DIY: Bags

Recently I have been making bags for some family and friends. They are just canvas bags and really good to keep in your handbag in case you need a bag for something.

These bags were for my Nanna, Auntie and a friend's birthday present.

For these I used some wide patterned fabric ribbon for the handles and I also added beads to the appliquéd butterfly design.

This bag is one I made for myself as I bought the fabric from a market a few weeks ago and thought it would make a great bag, I love the print!

To make one of these bags you will need:

Calico or some kind of cotton fabric (can be plain or patterned)

Small pieces of fabric for the appliquéd design (if you want to do one or you could just do a plain one)

Bondaweb (if you don't know its an adhesive that is ironed to the back of appliquéd designs to keep them in place while sewing)
Thread
Sewing machine
Scissors
Chalk or a pen to mark fabric when measuring
Pinking Shears (to stop raw seams from fraying)

Measurements of bag

2 Bag pieces - can be any size depending how big you want your bag but I did mine 38cm x 38cm and then added 1cm seam allowance al the way around

2 handles - from 60 - 70 cm x 8cm depending how long you want it and make sure to add about 2cm seam allowance of each end (can either be fabric pieces or wide ribbon)

2 pieces of fabric that leave a neat finish on the inside where the handles are these should be the width of the bag x 8cm

Instructions

1. Cut all pieces out. If doing appliqué iron bondaweb on the back of design.

2. Iron design onto bag pieces and sew design using either straight or zig zag stitch.

3. Add any extras to the design such as beads.

4. Sew the two bag pieces together along three side with 1cm seam allowance and then neaten seam with pinking shears.

5. Turn the bag right way out and then start on the handles. If using fabric iron in 1cm from each side of the strip and then iron in half. After that sew down to create the handle.

6. To attach handles sandwich them between the top of the bag and the other small pieces of fabric. Sew around the top of the bag with all the layers.

7. Make sure to do it so that the handles are the right way when you have sewn around the handles stick out of the top and the small pieces of fabric fold inside to create a neat edge and strengthen the top.

8. Finally sew around the top of the bag again to keep the inside piece of fabric flat down inside the bag. You can do this with a decorative stitch if you wanted.

Hope you liked this kind of post and hope my instructions make sense if not please comment and I will try and explain if you don't understand what I have wrote