Bags, Wallets, and Zips

Tutorial: Messenger Bag from Cargo Pants

Want to make one of these?
From a pair of these?
Here’s the tutorial!
Materials:
1 pair cargo pants (from the going to Goodwill pile of course)
1/2 yard lining material
bias tape (store bought or make your own)
thread
{1/4″ seam allowances throughout}
Getting started…
Take your pair of cargo pants and cut the inseam of each leg of the pants up to the crotch area.  Cut straight across the leg of the pants in either direction.  This should give you enough fabric to work with, you’ll have two large pieces to cut your exterior bag pieces from.
Cut the bag exterior pieces:
  • front flap (this is where the cargo pocket comes in handy – cool pockets you don’t have to sew!) 10″ wide x 13″ tall, round the corners by tracing the edge of a small bowl (or roll of tape in my case)

     

  • front and back of bag 10.5″wide by 11.5″ tall

     

  • side gusset (cut 2) 12″ x 2.5″

     

  • bottom gusset 11″ x 2.5″

     

  • strap 44-52″ long by 2.5″ wide (leaving this measurement up to you on the length, whatever you feel comfortable with)  I ended up piecing my strap together because I didn’t end up with a piece long enough.

     

Cut the same size pieces from the lining material.  I used a fat quarter to make the bias tape and part of the lining (gusset) on my tan cargo pant bag.
Make the strap by placing the long pieces right sides together, sew down each side.  Turn tube of fabric right side out with a safety pin.  Press.  Topstitch down both sides about an 1/8″ from each side.  Set strap aside.
Now make the front flap. Put the exterior flap piece and lining flap piece WRONG sides together. Take the bias tape and attach it along the sides and bottom of the flap. Set aside.
Assembling the lining: Take gusset pieces (2 sides and a bottom) and sew the short ends together.  Sew one side piece to the bottom piece and then the remaining side piece to the other side of the bottom piece.  Sorry, I guess a picture is worth 1,000 words here.
Lay your connected gusset pieces right sides together on top of the front of the bag piece, pin, sew.  The tricky part is the corners.  Stitch down the right side until you get about 1/4″ from the bottom of the bag, lift your presser foot and tuck the gusset fabric to the left side, then turn the fabric 90 degrees and continue stitching the bottom part of the bag.
Lay the back of the bag down and set the front/gusset piece on top, pin in place.  Stitch the gusset to the back of the bag just like you did to the front.
Make the exterior just like you did the lining of the bag.
Assembling the bag:  Turn the exterior of the bag right side out.  Place the exterior of the bag into the lining so that they are facing RIGHT sides together.  Place the strap with RIGHT sides facing the exterior {making sure not to get the strap twisted} onto each side of the gusset.  And finally, place the front flap RIGHT sides together with the exterior of the bag.  Pin all in place.
Stitch all around the opening leaving a 5-6″ opening for turning.  Pull bag through the opening.  Push lining into bag exterior, press around the top edge making sure to tuck in the raw edged from the opening.
Topstitch around the entire opening of the bag.  You’re done!  Now stick some books and your wallet in the bag and you’re ready to go!
Bags, Wallets, and Zips, tutorial

TUTORIAL: Zakka Inspired Pencil Pouch

Who loves zippers??!  I know you all do!  Time for another cute project.  There’s just enough time to whip up a couple and add them to your Christmas stockings…

Here’s what you’ll need:

linen scraps, 2 pieces cut to 3.5″ w x 4″ tall
main fabric 2 pieces approximately 7.5″ w x 4″ tall
lining fabric 2 pieces 10.5″ w x 4″ tall
scraps for applique car (or whatever design you want to come up with) and two buttons
an 11″ zipper or larger
scrap of fabric 3″ wide x 2″ tall and split key ring (if you plan on adding the key ring)

{1/4″ seam allowance throughout}

First, grab your scrap of fabric to make your key ring loop.  Fold it in half with right sides together and sew.  Turn right side out and press with seam in middle.  Set aside.

Take one piece of linen and add your applique.  I used fusible webbing and ironed it to my scrap pieces then cut them out with an exacto knife.  Iron the applique to the linen.  Sew around the edges of the applique with a small zig zag stitch.  Sew on buttons for the car’s wheels.

Then, take one main piece of fabric and the piece of linen with the applique on it and place them right sides together and sew.

Take your other main piece of fabric and remaining piece of linen and sew with right sides together.  Make sure if you’re using a print with an obvious direction (like I have here with the cars) to sew the linen on the other side than what you had sewn the piece with the applique on.  {See above picture.}

Press seams to one side for both exterior pieces.

Now onto the fun part!  Take your piece of exterior fabric and place it on your work surface right side up.  Lay down your zipper along the top edge with the zipper facing down and pull tab at the LEFT.  Then place a piece of lining fabric right side down on top of the zipper.  Sew using a zipper foot.  Flip so wrong sides are facing each other.

Next put down the remaining exterior piece right side up, take your zipper and place it along the top edge with the zipper teeth facing down and the pull tab to the RIGHT.  Place the remaining lining piece right side down on top of the zipper.  Sew using a zipper foot.  Flip so wrong sides are together and press.  You should now having something that looks like this:

Now’s a good time to open up your zipper about half way.  Tuck in your key ring tab on the left hand side between the exterior fabrics with the raw edges facing out and pin.

Now you’re going to sew along the entire perimeter except leave a 2-3″ opening in the lining fabric for turning.  Clip corners and trim ends off the zipper so that they’re almost flush with the edges of the pouch.  Pull right side out through the hole in the lining.

Sew the opening in the lining shut by hand or with a very small seam allowance.  Push the lining into the pouch and press!  That’s it!

Let me know if you have any questions, I’d love to see what you make.

 

tutorial

30 Minute Modern Bed Skirt

I’ve always made my own bedskirts for my beds because I’m so cheap frugal.  I think it’s really inexpensive, modern and not a lot of frill.  I don’t like ruffles on bedskirts.  On dresses, yes, bedskirts = no.  What I do is buy an extra flat sheet that coordinates with my bedding (mine is from Ikea a couple years ago).  And since I have two comforter covers, I’m sort of making a double layer bedskirt by adding another layer on top of my bedskirt I made a while ago.  When I switch bedding, I’ll just flip up the different colored bedskirt, and tuck it in between the mattress & boxspring.  Hopefully my pictures won’t mix you up (I’m adding the dark blue layer over top of the sage green layer). 

Ingredients:

  • 1 flat bed sheet (mine was a queen size because our bed is a queen).
  • material to make the decking with (probably white muslin or other inexpensive fabric)
  • pinking shears (makes it even speedier so you don’t have to worry about finishing the seams)
  • thread

First measure the height you’ll need to make the bedskirt.  Measure from the floor to the top of the boxspring, plus a little extra.  Then measure the three sides of the bed, side, end, side.  Making sure you add a half inch or so for hemming.

Cut your pieces from the sheet.  This is the quick part because most of the sheet is already hemmed for you! 

Sew the unfishished sides of the bedskirt sheet pieces.  Just turn under, iron, and sew.

Pin the pieces you just cut from the flat sheet right sides facing to the decking material.  Sew together using about a 1/2″ seam allowance. Do this for each side and end of bed.  I extended the piece a little longer than the decking so the boxspring won’t show through the corner as much.

Here’s a closeup of the corner.

You’re done! Put it on your bed!  If you want, add some ties to the corners to keep your boxspring from peeking out.  My bedskirt cost me about $15 and it matches my bedding perfectly!  You’ll have a bunch of extra fabric from the middle of the sheet, so make some matching throw pillows!

Let me know if you have any questions!  Thanks for reading!

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