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.