When I was a
student I had a half moon bag which was my favourite bag. I loved it.
It was just big enough for my purse and camera. I didn’t need anything else. This was before the days of mobile
phones. Long before! The zip on my current handbag broke this week
and I have been thinking about what type of bag would be good for summer
without being too ‘beachy’ but still casual.
I decided to go for a denim half moon bag, although it’s bigger than the
one I had in my student days because I have more to carry around.
I used the
same fabrics that I used in last week’s zip-up bag, but with the addition of a
contrast fabric for the flap and strap.
I don’t usually make 2 bags of the same fabric unless they are meant to
co-ordinate, but I like these so why not. These are all cottons - denim for the outer fabric, paisley for the lining and birds for the contrast. I used bag foam
which gives the bag a defined shape but it’s a lot for a machine to sew
through. However, you could use fleece or wadding which would be
easier to sew through and create a softer, slouchier bag.
The finished
size is 8” (20 cm) across, 7” (17.5 cm) high and 2” (5 cm) deep.
I used my
normal stitch length (2.5) throughout but increased it to 3.5 for top stitching. I used ¼”/6 mm seams for the outer bag and
slighter wider seams for the lining.
For this bag,
the measurements are approximate because the size of the plate used to create
the half moon shape will affect the length of the side panel. If in doubt, cut slightly longer and trim to
size later on. Also the length of the
strap depends on your personal preference.
I like a long strap to wear across the body but I this may be too long
for some people. It’s easy to adjust the length – I’ll tell you how and when to
do this.
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 a range of stabilisers to create shape
- Using hardware
Step 1: Cutting out
Cut out the
following:
NB: if you
have a directional print, the 9”/23 cm side goes across the bag and the shorter
side goes up.
9” x 7” (23 x
18 cm) Bag body (cut 2 outer fabric, 2 lining, 2 foam/wadding)
19” x 2½” (48
cm x 6.5 cm) Side Panel (cut 1 outer fabric, 1 lining, 1 foam/wadding) – see step
1 before cutting this out
9” x 11” (23
cm x 27.5 cm) Internal pocket/divider (cut 1 lining, 1 medium weight interfacing)
9” x 8” (23
cm x 20 cm) Flap (cut 1 contrast fabric, 1 lining, 1 foam/wadding)
4” x 53” (10
cm x 134 cm) Strap (cut 1 contrast fabric, 1 medium weight interfacing) - 2 shorter fabrics can be joined - see step 6
1 Magnetic fastener
(mine was ¾”/18 mm)
2 rivets
(mine were approx 5/16” / 8mm with a short shank) (optional)
1”/2.5 cm length
of sew in Velcro (optional)
Step 2: Making the half moon shape
The bag body
and flap pieces need to be shaped. I
used a large tea plate to shape the 2 bottom corners to give the bag its half
moon shape. Measure the length of the
curved side and adjust the side panel length accordingly as plate sizes vary. If in doubt, make it slightly longer and cut
to size (as I did).
Step 3: Making the outer bag
Attach the
foam or wadding to the wrong side of the outer fabric bag body and side panels
(by pinning, ironing or gluing depending on the materials used). I used sew in bag foam with spray on fabric
adhesive.
Pin the outer
fabric side panel to the curved side of one of the outer fabric bag body pieces,
right sides together. Using lots of pins
ensures that the curve is sewn accurately.
I always start by finding the centre of the seam and pin from there in
each direction.
Sew the other
outer fabric bag body to the opposite edge of the side panel, right sides
together.
Trim the foam
close to the stitch line. I found it was
easiest just to cut round the curve with pinking shears.
Top stitch
along the edge of both curved seams (back and front), through the bag body and side panel. This will help the bag to keep its shape. I pinned around the seam to try to keep the line even but it was still a bit wobbly - I'm not very good at sewing curves!
Step 4: Attaching the magnetic
fastener
I added the fastener after joining the lining to the contrast fabric, but it is easier to do it before. |
The thinner
side of the magnetic fastener needs to be attached to the lining of the flap. I
placed it centrally with the middle of the fastener about 1¼”/3 cm from the bottom
edge of the curve. I used a small off
cut of bag foam on the wrong side of the
lining to give it extra stability. To attach the fastener, make
2 holes in the lining and foam, push the ‘legs’ through from the right side of
the lining, through the foam and the washer and open them outwards to secure.
Attach the
thicker side of the fastener to the right side of one of the bag body
pieces. I positioned mine about 3”/ 7.5 cm from
the bottom of the curve which gives a very loose fit to the flap; 2”/ 5 cm would be a tighter
fit.
Attach the
foam/wadding to the wrong side of the contrast flap fabric.
Sew the
lining flap to the contrast flap, right sides together, along the curved edge. Trim foam close to the stitch line. In step 4, you can see where I have cut around the foam/fabric using pinking shears.
Turn right
sides out. Press.
Top stitch all round the curve.
The flap lining is facing out, away from the bag. |
Sew the flap
to the back of the bag (the side of the bag which doesn’t have the magnetic
fastener) along the straight edge with right sides together.
Step 6: Making the strap
If 2 shorter lengths are being used, join them as you would join binding. Overlap the fabrics, right sides together, as shown in the photo. Sew across diagonally. Trim the seam and press open. I did this and the join doesn't show at all.
Attach the
interfacing to the wrong side of the strap fabric.
Fold in half lengthways and press. Fold the sides in towards the centre fold so
that it looks like bias binding . You
will end up with a 1”/2.5 cm strap. Top
stitch along both long sides to give a professional finish.
Step 7: Attaching the strap
Sew one end
to the right side of the side panel with the raw edge of the strap about 1”/
2.5cm above the raw edge of the bag.
Try the strap
for size thinking about how you plan to wear it. I like
mine as a cross body bag, but you may prefer a shorter strap and wear it as a
shoulder bag. Adjust the size of the
strap now by reducing the length if necessary.
Sew the other
end of the strap to the other side of the bag, making sure that the strap is
not twisted.
Step 8: Making the internal
pocket/divider
Make the
internal pocket or divider by attaching the interfacing to the wrong side of
pocket (lining) fabric. Fold it in half so that
it is the same shape as the bag but a little shorter. Top stitch along the fold.
Pin the
pocket to the right side of one of the lining bag body pieces and sew around
the curved edge.
If you leave
the pocket as it is, it will form a divider or compartment within the bag. I wanted a pocket, so I attached velcro
centrally to the top of the pocket and the lining.
Here the velcro is shown in the finished bag. |
Step 9: Making the bag lining
Attach the
lining bag body pieces to the side panel, in the same way that you did for the
outer bag in step 3, leaving a 4”/ 10 cm gap for turning through at the end.
Step 10: Assembling the bag
Now you need to join the bag lining and exterior. Place the lining over the outer bag.
The outer bag
should have its right side facing out.
The lining should be right side facing in. In other words, they are placed right sides
together, matching the side seams. The flap needs to be between the outer bag
and lining. Sew all round the top of the
bag.
Turn through
the gap in the lining.
Top stitch
all around the top edge, including where the flap joins the bag and lining.
Step 11: Attaching the rivets
The end of
the strap needs to be secured within the side panel to give it extra
strength. This is why we left that extra bit sticking up when we joined it to the bag. It can be done by sewing an ‘X’
or box shape through the outer fabric, strap and lining or by attaching
rivets. I prefer rivets because it makes
the bag look more ‘bought’.
To attach a
rivet, first make a small hole through all the layers (outer fabric, foam,
strap, lining). I used a tailor’s awl to
do this. Push the long part of the rivet
through from the lining side of the hole to the outer fabric. Place the stud part of the rivet on to it and
press to temporarily secure. Use a
hammer to bang the 2 parts firmly together. I put soft cardboard between the
hammer and rivet to avoid damaging it.
In this project I learnt:
- I am getting much better at understanding which stabiliser to use for the effects I want to achieve. I wanted the bag to have a very clear shape which can be achieved with bag foam. If I had used wadding/fleece the bag would have been less structured, although still lovely. I used interfacing for the pocket and strap to make them firmer but without the bulk. Now that I’ve discovered spray on fabric adhesive, I don’t worry about whether I’m using fusible foam / interfacing. I just spray it on and it becomes fusible. It has saved me time and money because I can just use whatever is in my stash.
- A bag with hardware looks bought rather than homemade, but it still scares me. I worry that I’ll make a mistake and ruin the bag just as it’s nearly finished. Magnetic fasteners are easy to apply as long as you make small holes. I find that turning the ‘legs’ outwards rather than inwards makes them firmer. Rivets still scare me. I use them so rarely that I forget what to do with them. It took longer to make the hole than to fit the rivet. They went in really smoothly and now the handle will be extra strong. I really wanted to fit a tuck lock to close this bag, but I wasn’t brave enough.
- I’m quite conservative in my choice of fabrics. I like a pretty outer fabric and a plain lining. Here I’ve used a patterned lining and a contrast fabric on the outside. For me, that’s daring! I want to experiment more in the future by using several fabrics in one bag. Other people do it and it looks great, but I’m never sure which fabrics to put together.
How about a patchwork bag like
ReplyDeletehttp://www.riverisland.com/women/bags--purses/shoulder-bags/orange-leather-and-suede-patchwork-slouch-bag-682667?sem=1&cmpid=PLA&istCompanyId=28d3cba5-6749-43eb-904c-61b8cc01cf80&istItemId=xttlalxtwt&istBid=tzaq&gclid=CP-8mZLsm84CFRAz0wodIP4Ayw
That's a good idea. Thanks for your suggestion - I'll see what I can do.
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