leather.  I used a quilt batting for the wadding and a firm iron-on interfacing, although a lighter one would have been adequate (I like my pockets to be strong!). It would be great for daytime or a smart evening out.  I found this colourful cotton lining in my stash which creates a wonderful surprise when I open the zip. It’s most unlike me to go for a colourful lining.  My gut reaction is to choose a matching black, but I’m trying to be more adventurous.

There is a mobile phone pocket and an envelope zip pocket for extra security. The mobile phone pocket fits a 3” wide phone, but it could be made wider and pen slots could be added if required.  

I thought long and hard about the closure.  I think a magnetic clasp would have worked better. My zip didn’t look great so I have suggested a slight amendment to how it should be attached.

For this bag, you would need a 12”/30.5 cm strip of each of the fabrics.

The finished size is approximately 11” high x 11” wide x 2” deep (28 cm x 28 cm x 5 cm).

Skill level: Difficult – There are lots of steps and as I didn’t like everything about the bag, I have suggested different ways of making it which are not accompanied by pictures.  For example, you would need to know how to fit a concealed top edge zip or magnetic clasp. Also, I haven’t made a pattern so you will need to create the bag’s shape yourself. Not one for beginners.

I used my normal stitch length (2.5) throughout but increased it to 3.5 for topstitching.  I used ½”/12mm seams for the outer bag and slighter wider seams for the lining. I have stated wherever I used narrower seams.

I have included metric and imperial measurements but they are not exactly interchangeable, so you should stick to either one or the other.

Skills used in this project:

• Using metal hardware

• Working with faux suede

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following:

12” x 13”/ 30.5 cm x 33 cm Bag Sides (cut 2 faux suede, 2 wadding)

12” x 5½”/30.5 cm x 14 cm  Bag top (cut 2 faux suede)

12” x 8”/30.5 cm x 20 cm  Lining (cut 2 lining, 2 interfacing)

10” x 6”/25 cm x 15 cm Envelope pocket (cut 2 lining, 2 interfacing)

6” x 6½”/15 cm x 16.5 cm  Mobile phone pocket (cut 2 lining, 1 interfacing)

10”/25 cm Zip*

3” x 2”/7.5 cm x 5 cm Zip tab (cut 1 faux suede)*

4” x 9”/10 cm x 23 cm Zip casing (cut 2 faux suede)*

*Alternatively, you might prefer to use a magnetic clasp instead.

Decide what shape you want the bag to be.  I chose to have a gentle sloping curve at the top and a tight curve at the bottom.  I drew round a mug for the bottom curve and hand drew the top curve.  It needs to be symmetrical on both sides.  I cut one side of the large faux suede and then folded the fabric in half lengthways and marked the shape I wanted on the other side.

The bottom curve needs to be cut from all matching fabric pieces – bag sides, bag side wadding, bag lining and interfacing.

The top curve needs to be cut from the bag sides, bag side wadding and bag top.

Step 2: Creating the shape (optional)

Darts sewn in the faux suede/wadding

I cut darts in the bottom corners so create a more three dimensional effect.  Mine were 1½” deep but I didn’t like the end result – too boxy and they lost the gentle curve, so I recommend 1” darts.

Sew darts in all bottom pieces (faux suede, wadding, lining, interfacing)

Step 3: Making the envelop pocket

After attaching interfacing to both pocket pieces and the lining, pin one pocket piece to one of the bag linings, right sides together, with the long side of the pocket along the top edge of the lining.  Draw a ⅜” x 7”/1 cm x 18 cm rectangle centrally about 1½”/4 cm from the top of the pocket.  Sew around this rectangle through all the layers that you have just pinned together.  

Cut a slit in this rectangle (as shown in the photo) making sure not to cut the stitches. 

Push the pocket through this ‘letterbox’, shape in the lining so that it sits flat and press. You will now have a neat opening to attach the zip.

Pin the zip to the pocket so that the right side shows through the aperture in the bag lining.  Sew all round.

Pin the remaining pocket piece to this one, right sides together and sew around all four sides, keeping the bag lining out of the way as you do not want to sew through this.  

Step 4: Making the mobile phone pocket

After attaching the interfacing to the wrong side of one of the pocket pieces, place the phone pocket pieces right sides together and sew all round, leaving a 2”/5 cm gap at the bottom for turning. Turn through and press.

From 1”/2.5 cm at each side of the pocket fabric, create a ½”/12 mm pleat.  Pin the pocket to the centre of the other lining piece and sew down each vertical side, keeping the pleats out of the way (as shown in the photo).

Now sew the pleats in place by sewing from about ⅓ of the way up the pocket on one side, along the bottom (to close the gap and sew the base of the pocket), then about ⅓ of the way up the pleat on the other side.  

Step 5: Attaching the zip

My original method of attaching the zip didn’t work, so this is an alternative way which I think would work.

Sew the zip tab onto the closed end of the zip. To do this, fold all the raw edges under by 

about ¼”/6 mm, fold in half so that the short edges meet and sew the tab to the end of the zip, sewing across the zip and all the way round.

Sew the zip casing to the zip. The short edges will form the sides of the cases.  Fold these under and sew.

Fold the casing in half so that the long edges meet, right sides together.  Place the fabric over the zip so that the one edge of the zip sits neatly in the fold. The open end of the zip will match one end of the casing and the other end with the tab attached will hang beyond the casing.

Push the teeth at the open end of the zip in towards the fold so that the teeth will curve inwards when you sew.  Curving the teeth at the end will prevent the slider from coming off. 

Sew along the zip casing to attach one edge of the zip.  It can be either right or wrong side up at this stage as they look the same.

Do the same for the other zip edge.

Fold the casing back so that the right sides and the zip are exposed.

Top stitch along both sides of the zip for a professional finish.

Step 6: Assembling the lining

Place one lining piece and one bag top, right sides (straight edge) together.  Slip the zip casing centrally between them, raw edges meeting, with the slider facing the bag top.  Sew.

Do the same for the other side of the lining and other bag top.

The zip casing is now sandwiched between the lining and the bag top.

Make sure the zip is open – this will be necessary for turning through.

Now sew the lining pieces and the bottom 1”/2.5 cm of the bag top together, right sides together, leaving a gap at the bottom for turning.

Step 7: Assembling the outer bag

Place each bag piece over the lining and mark where the sewing has started (1”/2.5 cm above the zip). 

Sew the outer bag pieces together starting from one of these marks, all the way down the side, across the base and up to the corresponding mark on the other side.

Step 8: Joining the lining to the outer bag

Pin one of the bag sides to one of the bag tops, right sides together and sew round the top, starting at one side seam and finishing at the other.

Do the same for the other bag side/top.

Trim the wadding as close to the curve as possible.

Top stitch around the edges of the bag top for a neat finish.

Turn the bag through the gap in the lining.

Sew up the gap.

Step 9: Inserting the handles

Place pins around the bag top to hold all the layers in place.

Starting on one bag side, decide where the metal handle should be positioned and draw round the inside. 

Cut away all layers of the fabric, cutting slightly wider than the drawing line.

Place the outer metal piece on the outside of the bag with the prongs pointing through the gap. Tuck the fabric in and attach the other part of the metal insert, pushing the prongs down to attach it.

Attach the other handle to the other side of the bag.

 

Now you have a smart bag, yet surprisingly roomy bag for special day or evening out.  Now you just need to organise that treat.

In this project I learnt:

• The metal hardware was really easy to apply.  If you have ever inserted a magnetic clasp, this uses the same principle.  They trick is to make sure that both sides of the fabric are pinned so that they don’t move and to cut the fabric a little wider than the gap in the handle so that wisps of fabric don’t stick out. Although there were some parts of this bag that I wasn’t happy with, the handle wasn’t one of them.

• I like the shape of this bag but the base didn’t end up quite as I imagined.  I wanted a curve, but I made the darts too big and it has ended up looking too square. 

• I have used faux suede before and it is just as easy to work with as any other woven fabric. I gave a lot of thought to the closure and decided to use a zip which ran the whole width of the bag.  It didn’t work because it was too wide and won’t lay flat.  A shorter zip that doesn’t join at the sides would work better with the thick faux suede or a magnetic clasp.

• The pockets worked brilliantly and looked amazing – I’m really pleased with them.