one of the gifts my mom gave me for Christmas, was a Hobby Lobby giftcard. i was beyond excited when i opened it! so while we were visiting we (of course!) went and i picked out some sweet stuff-this fabric you see included. i didn't really know how to do it, but i wanted to sew a big church bag. for putting a quiet book for Bronx and all my Sunday items in-separate from the diaper bag i am always lugging around :)
i don't really love reading instructions, and i get too "gung-ho" when i want to do a project right now. so one day in January (yes, i'm that behind in posting this cool project) i busted this out and just dived in.
if your interested in following along, here's the process that i went through:
(but beware, i am not the greatest at writing them, and this process might be confusing-so if you're trying to follow me, read through them COMPLETELY first, then start!)
step 1: pick the fabric. i used duck fabric(a canvas type feel) because i wanted it more heavy-duty.
and as you can already see from the finished project above, i ended up not even using the cute teal/blue checkered fabric. that's saved for another project now. (and ps-the solid grey/my inside lining, i got from JoAnn's)
step 2: turn the fabric print side in (so they are facing each other) and sew together sides. leave the two edges unsewn.
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step 3: cut handles
i wanted mine thick so i made them about 3'' across (so 6'' if you're measuring without it folded in half).
step 4: sew handles
remember to sew JUST down the side, with the pattern facing each other-if there is a pattern, and it makes a difference. turn right-side-out.
step 5: sew handles to bag
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if you look close, you'll see that i have NOT sewn the edges of my bag together. i simply flipped it over and eyed where i wanted the handles to lay. then i sewed them to the grey duct, keeping the floral fabric away. you'll also see that i folded and ironed down about 1'' on the tops of the bag. (see below pic)
this way when i finish and sew across the top, the handles with appear to "vanish" within the bag.
you'll also see that i sewed 2 more lines down the straps for added strength. (see, i am not the best at instructions-ha ha. this is all over the place!)
let me also insert here that this was an all day project. it wasn't just a "oh-let-me-bust-this-out-in-like-an-hour" kind of project. ha. the time frame may have had something to this little munchkin wanting some of my time :) .....
back to business.
step 6: sew an inside pocket
really this should be before step 1. you will save yourself a ton of headache if you just decide if you want pockets or not, at the beginning. as you can see (above), it's not the easiest thing in the world to sew on a teeeeny tiny sewing machine (or any really) with a whole bunch of fabric.it's basically torture trying to maneuver the fabric so you don't sew over the front. ahhhh but i lived. and i learned.
aaaand i did it! yessss. inside pocket=done.
step 7 and 8: sew sides of bag, and sew top of bag (sorry i don't have a pics of this)
but up until now, i have just been working with the long body of my bag (so the 2 pieces of fabric that i sewed together in step 1). i folded it in half (print side facing each other again), and sewed up the two sides. then i sewed on the outside of each top(where the handles connected).
step 9: make a more sturdy base for your bag
i had to call my mom for this because i wasn't sure how. once she explained it to me, and i did it, i realize it was super easy.
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keep your bag inside-out and take one corner. make it a triangle(above left pic). sew across. the deeper in-or closer to your bag's top-the shorter the bag becomes, and the wider the base becomes. i made mine about 3''.
flip right-side-out and ta da! and you have your bag......but i thought it was too plain.
after sleeping on it, i went and grabbed some clear vinyl at Walmart the next morning(it was like 97cents for 1/4 piece!) and decided to make a cool outside pocket. with a lable that i could change out to my liking.
again, remember to do this FIRST...if you so choose to have an outside pocket. ha ha....it would have been loads easier :)
*tip for sewing with vinyl= HERE <<this was a lifesaver you guys!
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i cut "the FULLER's" using my silhouette.
"the" = century gothic font.
"FULLER's"=sybil green font.
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even though i had some bumps along the way, i had a blast making this and am excited to do another!(who knows for what....?) but i'm sure it will go 100% smoother next time! glad you followed along!
*what's the hardest project you've ever worked on?
*your funnest?
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