cord or elastic through
fabric tubes or casings.
Attach the cord/elastic
to the bodkin and thread
the bodkin through your
fabric tube.
Tailors awl – an awl is
useful for making holes
in fabric for rivets, poking
out corners in fine straps
(when turning out), or even
coaxing small parts of your
bag underneath the sewing
machine foot (to help the
feed dogs grab the fabric).
Two types are available –
one with a sharp point, the
other with a ballpoint tip.
Fabric glue – use
good-quality clear-
drying fabric glue for
when sewing isn’t an
option. Good fabric
glue can be just as
effective as stitching.
Sewing clips/mini
bulldog clips – use
these strong clips to
hold pieces of fabric
together temporarily
when sewing pins are
unsuitable, such as
when your layers are
very thick.
Getting Started
Hole punch – use a hole
punch to cut neat holes
in fabric for eyelets or
popper snaps. This hole
punch has various sized
hole-cutter attachments
and a smaller grip, which
is great for small hands.
Thread – for ease of use and
to make long-lasting bags,
use good quality all-purpose
polyester thread. It might
be tempting to buy cheaper
thread but this breaks more
easily, which makes it
unsuitable for bag making.
Loop turner – this simple
tool is used for turning
fabric tubes the right
way out for speedy
fabric strap making.
Hammer and pliers – use
a small hammer when you
are working with rivets
and eyelets (grommets).
Use two pairs of pliers for
opening and closing metal
rings and links in purse
chains. Jewellery pliers
are especially suited to
those with small hands.
The Sewing Machine
A sewing machine is the most important tool in making
bags but it doesn’t need to be a grand or costly affair.
There are only two features that I insist on: a powerful
motor and a free arm. The others listed here, while not
essential, are useful to have.
Needle up/down button – there’s
always lots of stopping and starting
in bag making and having a button
that tells the machine to stop with
the needle down is so useful. When
the needle is down your work can’t
escape and you can turn neat and
precise corners.
Thread cutter – having
your threads cut at the
touch of a button isn’t
necessary, but it is
certainly very nice.
Free arm – incredibly useful in
bag making. It makes sewing
narrow fabric tubes (such as
sleeves) and small- to medium-
sized purses much easier.
Powerful motor – a must for coping with all of those fabric
(and interfacing) layers.
Good stability – when sewing at breakneck speeds or
working with thick layers, the last thing you want is your
machine to shake and judder. Choose a machine that has
a good weight and a wide, stable base. Ask to see or test
the machine in action at maximum speed.
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Build quality – how solid does the machine feel? I prefer
heavy machines (the more metal the better) because they
will last longer (with fewer machine services) and they
will vibrate less.
Instruction manual – I am a stickler for a good manual
because no matter how experienced you are there will be
plenty of occasions when you’ll need to turn to it for help.
Don’t be shy in the shop – ask to have a flick through the
machine manual. Also look on the internet for support and
user manuals for your machine.
Bobbin winding system – different sewing machines have
different systems for bobbin winding. While in the shop,
ask to see how the bobbin is wound and check you are
happy with the method.
Dual feed system – this is a feature on some sewing
machines that makes working with several and/or thick
layers much easier because this system feeds the layers
through the machine evenly and at the same speed. In
normal sewing, the bottom layer gets fed through the
machine just before the top layer and this results in the
top layer creeping forwards, which can be a real pain.
Variable speed selector – this is different
from the speed controlled by a foot pedal; it
overrides the pedal by setting the maximum
speed of the machine.
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Long arm –