Week 4 - Making the Bag Exterior
The bag will now start taking shape, and you can get a really great feel for what you have started to create! This week isn't too big, but does require a bit of finesse.
The first task is to centre the front and back pockets over the exterior pieces. Once centred, you will then need to mark the limit of the sewing for the long straps. Pin the straps in place, being careful to centre them over the pocket pieces.
You will then be sewing DIRECTLY OVER the top of the current top stitching on the straps. Take your time with this step so that you don't have obvious double lines. For extra reinforcement, you might want to sew an "X" at the top of the strap (remembering to keep to the limits marked).
For the end pockets, you might want to stay stitch them in place, sewing a basting stitch within 1/4" of the edge.
The next step is to start sewing the outside of the bag together. Sew one side to the front, and then the other side, finally, sew on the back. As you sew, remember to only sew to 1/2" from the bottom, as previously marked.
Also, iron the seam open to avoid bulk. When finished, you will have a tube of a bag - hopefully you remembered to sew things together the right way up!
Take the wrong side of your base, and make marks 1/2" from the side and bottom. Adding the base into the exterior sides is a little bit tricky, by mostly from a weight point of view.
The picture at right shows how the base should line up with the exterior. Your base should extend past the seam by 1/2", which will fit in nicely having only sewn down to the marks on the bag sides.
I found that sheer weight of the interlining and fabric made things slip off the table, so really had to be conscious to hold everything up so that my sewing did not get distorted.
I also found using a zipper foot to be an advantage, as I was able to sew right up to the side of the thick interfacing base. Using a normal foot, meant that the foot was teetering on a gradient of the Peltex and then just fabric and kept slipping around. The photo at right shows how nicely the zipper foot abutts the Peltex base.
Sew from along the length of the front of the bag to the base, keeping to the marks. Then sew the back to the base, and finally the sides. By the time you get to the sides, you will be ensuring that the seams you have ironed open, stay that way and are sewn in place, to give the best possible fit and sit for the bag base.
Careful marking and stitching should mean that everything lines up perfectly. I found that the weight of the bag was the only problem with this step, once I started using the zipper foot. Of course, the zipper foot is not as good for moving such thick fabric through the machine, but careful handling and gentle feeding got around this problem beautifully.
You will now have something that most definitely is beginning to look like an amazing bag. How impressed are you with yourself now?
The first task is to centre the front and back pockets over the exterior pieces. Once centred, you will then need to mark the limit of the sewing for the long straps. Pin the straps in place, being careful to centre them over the pocket pieces. You will then be sewing DIRECTLY OVER the top of the current top stitching on the straps. Take your time with this step so that you don't have obvious double lines. For extra reinforcement, you might want to sew an "X" at the top of the strap (remembering to keep to the limits marked).
For the end pockets, you might want to stay stitch them in place, sewing a basting stitch within 1/4" of the edge.
Also, iron the seam open to avoid bulk. When finished, you will have a tube of a bag - hopefully you remembered to sew things together the right way up!
Gratuitous cat shot..... Isabella modelling the completed bag exterior with the base about to be sewn in.
The picture at right shows how the base should line up with the exterior. Your base should extend past the seam by 1/2", which will fit in nicely having only sewn down to the marks on the bag sides.I found that sheer weight of the interlining and fabric made things slip off the table, so really had to be conscious to hold everything up so that my sewing did not get distorted.
I also found using a zipper foot to be an advantage, as I was able to sew right up to the side of the thick interfacing base. Using a normal foot, meant that the foot was teetering on a gradient of the Peltex and then just fabric and kept slipping around. The photo at right shows how nicely the zipper foot abutts the Peltex base.
Sew from along the length of the front of the bag to the base, keeping to the marks. Then sew the back to the base, and finally the sides. By the time you get to the sides, you will be ensuring that the seams you have ironed open, stay that way and are sewn in place, to give the best possible fit and sit for the bag base.
Careful marking and stitching should mean that everything lines up perfectly. I found that the weight of the bag was the only problem with this step, once I started using the zipper foot. Of course, the zipper foot is not as good for moving such thick fabric through the machine, but careful handling and gentle feeding got around this problem beautifully.
5 comments:
I want to kidnap Isabella
She is delicious isn't she MJ... !
someone get that cat some fur! haha. I promis I'm reading them all, i'm just not in the headspace to tackle it yet, I don't know why!
Jesus was/is a sewer...
He's sewin-up my life as we speak;
He's also a sower, planting the Seed
of faith thro this sinfull mortal.
trustNjesus.
ALWAYS.
God bless your indelible soul.
Jesus was/is a sewer...
He's sewin-up my life as we speak;
He's also a sower, planting the Seed
of faith thro this sinfull mortal.
trustNjesus.
ALWAYS.
God bless your indelible soul.
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