Lined Boxy Bag

Bag making must be the most fun EVER!

So there is a feeling of spring about at the moment and my little daffodils are poking their heads above the ground and flowering like mad. 

Let's poke our heads outside to take a look before we start!

My thyme is getting going too. Boy do I have plans in the kitchen when it does!

The brighter weather is nice and it is getting the ideas flowing - like when do they ever stop! So with general brightness and pretty things in mind, I thought that you might like a bag project to get stuck into....

Fully lined too! No zig-zag edges inside.

I have wanted to make a boxy bag forever but I don't like the ones so much with unfinished inside edges. As my regular readers will know, the OCD really raises its head when it comes to unfinished seams inside things. I want everything fully lined and I don't like zig-zag edges.

Practical and pretty.

Well you will be pleased to know that we will not be having any thing of the sort here! The boxy pouch that I ended up making is perfectly finished inside and out and it isn't difficult to do it either. I will give lots of tips along the way.

Not too big but very roomy.

Okay, so what do we need....
-2 FQs of fabric. One will be for the lining and one for the outer.
-FQ H630 fusible wadding (Vlieseline)
-FQ style-vil foam interfacing (Vlieseline)
-30cm (12") Bundfix tape (Vlieseline)
-30cm (12") zipper
-small leather scrap for the label -about 10cm (4" sq.)
-10cm (4") baker's twine (Berisfords)
-stamp of your choice
-Ranger Archival ink: jet black
-Sizzix Big Shot manual die cutting machine
-Sizzix oval die
Your usual bag making needs

All seam allowances are 0.5cm (1/4") and please read through the whole pattern before beginning - and make sure that you have all of your ingredients assembled!

Here is your template before we begin. I have put a 2.5 cm (1") box so that you can tell if it is the right size.

I have added in the measurements in case your printer is not playing nice. You can actually draw it yourself using this information - remember that it must go on the fold though.

Make the label first. Cut an oval using the die and die cutter and stamp it with your chosen image. 

Love bags of leather scraps which are available online for less money than you would think.

These dies are great value for money and provide different sizes of die cuts.

I love these labels. they are made with next to nothing and they really lift the project.

I have used a bee stamp for mine to go with the flowers....

Particularly like this one.

Any papercraft stamp will do brilliantly for this job. As long as it doesn't have too much fine detail. Practise on a scrap if you are in doubt.

This one has a fair bit of detail. If your leather is a bit shiny, lightly sand it with sand paper. The stamp and ink will thank you and it will look distressed.

Right...handle next...

The handle can be as long or short as you need.

Take the piece of Bundfix tape and a piece of fabric 7cm wide x 30cm long (2 3/4" x 12") and fuse the tape to the wrong side of the fabric.
Use the perforations on the tape to fold the handle in half and then fold the raw edges to the centre and topstitch along both  sides.

Using a matching thread is so important in bag making. Always take the time to do it. Sometimes the thread in the top and in the bobbin will be different to match the outer and the lining. Well worth the faff!

The handle is now ready to use and when we get to that bit, you can shorten it if you want to.

Use the template to cut two pieces from your outer fabric and two pieces of lining. Fuse H630 to the wrong side of the outer fabric and then lay this onto a slightly larger piece of Style-vil foam interfacing. Attach with a very narrow seam and then trim the foam back to the size and shape of the fabric.

Slightly and gently stretch the interfaced outer fabric over the foam so that it sits super neatly when it is attached. This is all easier if you don't trim the foam until after you have finished.

Put the zip in next. The zip is a bit too long but it can be trimmed in a a later step. 

The most important thing with this step is to finish and start sewing 2 cm (3/4") in from each end.

Lay one of the interfaced outer pieces down and lay the zipper along one long side (it matters which if you have a directional print). Lay the lining right sides together with the outer panel to make a zipper 'sandwich'. Pin and sew along the length of the zip starting and stopping 2 cm (3/4") in from each end.
Sew and then open out and topstitch, aslo starting and stopping 2 cm (3/4") from either end.

The topstitching either side of the zip helps the lining behave.

Sew the base next and also the base of the lining but when you do the lining, leave a turning gap.

This is why you started and stopped sewing a couple of centimetres in from each edge.

Bring the outer ends together including the zip and sew across. do both ends and repeat for the lining. 
Box the corners now on the outer and the lining and then turn out through the gap and close it.
Stuff the lining down into the bag.

Little finishing touches like this make the project!

Tie the piece of baker's twine through the zipper pull.

And that's it! A cute boxy bag which is FQ friendly. There has to be a good reason not to make 10!

I can think of a hundred uses for this one!

Have plans to make more of these!

Those of you in the Northern Hemisphere will notice that this post is a bit late in the year! When I wrote it, the daffodils certainly were poking their heads up - they have long since disappeared! It is late summer now but they looked so nice in the garden, I did not have the heart to get rid of the photos to bring it more up to date. I am pretty sure that some of you will find it in your hearts to forgive me in time :-).

Thank you for stopping by and I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.
See you next time!
Hugs
Debs
xx