Loop Handle Purse Frame Tutorial - Pleated Pouch of Apples **UPDATE** If you'd like this tutorial (and any of my others) in PDF format click here. Note: to view the PDF tutorial, you will need the latest Adobe Viewer program. Get the latest version of the viewer absolutely free by clicking on the button below: I've finished the purse that I was working on this week. I have used Baby Cord Apples Fabric, and a Loop Handle Purse Frame. The purse is not hard to make, why not give it a go? Front view Inside view Here's How I Put It Together You will need: 1. Cut 2 pieces each of all of these shapes 2. Fold in the short edges Finished purse rod casing (front & back view) 3. You can just see the 7cm pencil markings in the photo 4. 5. Slip the exterior bag into the lining bag 6. Blue arrows show where you start and end stitching for the flaps 7. This should be be the result - smooth it all out. 8. Pleat evenly, secure with pins, and sew a few hand stitches to secure 9. 10. Next time I'll mostly be making a purse using a traditional purse frame...
Sew a Zipper Opening in Your Purse or Handbag Time for another tutorial! I've just finished adding instructions for a zipper opening into my Teardrop Bag pattern, and thought - Hey, what the heck, I should post this as a tutorial as well so that you fabulous sewers can add one to a bag of your own. I hope you like it, please leave a comment if you do! The pics were a bit wide for this blog so I couldn't use them full size, so you will have to click them to zoom in. This is a zipper opening that is made in a gusset, that is open at each end. Decide how wide you want your zipper gusset to be; mine is about 3" so I've cut the strips on either side 2" (5 cm) wide to allow for seam allowances. 2 Top Lining Pieces 2 Bottom Lining Pieces 1 Tab Piece 3” x 2” (8 cm x 5 cm) 4 Gusset Pieces 2” (5 cm) wide x the length of your desired zipper opening, plus 1/2" (13 mm) for seam allowance. 4 Fusible interfacing 2” (5 cm) wide x the length of your desired zipper opening. 1 Closed end zipper 2 inches (5 cm) longer than your gusset pieces.
How to sew a fagoted seam A fagoted seam is a decorative seam that joins two pieces of fabric together with a space between them and a row of hand stitching. It’s a very pretty detail seen most often in vintage clothing. It’s easy to incorporate this kind of seam into any patterns you make that have a yoke, or any other simple seam. In this case, I’m making a silk blouse with a V-shaped yoke. Here’s what you’ll need: two pieces you’d like to join togetherheavy thread or embroidery floss for hand stitcheshand sewing embroidery needlea piece of paper large enough to lay your pieces ona pencila ruler The first step is to turn the seam allowance under on each side of the seam. Now use your ruler and pencil to draw your seam on the paper. Lay your pieces over the seam you just drew and align the edges with your lines. Using your floss and hand embroidery needle, stitch the edges together using the fagot stitch. Here’s a diagram of how to do the fagot stitch, from one of my vintage books from the 1920s.
The Awesome Bag Tutorial with Guest Meg of elsiemarley happy monday everyone! did you have a good weekend filled with sewing, knitting & crochet? you ready for some more inspiration and projects galore? yippee! today we're welcoming meg from one of my faaaavvvve blogs to stalk - elsiemarley!!!! meg's projects seem effortless, they are so organic and i find myself so drawn to her work, thoughts and her blog. whenever i find myself needing to find a boost of good ol creative energy i pop on over to elsiemarley. this pastry chef is now making the most delectable crafts & sewn goodies instead of chocolate's and boy am i happy she is. just like chocolate meg lures you in and then once you take your first bite it's instant luv! i tell you....blogging is just so much fun and then when you blog and get to have bloggers you are amazed by on a weekly basis come post on your own blog...well.....it's just fab and one of the many reasons why i love what i do! so get ready to open up another pressie! Hello Mommyhood readers, Meg from elsiemarley here!
Add a Zipper to a Finished Tote Bag My customers are always challenging me. One recently asked if I could add a zipper to an existing Oversized Beach Tote so that she could use it as an overnight bag. So in my usual way, I researched, I thank (thunk? thought? perseverated?) - and over-thought it in my anal/perfectionist way.... The existing solutions on the internet require using a fabric flap. With the zipper separated, baste one side to the bag. To sew the other side of the zipper, first attach it to the sewn side. I felt that it was a successful solution to the problem presented. I also tried tucking in the ends of each side of the zipper for a cleaner look. To tuck in the "bottom" of the zipper, I had to invert the zipper before joining it. Either way, a quick, simple way to add a zipper to a purchased or finished tote!
Easy Tutorial - How to insert a concealed top edge bag zipper If you want to see the finished bag that features this zipper here it is. This is a tutorial for a nifty bag zipper. What is nifty about this bag zipper is that it makes bags look neat and professional. This is because the zipper is inserted 1" (2.5cm) or more down from the top edge of the bag. So this is the kind of zipper I'm gonna show you; see what I mean when I say that this type of zipper gives the top edge of the bag a slightly boxy opening? Zipper fully opened (to reveal another zipper in the lining - yeah, I eat zippers for breakfast, and soon you will too...no really, you will). Here's How I put it all together Righty, this zipper is inserted into the bag lining. Notes on choosing your zipper length: Use a nylon/plastic all-purpose zip. 1. Break up zipper into these 4 parts (not so tough now are we Mr Zipper?) The Metal Cap/stopper - at one end of the zipper you'll see a metal cap that prevents the zip from running off into oblivion. 2. Fold the casing pieces as shown below: 3.
How To Sew an Inner Zipper Pocket I have tried several ways to sew in internal zipper pockets. I need one in every bag and I want at least one to be in every bag I make for my shop. They are so nifty, especially when you carry as much crap in your purse as I do and your cell phone rings. Anyways, it used to take me hours to make these. You need: a zipper (obviously ^^).fabric you want to use as your bags lining.fusible interfacing (Vlieseline).sewing machine, thread, scissors, the usual sewing utensils. The first step is optional. Measure your zipper and mark where to sew it in. Cut where you just marked your fabric. Fold over and press So, now I could serge the raw edges with a zig zag (or even take it to the serger) but, urgs, such tiny openings are a pain in the ass to serge. Add another strip of fusible interfacing to the other side. Now we need two rectangle pieces of fabric that will become the insides of our pocket. Now repeat the last step with your second rectangle and the other side of the zipper. Happy sewing!
Chic Steals: How To Re-Fit a Button-Down Shirt...To Your Size! Fitting 101 Awaiting Ada: Bubble Quilt I’ve been working for a long time on this puff quilt, I started it around Christmas time and it just kept getting pushed to the side. When we were little we had this great bubble quilt that our grandma made us, and I wanted to make one for Ada. I only vaguely remembered what it looked like, so my puffs are much bigger, but it turned out great and Ada loves squishing the colorful puffs! I made a practice puff a while ago for my Puff Pin Cushion and kept the same dimensions. I finally finished making an alternative method for making a bubble quilt, You sew the entire top together before you stuff the puffs! Check out the new tutorial here! Check out my newest finished bubble quilts! Here are some other bubble quilts! The size I made is a little strange, it’s quite long and narrow, so for now we just play with it on the floor, but I’m thinking it would look amazing at the foot of her bed when we eventually turn it to a toddler bed. Step 1: Pick out a bunch of scrap fabrics that you like.
Zippered Welt Pocket Done Properly A long time ago, I wrote the Pocket Series, which was a manic string of tutorials on making 25? 26? different pockets. It was meant to be a bunch of short, quick tutorials so that even the beginner-est of us could feel confident adding pockets to the various projects they were working on. One of those pockets was the zippered welt pocket. In the writeup, I mentioned (in para 3 of that post) that the method demonstrated was not the usual one I used to make that kind of pocket but I went ahead anyway because it was a short-cut version that could be finished in a few, easy-to-visualize steps. These photographs (but not the method or instructions; these were rewritten and changed for this tutorial) are conveniently borrowed from the Bella Bag pattern that's still in the testing lab(s), which explains why the big orange piece of fabric is strangely called the Lining Back. You will need: Step 1 Pin in place. Step 2 Sew exactly on the long edges of the welt (black dashed lines). Step 3 Step 4
Tutorial: Puffy Pouch Here comes the tutorial for the puffy pouch ;)As I promised, I am introducing two ways to make this pouch, one made with a 5" flex frame which may not be very accessible and the other made withvelcro which is fairly easily found at any craft stores.(The flex frame can be spotted at here,here, and here.) I love this pouch either way.This pouch is like the fabric basket tute andthe patchwork drawstring tute combined into onewith a little twist, so yeah, it's quick and easy again!!I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll like it....!!! As always, seam allowances are 1/4" unless otherwise noted. First off, pick out linen (or medium to heavy fabric)and three different print cotton fabrics that contrasteach other for the external shell. Cut out fabrics into pieces:Eight 1.75" x 5.5" pieces andTwo 2" x 6" from linenTwo 1.75" x 5.5" from each cotton fabrics. From the fabric for lining, cut out two 5.5" x 5.5" pieces. Let's start making the outer shell. Two patchwork panels like these. . Hooray!
Adding recessed top zipper to purse/bag -Tutorial As promised yesterday here I am with a tutorial to add top zipper to your purse.You know I always prefer purses with zippers,somehow they feel safer & I don't have to worry that something inappropriate may peek out at the wrong time;) Among top zippers,the most elegant & professional looking is recessed or sunken top zipper. So without further ado ...............lets begin. When we make purses we usually cut outer & inner lining pieces equal,but as you can see here the lining is smaller.So first you prepare the outer pieces (don't join them yet) Now you decide how much recessed should your zipper be?????? To that measurement add 2 " & cut 2 pieces from the outer fabric with width equal to width of the top of the outer piece.This is what I mean............we will be sewing the zippers & lining to these pieces which I am going to call STRAPS. Cut little angles at the inside ends of theses straps as you can see in the pics above.These angles ensure that the zipper ends don't become bulky.