Bag #53: Sat Nav Pouch

Well it’s been a while since I last made a bag.  I hadn’t intended to leave it this long but I’ve been having a break from bag making.  Now I’m itching to get back to it.

This is a small bag for my sat nav.  My car doesn’t have a built-in device so I take my trusty TomTom with me wherever I go.  It has always been stored in its hard case, but it was a really tight fit and I struggled to get the zip done up.  Eventually the zip broke and so it was time for a new bag. 

I made this slightly bigger so that it would be a more comfortable fit and used bag foam to protect it.  It has a simple Velcro closure so it was super easy to make.  The Festival of Quilts is on in a couple of weeks’ time and quilting was on my mind, so I decided to quilt it to make it a bit more interesting.  I’m not good at adding piping so I included it because I like a challenge.

The dimensions can be altered to fit any ‘fat’ device such as a camera, charger, etc. (a bag for a flattish device like a laptop, phone or tablet wouldn’t need the gusset/side). As all devices vary, you should tailor it to your own device.  I probably should have made this a bit shorter as it ended up being a little tall for my sat nav.

I thought about adding a strap or handle but decided against it as the strap on my old hard case always got in the way.  You could easily attach a handle to the flap or to the top of the side panel if you wanted to.

You will need 2 fat quarters – 1 for the outer fabric and one for the lining as well as the same amount of wadding or bag foam. The fabric needs to be non-directional otherwise the print will be upside down when you fold the flap over.

I used bag foam for the front and back, but wadding for the sides as this made the bag a bit more flexible. Truth be told, I ran out of bag foam!  If you want a very firm bag, use bag foam and if you want a soft bag, use wadding/fleece.  If you prefer something in the middle, as I did, use a combination of the 2.   

The finished size is approximately 5½”/14 cm wide, 5½"/14 cm high and 2”/5 cm deep.

Skill level: Intermediate – it is quite tricky to manoeuvre around such a small bag when adding piping, and sewing curves.

I used a longer stitch length as I was using foam which is fairly thick.  I used 3.5 for the quilting and most of the seams and 4.5 for top stitching.  I used ¼”/6 mm seams for the outer bag and slighter wider seams for the lining.

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:

•         Quilting

•         Piping

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following (but note the changes I suggest at the end):

6”/15 cm x 9½”/24 cm Bag back and flap (cut 1 outer fabric, one lining and one wadding/bag foam). Cut a gentle curve into two corners of one of the 6”/15 cm sides – see images below. The curved end will be the bottom of the bag.

6”/15 cm x 5½”/14 cm Bag front (cut 1 outer fabric, one lining and one wadding/bag foam). Cut a gentle curve into two corners of one of the 6”/15 cm sides – see images below.

2½”/ 6.5 cm x 17”/ 43 cm Bag side

46”/ 117 cm narrow piping cord

47”/120 cm Bias binding

5”/12.5 cm strip of Velcro

Step 2: Quilting the outer bag

Temporarily attach the outer fabric pieces to the corresponding foam/wadding using pins/fabric glue.

  

Decide on your quilting pattern.  I usually choose freeform free motion embroidery squiggles, but for this bag I chose diagonal lines.  I drew the first line onto the fabric with my Clover air dry pen and sewed over it, using the spacing bar on my machine to keep all the lines the same width apart. This pen is great because it gradually fades but if you want to remove immediately e.g. because you’ve made a mistake, it also has an eraser.  I didn't realise until half way through that I could have just followed the pattern on the fabric!!

Quilt all parts of the outer bag.

Step 3: Making the piping

I cut the piping into two lengths – 16”/41 cm for the front and the rest for the back/flap.  I cut the bias binding the same length for the front but there was an extra inch to overlap it for the back. The binding can be bought or cut on the bias from a piece of fabric.  It needs to be bias-cut as it needs some flexibility/stretch when going round the curves; straight cut binding just goes lumpy and looks ugly around curves.

Fold the binding around the piping and sew close to the piping using a zip foot.

Step 4: Attaching the piping to the bag

Trim the binding so that the flat part of the binding measures the same as your seam allowance.  I used ¼”/6 mm seams and trimmed the binding so that it measured ¼”/6 mm from the line I stitched in step 3 to the edge.

Pin the piping to the right side of the bag front starting at one top side and going round the bottom and up to the other top side.  There is no piping along the front top.  Match the edge of the binding with the edge of the fabric.  Sew it in place using a zip foot.

Do the same for the back/flap but this time the piping will go all round so you will need to make a neat join somewhere.  I chose to have my join at the bottom.  Leave the first half inch/12mm unsewn.  Sew all round and stop about an inch/2.5 cm before you get back to where you started.  Trim the cord so that the start and end meet seamlessly.  Fold one end of the binding over to hide the raw edge, overlap it over the bias binding where you started and wrap it round.  This will make a neat join.  Sew the end/beginning of the binding in place.

Step 5: Assembling the outer bag

Pin then sew the side to the front, right sides together, close to the piping, using a zip foot.  I made the side a bit longer than needed and trimmed it afterwards so that it matched the top of the front.

Now pin the side to the back, right sides together close to the piping. To find the centre, fold the side in half and mark the centre point at the bottom of the bag.  Do the same for the back.  Match up these points and pin, then sew the side to the front.

Make a few snips in the seam allowance at the corners so that the seams lay nice and flat or trim with pinking shears close to the seam.

Cut the edge of the bag foam back as close to the seam as you can.  I forgot to do this but it makes a much neater finish if you do it, especially around the flap.  

Step 6: Assembling the lining

Using your general purpose foot, sew the side lining to the front lining, right sides together and trim it to size.  Then sew the side to the back lining, as above, leaving a gap at the bottom for turning through.  Snip the corners as above.

Step 7: Attaching the lining

With right sides together, place the lining over the outer bag and sew around the opening and flap.  Turn through. Sew up the gap in the lining.

Top stitch around the top of the sides and front to create a neat finish and keep the lining/outer fabrics firmly in place.  You will be sewing through several layers here, so a longer stitch length will be needed.  I used 4.5.

Step 8: Attaching the velcro

Usually I would attach the closure before joining the lining, but I decided with this bag that it would be better to add it afterwards and make a feature of it.

Place your device in the bag and pull the flap over to work out where the Velcro needs to go.  Trim it to size. Pin it and sew in place through all the layers.  This would be the time to add any embellishments to the front if you wanted to.

I made a feature of it by using red thread on white Velcro which would have looked good if I had sewn in a straight line!

***

Now put your device in its new home and give yourself a treat for all that hard work!  I shall take my sat nav for a little outing to the coast when it finally stops raining.

In this project I learnt:

• I hadn’t used the quilting space bar for a long time and I had forgotten how easy it makes straight line quilting. It was done in no time and all the stitches were the same length, unlike free motion embroidery where I struggle to keep them even.

• I still hate piping.  I’ve never been any good at it and that hasn’t changed.  However, I was pleased with the look of the bag.  It wouldn’t have looked as good without the piping.

• I made the pouch bigger than my previous sat nav bag which broke because it was too small.  However, I over-compensated and could have made it about an inch/2.5 cm shorter in height and it would still have been a comfortable fit.  I might end up using it for a different device, but it serves it purpose for now and will stand out in my glove compartment. 

Bag #35: Laminated make up bag

I love making PVC bags but the choice of fabric design is very limited.  When I heard that you could laminate any cotton fabric, I was really excited and ordered some laminate online.  I bought Vilene Lamifix and couldn’t wait to try it. It comes in glossy and matt – I used the glossy version. I read various reports about it, some good, some bad, and kept an open mind.  You can read the pros and cons at the end of this post. If you have used it, I would love to know how you got on.

I chose to make a small bag with the laminate for practical reasons – I didn’t want to waste a lot of fabric if it all went wrong (and it was quite expensive – I can get PVC much cheaper).  This bag is a cute size for carrying bottles of liquids on a plane or for use as a make-up bag. It can be wiped clean but the laminate does not appear to be washable, so not suitable for anything too mucky.  Or perhaps better with a wipe clean interior instead of the cotton lining I used.

The finished size is 4” high x 6” wide x 1½” deep (10 cm x 15 cm x 3.8 cm).

Difficulty level: intermediate because you need to make your own adjustments when sewing the corners.

I used my normal stitch length (2.5) throughout but increased it to 3.5 for top stitching either side of the zip (slightly longer than my usual top stitch).  I used ¼”/6mm seams for the outer bag and slighter wider seams for the lining.

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:

• Making and using laminated cotton

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following:

10” x 5½” (25cm x 14 cm) Bag Body (cut 2 outer, 2 lining, 2 lightweight iron-on interfacing, 2 laminate).  Not suitable for a directional fabric.  

10”/25 cm zip

Step 2: Laminating the fabric

Attach the interfacing to the wrong side of the outer fabric.

Greaseproof paper over the laminate protects the iron and the laminate

Attach the laminate to the right side of the outer fabric. If using glossy laminate, the non-glossy side is the adhesive side which needs to be placed against the right side of the fabric. Before you do this, place greaseproof paper under the fabric/laminate bundle and on top; this will prevent the laminate from melting onto your iron or ironing board. 

Start by ironing the centre and move out to the sides using a medium heat - this pushes any air bubbles out. 

Once you are happy that there are no air bubbles, press all over,  through a layer of greaseproof paper, to ensure a permanent fix. Instead of greaseproof paper you could use a cotton cloth such as a tea towel.  

I have read that you should allow 24 hours before stitching.  I didn’t do this, I just let it cool and didn’t have any problems (although was that why it creased so much???).

Step 3: Attach the zip

Be sure not to pin the laminate (except in the seam allowance) as the pin holes will remain visible. I find clips hold all the fabric in place fairly well.

If using a continuous zip, loosely sew the ends closed so that the slider does not slip off during sewing and assembly (I speak from experience! I couldn’t get the slider back on and ended up having to unpick the zip and start again).

Make a zip sandwich along one of the longer sides by placing the right side of one of the outer laminated fabric pieces against one edge of the zip, slider facing the outer fabric.  Place the lining the other side of the zip (along the same edge) and sew through all layers. The lining and outer fabric will be sewn separately when sewing up the bag, so leave just over ¼”/6mm unsewn at each end of the zip.

Do the same with the other laminated fabric piece and lining.

Top stitch along this edge for a neat and professional finish and to hold the layers in place.

Step 4: Creating the bag’s shape

Position the fabric so that the right sides of both laminate pieces are together and the right sides of both lining pieces are together.  Make sure that the zip is at least half open.

Sew along the bottom edge of the laminated pieces.

Sew along the bottom edge of the lining pieces leaving a gap of about 4”/10 cm for turning.

Working on the laminate side of the bag, flatten the fabric so that the zip is in the centre and the fabric is right sides together.  Sew across each end.

Now push the ends in to create the box shape as shown in the photo.  I wanted a very slim bag, so I used the edges of the zip as my guide, drew and then sewed along that line.

Do this for both ends of the laminated fabric.

Do the same for both ends of the lining side of the bag.

Turn through.  Sew up the opening in the lining.

Press on low heat.

Obviously, you need to put this bag through its paces and test it.  That will mean a night out at the very least or even a weekend away.  It's your reward for making this sweet little bag.

In this project I learnt:

It was very easy to laminate the cotton – just iron on.  I was disappointed that it didn’t feel like PVC. Instead it felt more like a polythene bag on the laminate side and I thought it looked cheap. For some reason, I had expected it to be thicker. I wasn’t sure whether I would still need interfacing - I don’t need it when making a PVC bag.  As it turned out, you do need to use interfacing with it as it doesn’t really stiffen the cotton enough.  It creased really badly during the sewing process so would probably be best suited for projects which don’t need to be turned through after sewing or need that 'lived in' look.  The laminate stuck firmly to the cotton all over and looked very glossy and, of course, I was able to use it on a fabric of my choice. 

It was easy to sew – I just used a normal sewing machine needle.  Most of the time for this bag I was sewing the wrong side of the laminate.  However when top stitching either side of the zip, the foot stuck a bit more than it usually does for PVC and the stitches became really small.  I changed the general purpose foot for a roller foot and increased the stitch length, then had no problems at all.  It was the first time I had used the roller foot but I shall certainly use it again.  It made the fabric feed through so smoothly, with minimal effort.

Would I use laminate again?  Well, I prefer the look of PVC, but if I wanted to make a special fabric wipe cleanable then I would use it.  It will be interesting to see how durable it is. And I shall certainly give the matt version a try.

Bag #19: Quick and Easy Make-Up Bag

This is a really easy small bag that looks amazing.  I made the one with the mannequin fabric and I've been using it to keep my mini patchwork essentials - fabric, card, scissors, thread and completed patchwork hexagons. It would also work as a lovely make up bag. I fell in love with the button fabric and made another bag using that but it looks a bit plain.  I think it needs some embellishments.  Any suggestions?  Then I saw the giraffe fabric and couldn't resist making another bag, this time for my mother, who loves giraffes.  She hasn't seen it yet, but I guess she will now.

Using 2 sliders on the zip makes it look really professional and it means that you don't have to open the zip all the way to get something out. 

To make this bag, you would only need a small amount of fabric.  I used fat quarters and used less than ⅓  of the fabric. 

The finished size of the bag is approximately 6½" x 4½".

I used my normal stitch length of 2.5 throughout but increased to 3 for the topstitching.

Skills used in this project:

• Using a zip with 2 sliders
• Inserting a zip on a curve
• Keeping it simple

Step 1: Cutting out

Cut out the following pieces:

6” x 8” outer fabric (cut 2)

6” x 8” lining (cut 2)

6” x 8” medium weight interfacing - iron-on or sew-in (cut 2)

For all of these pieces, form the shape by cutting out a 1” square from each bottom corner (the bottom will be one of the longer sides) and shaping the top by drawing round a tea plate on each upper corner.  Fold in half to make sure that it is symmetrical.  Alternatively get the PDF pattern here. 

You will also need:

2“ x 6” plain co-ordinating fabric for the zip tabs (cut 2)

2” x 6” lightweight iron-on interfacing (cut 2)

12” zip with 2 sliders (I used an N3 continuous zip on a roll and cut it to size)

Step 2: Making the zip tabs

I find it easier to make the zip tabs a bit wider and longer than is needed and trim to size.  In the photo, I made the zip tabs much too long but I have amended the pattern accordingly.

Iron the interfacing to the wrong side to both zip tab fabric pieces.

Fold in half so that the short edges meet, ensuring that the wrong sides are together.

Fold each short edge under by ¼" and press.

Before attaching the zip tabs, make sure the sliders are both attached so that they face in different directions, both towards the centre, so that the opening will be in the middle of the bag and not at each end!

Place at tab at each end of the zip so that they overlap the zip by about ½".  Sew across to secure. 

Trim the sides so that they are the same width as the zip.

Step 3: Inserting the zip

Pin/Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the outer fabric.

I usually sew the outer and lining fabrics to the zip in one go, but I have found that with curves, I get a smoother finish if I attach them separately.

Pin and sew one curved side of the outer fabric to one side of the zip. The right side of the fabric should be facing the zip sliders.The zip/tabs should reach the start of the corner cut out or be slightly longer.  Mine were far too long here so I had to trim them later. It is best to find the centre of the bag and zip by folding each in half and start by pinning at the centre, moving outwards.  This will ensure that the tabs are the same length at each end.

Pin and sew the lining to the same side of the zip but on the underside to make a zip sandwich. 

Do the same for the other lining and outer fabric when sewing them to the other side of the zip. 

Trim the fabric around the curve so that it sits neatly along the zip.

Top stitch along each side of the zip to hold all the layers firmly in place and create a professional finish.

Step 4: Sewing the bottom seam

Make sure the zip is open.

Match the bottom edge of the outer fabrics and sew, right sides together.

Do the same for the lining, but leave a gap in the centre of the bottom seam of about 4" so that you can turn the bag through. It is a good idea to make the bottom lining seam about ⅛" bigger than the outer fabric seam (⅜" instead of ¼") as the lining fits more snuggly inside if it is slightly smaller.

Step 5: Making the corners

Finger press the bottom seams open. 

Flatten each of the corner cut outs so that they form a straight line, right sides still together. 

Do the same for the lining.

Pin them together and sew across both at the same time.

Do the same for the other corner.

Step 6: Assembling the bag

Turn through the gap in the lining and sew it up either by hand or machine.

Your cute little bag is now complete.  Fill it with make up or other goodies - it is such a versatile size that you will want one for every occasion.

In this project I learnt:

• When using a zip with 2 sliders, it is really important to check that they are both facing towards the centre before you start.  It sounds obvious, but I didn't when I made the first bag and had to stop half way through and take the zip apart to correct it.  I won't make that mistake again!

• I use continuous zips.  I attached all the sliders to the zip but found that it caused some damage to the zip by misshaping it (just visible on the button bag).  I may have just been unlucky or attached them wrongly, but in future I shall store the zip and sliders separately and attach the sliders only when I am ready to use them.

• Inserting a zip on a curve is harder than using a straight line so it is worth sewing the outer fabric first and then the lining.  I'm still not very good at top stitching around a curve but I'm getting better.

• Sewing both the lining and outer fabric corners at the same time made it very easy.  There were no seam lines to match up for a change as there was no side seam to match with the bottom seam.  This method also holds the lining firmly and neatly in place so that it looks super smart inside as well as outside.

• This is one of my favourite makes so far this year.  It is simple, pretty and versatile.  It could be made larger to hold toiletries or how about a matching make up bag and toiletry bag?  I might give that a go when I next have some spare time. 

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.