Hi Everyone! 

Thank you for visiting me here and for supporting me for all these years. The Folk Art Factory has moved!

You can still get the same great content and freebies but from now on, it will be over at

                   https://thefolkartfactory.com/

I hope to see you there!

Debbie

xx

How do I sew that - Boxed Corners on a Bag

This bag is just crying out to be taken to market!

Bags seem really hard at first because you are making a 3D item as opposed to just straight sewing. However, it is not actually that bad and once you have a set of skills, you will find that they are used over and over in your bag making.

The details are all important in bag making.

Most of the scary things focus around zippers you will not be surprised to hear but just lately, I have been getting a few questions from people about boxing corners on bags. What is it? Is it hard? Why do we do it?

Boxing corners is the procedure of cutting a square out of a lower corner (I know sounds a bit scary but bear with me) and then pinching the seams together and re-sewing.

As you can see, the boxed base gives great volume without the need for a gusset.

It is not hard to do at all and the reason that we do it is to add instant volume to a bag without having to fuss around adding side panels and gussets. These have their place too as do darts but nothing will turn your beloved creation from a flat piece to a real life bag like boxing the corners.

You cannot box the corners on a pattern unless the pattern is written for it because the corners must be allowed for in the measurements and the designer has to calculate this accurately. So unfortunately this is not one of those things where you can easily adapt an existing pattern.

Those extra wide straps make the bag easier to carry fully loaded.

Still, most good patterns have these features and the great news is that they are especially good for beginners! So let's get started!

You do not need anything at all apart from your pattern, a ruler and some sharp scissors to box the corner on your bag. I will be referencing my latest pattern, the Toulouse French Market Bag for this but the procedure is the same for any other patterns so you can transfer the skills easily.

The time for boxing corners comes when you have sewn the bag front to the back. You will have a situation like this...

You will have a regular seam to work with. The extra stitching that you see is from basting the bag front and back to the foam interfacing.

Now the first bit is scary because it feels as though there is no going back. You have to cut a corner from the bag. To begin with, the patterns will tell you what to do. For example, the Toulouse pattern tells you to cut a 2 1/2" square. Firstly, you draw it in....

Remember to measure twice (at least!) and cut once.

Use your water soluble marker or whatever you are comfortable with and make sure that the squares are the same for both corners.

When you measure the cutout, measure from the edge of the bag NOT the seam. 

A water soluble marker and a good clear ruler is your best friend here.

So when you have measured and checked, cut the corner out...

This is the scary bit but your pattern will tell you what to do and as long as you measure carefully and understand the procedure, it is easier than you think.

The first thing that you will find is that the seam wants to come undone because you have essentially cut through the stitches. You can combat this by re sewing the seams near the cutout. With more experience, you can also anticipate where the cutouts will be going and shorten the seam length in that area. This helps to stop the stitches unravelling.

Now the next bit is where you have two seams - the one on the bottom of the bag and the one on the side. Pinch them together and pin or clip...

Make sure that there is no puckering on the right side. Come in from the bag top and slide your finger across the corner to make sure everything is nice and neat.

There are a couple of things to know here. Number one, the more precisely you bring the seams together, the better the outside of your bag will look and the best way to achieve precision is to open the seams out.

A clip is better than a pin here because you can use it to keep that seam open and flat

Okay so the next job is to sew the new seam and create the boxed base. Do this by sewing along and back stitching at the beginning and end of the seam...

I always shorten my stitch length just a bit because it helps to make the corners stronger. A generous seam allowance will make sure that you have caught all of the layers too.

That is actually all there is to it! Check your seam from the outside and the corner should look something like this....

Precision is worthwhile in bag making. Certain things that you do will draw the eye.

If the seams are off, it doesn't look great so be prepared to unpick (don't worry, it happens to all of us because fabric shifts thanks to physics).

Repeat this for the other corner and also for the lining. 

This one again! But it is worth repeating. Learn how to do this and you will not look back.

This is an essential bag making skill and once you can do it reliably, it will make a huge difference to the quality of your makes.
Thank you so much for dropping by and don't forget, if you like the look of the Toulouse French Market Tote, you can find it in my Etsy shop. Have a look at the page Buy My Patterns and you can see what else is on offer and what is coming up soon too.

Thank you for your visit and I hope that you found this post helpful!

See you soon and thank you so much for your visit!
Happy sewing!
Hugs
Debbie
xx

Recessed zippers - how to take away the pain!

May I introduce the San Sebastian Shopper Tote!

Hi guys! I have been playing around with another pattern for my Etsy shop. This time it is the San Sebastian Shopper Tote and you can find it HERE.

That fabulous (and easy to construct) recessed zipper gives great security.

This one has a few zippers and I thought that it might be time for another masterclass! We have already looked at zipper box pockets and this bag has a few of those too. HERE is the tute to help you with those. Don't worry that I have referenced another pattern. You can use the same techniques.

Learning these skills will make you feel like a bag making boss!

A recessed zipper is great for added security and it also gives your bag a bit of structure at the top.

The zipper end can be tucked in or left out- either way, its extra length allows you to open the recessed zipper all the way.

The main thing is to get your zipper foot out for this one! The right tool for the job is really important and with a zipper foot, you can get in a lot tighter than with a normal presser foot. Most modern machines come with a zipper foot as a standard accessory so have a rummage in that bag of tricks that came with the machine.

The long zip means that the bag can be fully opened.

So to make a recessed zipper, we need a few things:
- your zipper (natch)
- the top panel
-the top panel interfacing (Style-vil by Vlieseline)
- the top panel lining
-the tab for the end of the zipper
You will also need the top inner trim and a piece of your lining so that I can show you how to put the zipper into the lining.

Never leave the details out! The delicate pink of the leather zipper pull echoes the pinks in the fabric.

The last three things on this list will be mentioned specifically in the pattern so cut them out and prepare them and meet me back here.

Right so you have the top panels interfaced with foam interfacing. They are then trimmed.  The foam at the end of the zipper which is not the opening end is a bit bulky to fold over so I like to go in about 1/2" and trim that back further.

Being on the lookout for and getting rid of bulk is an important job in bag making.

This extra piece of overhang is then folded over, pressed and glued to keep it in place like this

Glue is your friend! I love Aleene's Tacky glue and I use it where stitching might add yet more bulk. 

Prepare the zipper next. 
The end tapes where the zipper opens will either look like this if you are using a 'normal' zipper...

You can use any sort of zip.

or this if you are using a zipper on a roll....

This is the sort that i have chosen for the bag. it looks like metal but behaves like plastic. Winning!

Whichever you have, you need to fold the zipper tape ends to the side as near to the zipper opening as you can like this and stitch them to hold them there

It looks and feels a bit awkward but trust me, this is hoe it looks. The excess will be trimmed away when we get to that bit.

One end of the recessed zipper (the opening end) is almost right up against the end of the panels and the other end runs off the end of the panels and ends in a tab. Folding the zipper tapes back like this means that you get a lovely clean end where the zipper opens.

Actually come in 1/4" from the end like this to allow for the seam allowance

That 1/4" is important for the finished effect.

I baste the zip in first to keep it in place because once the lining goes on to make the sandwich, it is very difficult to see if the zip has stayed put.

Then add the lining (right sides together) and sew up the short end, along the zipper 

Your folded over zipper end tape will stick out like this.

Don't sew down the other short end just yet though. Just fold the lining up to match the glued outer end.

Those of you watching this carefully will see that my fold over is WAY more than the usual 1/4" seam allowance! That is because the lining usually stretches a bit as you sew. Don't worry too much (as long as it isn't excessive) and just fold the end to match the outer. The outer is the important one.

There will be a bit of bulk there on the corners so trim across being careful not to snick the stitches

Trim the zipper end off too where it sticks out at the side.

Turn the panel the right way out and press so that the edges are perfect.

Thanks to the bending over of the zipper tape end, this is what the recessed zipper should look like when you turn it out.

Then topstitch narrowly up the short side, along the zipper and then down the other short side.

Keep a hold on all of the layers as you topstitch so that there is no puckering.

The topstitching is what will close the flappy bits on the other end of the panel.

One side down and one to go!

You have made one side!!
Now repeat this on the other side and trim so that the whole shebang is as wide as the pattern directs.

Looking pretty good!

I like to baste the layers together too so that they are not too floppy. this makes it easier when you put the zipper together.

Now to apply the recessed zipper panel to the innards of the bag, take a top trim and your piece of lining and place them right sides together with one side of the zipper panel sandwiched in between

Basically act as though the zipper panel is not there and sew right along from beginning to end.

Sew right along trapping the zipper panel side in the seam

One side is done and as you can see, I have topstitched narrowly just above the seam. Topstitching is an important skill in bag making and it helps everything to stay put.

Repeat for the other side. You will now proceed with the lining as normal, sewing up the sides and base and leaving a turning gap in the base.

It looks like a hot mess at the moment but all is well and at this stage, you are ready to sew the sides of the lining following the pattern instructions.

Okay let's finish by putting the tab on the end of the zip. Take the tab and follow the pattern instructions to prepare it. Slip it over the end of the zipper and glue it in place.

The pattern will tell you the dimensions and what to do to make the tab.

You will find that a lot of glue is used in bag making. It is a super handy addition to your kit.

Stitch it on now being careful to avoid any metal teeth.

The tab finishes the zipper beautifully.

And that's actually it! This will give you a really nicely constructed recessed zipper and the interfacing gives fantastic soft structure.

The bag can be completely sealed thanks to that recessed zipper.

The pattern referenced in this post is the San Sebastian Tote which you can find HERE. 

Happy bag making and stay safe!
Hugs
Debbie
xx

How to construct a professional bag flap

I am so happy with the size and style of the new bag! It is just right for everyday use.

One of my (many) new years resolutions was to write more patterns for my Etsy shop and I am pleased to say that I have managed another one which you can find here.

As you can see, the flap can be a major design feature of a bag. It is important to get it right.

While I was writing it, it occurred to me that it is all very well to blithely rate a pattern as 'intermediate' or 'confident beginner' and then just leave people to assume what that actually means. What happens to people who fall through the cracks - they may not be a raw beginner but they still need a bit of help when it comes to construction techniques.

So I thought that the best way to be helpful is to choose a technique and focus on it in a sort of user friendly masterclass.

This lovely Anna Graham Fabric from her Driftless collection for Robert Kaufman is just perfect for this bag.

To give it real world relevance, I will be linking it back to a pattern so that you can see what the technique looks like in real life and where it would be used. You don't have to buy the pattern and the tute is free. You can use these techniques in any pattern.

Okay, so we will begin with a tute on how to create a professional bag flap. It has a few layers which may surprise you and the result is a bag part with a really nice feel to it which doesn't look sad and forlorn.

Cannot wait to road test this bag!

So what do we need to make a flap for a bag? You can substitute the following items for any pattern but for reference, I will be referring to my pattern so that things do not get too confusing. I use Vlieseline products. It is important to mention that here because some of their things do not have actual names, instead they have numbers and for a beginner, it can be quite confusing. So you need:

-H630 (see what I mean). This one is a light, low loft fusible fleece.
-Decovil I Light. A light but softly structured fusible interfacing.

So we only need two types of interfacing but it is the way that we will be layering them that counts as the real trick.

Attention to detail is so important in a bag.

Begin by cutting out your flap outer piece. There will mostly be a template for this but occasionally in a cut and measure pattern, you just cut a shape. And cut the lining piece without trimming it to the shape of the flap. This is quite important and I will get to that in a minute. the pattern will give you the sizes and details.

Now fuse the appropriate piece of H630 to the flap and the lining. This gives your flap a nice soft feel when you use it. Okay - trick number one, fuse the piece of Decovil I Light over the top of the fleece on the cutout flap.

A lot of layering of interfacing goes on in bag making. Here you can see the square lining with just the fleece and the flap has lining first and you can see the Decovil i light on the top of it.

This adds structure and it will end up being sandwiched between the flap outer and the flap lining both of which have the fleece there to keep things soft.
So you have two flap pieces, and one is still untrimmed. With the right sides together, lay the trimmed flap outer onto the untrimmed lining.

Sometimes I trim the interfacing back to keep it out of the back seam allowance especially on a thicker fabric. This is not the straightest of cuts but it doesn't have to be to be honest. 

Pin it well and get ready to sew. Before we do though, there is a very good reason for leaving the lining untrimmed. Fabric shifts. This is a matter of physics and not much you can do. It is thanks to friction. By leaving the lining whole to begin with, you guarantee a perfect fit and none of the frustrating running off of fabric that can happen when you cut the flap and the lining to fit. You still have the flap outer as a shape guide.

The next step is to sew it and cut it out using the flap outer as a guide.

That lining fits!

There is a tiny bit of waste but nothing too bad and it is well worth it to get a prefect flap.

Now there is a turning gap in the straight part of the flap at the back but if we turn it out now, the edge will pucker because there is way too much fabric there. When it is turned the right way out, the fabric has to negotiate the curve of the flap from the opposite direction, causing it to form a sort of frill. We have to get rid of some of the fabric.

And clip across the corners at the back too - this will sort of mitre them when the flap is turned the right way out.

You can see the little cuts there on the curves? This is how we get rid of some of the fabric and give what is left some room to move. Just make these with a small and sharp pair of scissors being very careful not to cut the stitching. Clip across the corners at the back too.

Again, be careful not to cut the stitching. I cannot BELIEVE how wonky my interfacing cut is up close :-)

Here is a closer one of the notches on the curve too

You need to get quite close to the stitching-use your best and sharpest small scissors for the job.

When the flap is turned the other way (the right way) out, they will all butt up together to smooth the curve.
Right, so turn the flap the right way out and press it so that the edges are perfect. This means that you cannot see the lining from the bag outer and you cannot see the outer from the lining side. Spend time and use a damp cloth to get a great result.
Then we close the gap.

I have pressed the gap edges in so that they are as invisible as possible and they are ready to be glued.

You don't want to stitch on the back just yet (more in just a bit) so a dab of glue will hold the back shut while you work on the rest. There is a lot of glue involved in bag making. It helps to stabilise things when you do not want an extra row of stitching. 

The next step is to topstitch. You will ideally have a perfect edge like this

The flap is on show so take the time to make the edge as perfect as possible. Imperfections here will draw the eye.

So the next step is to topstitch to keep it there. Sew the sides and the front of the flap only.

Make a narrow topstitch, not quite a 1/4". This looks better.

The reason for this is that we will topstitch the flap onto the bag and if you topstitch the back now, it will be stitched twice. This can look really clunky. This is why we glue the back shut to keep it in place too. We are saving the topstitching.

Not all bags have a flap attached like this one. Some have the flap integrated into the back seam. The individual pattern will guide you here but as a rule, in those cases, keep the back open. The raw edges will be hidden in the seam.

Hardware next! This is a really exciting bit because all of a sudden, your bag will start to look really professional. If you are using a stud, it will have a male and a female half (I know, I know but just look at the pieces and you will see why). We need to add the female half to the bag flap at this stage.

I love these Vario pliers by Prym. They take all of the mystery and hard work out of adding the hardware.

The male half goes on the bag front and that will happen later in the pattern.
So we have one final task and that is to topstitch the flap onto the back panel of the bag.

As you can see, the bag is not made up yet. The flap goes on now to make it easier later on.

I usually use a double row of topstitching for this. It is stronger and it looks nicely finished.

Okay! there you have it! It is actually easy to make a flap like this and once you try it, you will use the technique again and again.

It is worth making the flap as perfectly as you can. It is a major design element.

There is a second tute relevant to the Pasadena bag and that is on way next time.  You can find it here. I want to show you step by step how to construct the zipper box pocket at the back. It is actually super easy when you know how.

Thank you so much for dropping by and if you are in love with the Pasadena bag as much as I am, you can buy it here at my Etsy shop. And by the way, there is a 20% off sale on in my shop until the end of April.

Hugs
Debbie
xx


Disclaimer: I have mentioned several products by name in this post. I do not receive any money for doing this. I simply believe that these products are the best and i use them again and again.