Bag #16: Fabric Painted Bags

I really wanted to try out fabric paints on a bag to make it totally unique.  I used them once before, about twenty-five years ago, when I decorated a pair of canvas shoes with fabric pens.  I loved them so much, I wore them until they fell apart.

This time I wanted to try liquid paint but I have absolutely no skill with a paintbrush. I have used a 'You can folk it' series 1 kit on wooden hearts and really liked the effect which was achieved by using dots.  You can find out more about it here: http://www.folkit.co/

I wondered if it would work on fabric and it did.  You can see the effect with the hearts and flowers bag below.

Of course, rather than using someone else's designs, I wanted to create my own designs, keeping them simple in line with my limited ability.

I like long handles on a bag because I prefer to carry it over my shoulder, but if you prefer to carry it in your hands, you can easily make the handles any length you want - that's the joy of making your own bag.

When making the bag, I used my machine's usual stitch length of 2.5 for the seams and increased it to 3 for the top stitching.

Skills used in this project:

• Using fabric paint

• French seams

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following from medium to heavyweight calico:

20” x 15” (2 for the bag)

30” x 4” (2  for the handles)

Fabric paint

Round ended tool to make dots (I used an embossing tool)

Step 2: Using fabric paint

     

Wash and dry the fabric before using paint on it so that any residues are removed which may affect the longevity of the paint.

Draw chosen image onto the fabric.  You can print an image from your computer or draw once yourself.  I drew mine on A4 paper in pencil, went over them in black pen and then placed them under one of the 20" x 15" bag pieces and traced the image onto the bag using light pencil marks which were then painted over.

When you are happy with your image, you will be ready to start painting.  Place a protective layer under the fabric to prevent damage from seepage.  Pour small quantities of the paint onto a plastic tray and use the embossing tool like a paint brush to pick up the paint and make dots on the fabric.  It is a good idea to use a scrap of fabric to practise before decorating the bag.

Where I mixed 2 colours, I put a dot of each colour side by side and swirled them around so that the colours blended. For the dot roses I mixed white and pink paints. For the peacock, I mixed shades of blue and green.

To form the small heart shapes on the heart and peackock, I made 2 dots next to each other and dragged the paint from each of them to form a tail.

I followed the instructions for the fabric paints by leaving the fabric flat for 4 hours. I then made the bag but waited 72 hours before washing to ensure that the paint became permanent.  You should check the instructions for the paint brand you are using and follow them accordingly.

Step 3: Making the bag

I used a French seam to sew the back and front of the bag together because it adds strength and looks more ‘finished’.

Put the two bag pieces together WRONG sides together and sew a narrow hem – about ¼” around the sides and bottom (but not the top) and then trim it back nearer to the line of sewing so that no whiskers of fabric show through the final seam.  Press.

Turn the bag right sides in and press again (making sure that the corners are fully turned out) before sewing the side and bottom seams again using a slightly wider seam (⅜”) which encases the original seam, hiding the raw edges. Press.

Step 4: Making the handles

  

Fold the handles in half along the entire length to find the middle. Fold the sides of the fabric in towards the centre and press them so that the fabric looks like bias binding. 

To finish the handles fold them in half along the original fold line and sew down both long sides of each handle to give a professional finish. 

  

Step 5: Finishing the top of the bag and attaching the handles

With the wrong sides out, fold the top of the bag over to the outside to form a ½” hem and sew all round the hem   Press.

Turn the hem over again by another inch and pin in place to hold.  Pin the handles to the top of the bag by placing them under the hem and pushing them up so that the end of the handle is placed against the fold of the hem.  They will be upside down at this stage and hang down towards the bottom of the bag.  Measure 3½ “ from the edge of the bag – that is where the outside edge of the handle will go and do the same for the other end of the handle by measuring from the other edge, making sure that the handle isn’t twisted. Sew around the hem, sewing over the handles as you go. Press.  

Flip the handles up so that they are facing the right way and sew a cross to hold each handle in place. Top stitch around the top of the bag, sewing over the handles to create a crisp line.

Wash the bag, inside out, to set the fabric paint.

Well done! Your bag is complete and your are now an artist.  Shopping will be such a joy now with your unique bag. 

In this project I learnt:

• Using fabric paint was straightforward.  I followed the instructions on the bottles and everything went according to plan. I splashed a bit of green paint on the peacock bag and the instructions said that I should be able to remove it immediately with soap and water but I found that it was impossible to completely remove it.  I know that I need to be much more careful next time. I liked being able to experiment and alter the design as I played with the paints.  The heart and cat both stayed pretty much as planned but the peacock looked a bit bare, so I kept adding more colour until I was happy with the way it looked.  Dotting is such an easy technique - no artistic skill required.  This would be great to do with children, perhaps for a bag to keep their toys in.

• I used French seams for the first time in bag 1.  This is essentially the same basic bag. This time, I didn't even need to think about how to do them because I understand how they go together.  I love the professional finish they give.

• I used 3 different weights of calico - a different one for each bag.  The heaviest weight - the heart bag was lovely to work with and beautifully soft but a nightmare to iron.  It will be really strong and last forever.  The other 2 were made from different types of medium weight calico.  They were easy to work with and there were no ironing problems but they won't be as strong as the heart bag. I guess it depends what you want out of your bag and what you will be using it form.  I was going to use interfacing in the handles but they really didn't need it, so in the end I left it out.