Small zippered bag tutorial

This bag was designed to carry a small notebook as the largest item but you can adapt it to any size. It can even be turned into an iPad or e-book reader bag.

It has two external zippered pockets and 3 internal ones. It was designed to carry a sketch notebook and a number of swipe cards without needing to take them out of their pockets. It has also a key holder.

Instructions

This project can be made with scrap fabrics.

Seam allowance is 1/4 in.

To customise the size, you need to measure the largest item all the way around, height and width. Note down the figure.

Divide each figure by 2 and write down.

Now add 1 inch to each figure. This will give you the size of your outside and inside panels.

I used the following measurements:

Fabric

• 2 outside panels: 8 in x 10 in each
• 2 inside panels: 8 in x 10 each
• 43 in x 2 1/4 in for the strap
• one inside pocket: 8 in x 8 1/2 in folded in half and stitch into a tube
• front pocket: 2 pieces measuring 8 in x 4 1/4 in

Interfacing

• 2  panels for the outside panels: 7 3/4 in x 9 3/4 in each
• 1 in x 43 in for the strap
• one 7 3/4 in x 4 1/4 in for the pocket and one 7 3/4 in x 2 1/2 in for the pocket opening

Other

• 1 x 7 in zipper
• 1 x 8 in zipper
• 11 in piece of ribbon for the key holder
• 2 small pieces of wider ribbon for the strap accent

Making the inside pocket

Take the inside pocket piece and fold it in two.

Pin and stitch along the wide side.

You have made a tube. Place the seam on the back of the tube and press with your hands.

Stitch along the top twice, first very close to the edge and then at 1/4 in from it.

Take one  piece of lining and place the pocket at about 1 1/2 in from the bottom edge.

Stitch very close to the pocket’s edge.

Then stitch along the short side at your chosen intervals. For instance I made 3 pockets, one for the keys, then one for a swipe card and the third for a mobile phone.

Prepare the bag

Fuse the interfacing to the outside panels.

Make the strap

Centre the interfacing strip on top of the strap sticky side up, fold both sides of the fabric in as per picture and iron to make the interfacing stick.

Now, to cover the opening where the fabric sides meet, place a ribbon all along the stap and pin.

Stitch on both sides of the ribbon.

The strap is made.

Prepare outside zippered pockets

Fuse the larger piece of pocket interfacing to the inside of the pocket piece. Then fuse the smaller piece of interfacing to the top edge. This will reinforce the zipper area.

Now mark the zipper opening by centring the zipper on the top of the pocket and make two marks, one on each side, where the zipper ends and starts (see picture).

Now draw a line from mark to mark at no more than 3/4 in from the top edge. And then two more lines at 1/4 in from the centre line. Draw two small triangles on each side. This will be the zipper opening.

You can cut the opening now. Cut the middle line and the triangle sides.

Attach outside zippered pockets

With the right sides facing together place the pocket piece on top of one outside panel. Align both bottom edges together as the pocket is in the bottom part of the bag.

Stitch all around the outside rectangle.

Now cut through the lines across the outside panel. The opening will be used to insert the pocket piece through.

Insert the pocket piece through the opening.

Once you have turned the pocket piece inside you will have a window opening like the one in the picture below.

This is what it looks from the inside.

Iron well.

Sew zipper

Place the zipper through the opening as per picture.

Pin.

Stitch around the rectangle very close to the edge.

This is what the other side will look like.

Now take the other pocket piece and place right side down.

Stitch all around the pocket.

I stitch the pocket pieces separated from the outside panel as much as I could.

Divide the pocket now if you want to make two pockets or more.

Stitch along the lines.

Put the bag together

Attach the top zipper to one side first.

Place the outside panel right side up. Then place the zipper on top  with the wrong side up. And then place the lining fabric with the right side down as per picture.

Stitch along the top.

Repeat with the other side.

Do the same on the other side

You will end up with both pieces attached via the zipper as per picture.

Now place both lining panels together and both outside panels with right sides facing together as per picture.

Stitch all around the edge leaving a 3 inch opening on the bottom of the lining.

Once you have stitch all around you’re ready to turn the bag inside out through the opening.

Turn inside out.

Flatten the bag well.

Top stitch the opening in the lining.

Put the lining inside the bag.

Attach the strap

Pin the strap on each side at about 1 inch from the edge.

Wrap a wide ribbon around the edge hiding the edge of the strap and pin.

Stitch to the bag.

Stitch the ribbon to the key holder and then to the inside pocket.

The bag is finished.

Easy peasy patchwork hot water bottle tutorial

Materials

• 36 2 inch squares in red tones
• 36 2 inch squares in blue tones
• Coordinating scrap fabrics
• Lining fabric
• Batting

Assemble squares in red tones in a larger square as per photo below to make one panel.

Do the same with the blue squares.

Now cut

• 2 strips  1 in x 9 in
• 1 strip 1 in x 10 1/4 in for the bottom

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Cut the same pieces in the red tone contrasting fabric.

Place both panels right sides facing together and pin the bottom of the square as per photo and stitch along the pinned seam.

You will end up with one single piece as per photo below.

Cut a rectangle 10 1/4 in x 12 1/2 in in a blue tones fabric.

Pin to the blue side panel and stitch.

Do the same with the other panel.

Now fold in half and pin to the panel on the inside as per photo.

Stitch along the pinned line. Do the same with the other side.

Tie

Cut one long strip 29 in x 5 in. Fold in half right side together. Pin and make a cut on each ending as per picture.

Stitch along the edge leaving a 3 in opening to turn inside out. Turn inside out and top stitch along all sides of the tie.

Attach tie to the bag

Fold tie in half to find the middle of the tie and place a pin on it. Then find the middle of the top rectangle sidewise and longwise as per photo.

Pin tie in place making a small fold as per picture. Sew through the fold a couple of times.

Adding batting and lining

Cut a piece of batting 10 1/4 x 25 inches and a piece of lining 10 1/4 x 26 inches.

Place batting on top of the rectangle and add the lining on top. On the edges, cover the batting with the lining as per picture and pin in place.

Quilting

You are ready to quilt the triangle now.

I quilted both sides in a different way using diagonal lines on the blue side.

And straight lines on the red side.

Fold the rectangle in half right sides together and pin the sides as per picture.

Stitch both sides.

The bag is done.

To hide the seams that may be visible on the top part of the bag, choose a ribbon and place over the seam. Stitch ribbon to the fabric.

Detail of tie. The tie is tied around the neck of the bottle.

Embroidered fabric tea cozy tutorial

• Half a yard of your favourite fabric
• Matching lining fabric
• Scraps for the top petals
• Embroidery floss in matching colours
• Batting

Pattern

• Teapot cozy pattern (pdf). The pattern is for a pot 11 ½ x 21 ½ (see below on how to measure your teapot)

Embroidery

Choose a fabric where the embroidery will show well. I chose the fabric below mostly because the white leaves were perfect to add the embroidery to.

I worked with 3 embroidery floss strands and used a variety of embroidery stitches to fill in the white leaves.

Detail of the embroidery.

Measuring your teapot

Measure your teapot around the widest part and add one extra inch:  21 and a half.

Now measure it around its height from side to side and add an extra inch: 11 and a half.

Divide both measurements by 2 and add 1 inch to each.

My teapot is 22 ½ around by 12 ½  high. Using these figures I made the teapot pattern (pdf). If this pattern doesn’t fit your teapot, which is quite likely, you can use the method I just explained to create your own pattern.

Cut panels

Using the pattern cut 2 pieces of the outside fabric and 2 of the lining fabric.

To cut, fold the fabric in half and place the pattern on the fold as per picture below. Cut around the pattern.

Add batting

Cut two rectangles of batting larger than the front panels and pin to the fabric.

Quilt and trim.

Making the top petals

Cut 3 4 inch squares.

Fold twice into a smaller square.

Now round the corners.

With a strong thread gather the fabric as per picture.

Do the same with each square and stitch them together as you go.

Sewing the panels together

Place one panel right side up, then place the petals in the middle facing the bottom of the panel.

Place the second panel with the wrong side up and pin in place.

Cutting the lining

Using the pattern cut 2 more panels for the lining. Pin in place.

Stitch around leaving a 3 inch opening at the top to turn the cozy inside out.

Pink the corners after stitching.

Adding the lining

Place the quilted side of the cozy inside the lining as per picture below. Align the edges well and pin in place.

Stitch all along the edge.

Turn inside out through the 3 inch hole in the lining.

Stitch the opening in the lining.

The lining will be slightly larger than the quilted cozy so it will overflow at the base. Use this bit of extra lining to add a small border as per picture. Just iron the extra lining and topstitch.

Top detail.

The teapot is finished.