• Bag back – remember to give the back of your bag consideration too; if it’s rubbing against your body as you carry it, then it needs to be streamlined and free of anything such as hardware or trimmings that will catch on your clothes or be damaged themselves. However it can also the perfect place for a secret, secure and easy-access slimline pocket, maybe flush and zippered (see Flush Zip Pocket).
What’s inside counts
• The inside of the bag – this is equally important as the outside and needs to be given just as much care and attention. The lining is a chance to add lots of design features, from fabric choice (see Choosing Fabrics) to the use of pockets and dividers for more organization (see Flush Zip Pocket and Zip Partition Pocket). Joining the bag exterior to the lining is a fundamental part of the bag construction process, and there are two different methods to try, depending on the design of your bag (see Inserting Linings: Drop-In Method and Inserting Linings: Pull Through and Turn Out Method).
1: Getting Started
If you’re anything like me you’re probably keen to get stuck in with the scissors and sewing machine, and might be too impatient to read through this chapter. I totally understand, but even a quick read through the basics explained here could make all the difference between a bag that you will love and a bag that will end up at the back of a cupboard. This chapter runs through how to use the patterns in the book, giving advice on reading patterns and understanding sewing instructions, with some helpful fabric preparation and cutting tips. Then at the end of this chapter you’ll find information on how you can modify the size of bag patterns, which is one of the first steps to making bags the way you want them.
Using Patterns
The patterns, found at the back of the book, are all full-size, which means there is no need to hunt around the neighbourhood for a photocopier. Some of the bag projects have two or more pattern pieces (which are indicated on the pattern pieces), others have just one pattern piece and some projects simply use rectangles given as measurements within the project instructions.
1 Get a large sheet of suitable paper. I usually use pale tissue paper, but you can also use tracing paper, greaseproof paper or dressmaking paper. Iron the paper and the pattern sheet on a low setting.
2 Lay the paper over your chosen pattern piece and, using pins or sticky tape, secure the paper to the pattern so that it can’t move around.
3 Take a soft leaded pencil (you don’t want to rip holes in your paper with a hard pencil) and trace around your pattern shape. Also trace the various pattern markings, notches and darts if appropriate (see Understanding Patterns). See Fig a.
Fig a Use a soft leaded pencil to trace the patterns and pattern markings to get nice easy-to-see outlines, and you’ll avoid ripping the tracing paper.
4 Lay out your traced pattern pieces onto your fabric. Align your pattern with the fabric’s straight grain (see grain lines). If the pattern piece instructs you to place it on a fold, fold your fabric as shown in Fig b. Pay attention to the direction of your pattern – are the pattern pieces the right way up? Accordingly, is the pattern on your fabric also the right way up?
5 Pin your pattern pieces to your fabric and cut the fabric around the pattern shapes. See Fig c. Alternatively, you can pin your patterns to your fabric and then trace around the outline of your pattern pieces with disappearing marker or chalk to get an outline for fabric cutting. However, before you do any cutting, make sure you refer to Fabric Cutting Tips.
6 Transfer any pattern markings, notches or darts from the pattern piece to your fabric pieces using chalk or disappearing marker. See Fig d.
Fig b To place a pattern piece on a fold, fold the fabric wrong sides together and position the fold line of the pattern onto the folded edge of the fabric.
Fig c I prefer to pin and cut around the pattern pieces because it’s faster than tracing around the pattern and then cutting.
Fig d While the pattern is still pinned to the fabric, transfer the various pattern markings onto the fabric.
Label snob …
Label your pattern pieces before and after using them; fold them carefully, and store in an envelope. Also store in the envelope any notes you make during bag construction, ready for next time.
Understanding Patterns
Besides the pattern shape, there is a variety of other information on the pattern pieces. This brief guide will help you understand what the terms mean and what they are for.
Language skills …
You’ll quickly become familiar with sewing terms and abbreviations. Keep referring back to these pages until you become confident.
• Seam allowance – this is the distance between the edge of the fabric piece(s) and the sewing machine needle. So, if a pattern indicates that the seam allowance is 1cm (3⁄8in), you need to sew your stitches 1cm (3⁄8in) in from the edge of the fabric. A pattern should always state the seam allowance size and whether or not it has been included in the pattern.
• Grain lines – these are the two pointed arrows that help you to align the pattern piece with the straight grain of the fabric. The top arrow points to the top edge of the fabric and the bottom arrow points to the bottom edge of the fabric. The straight grain of the fabric runs parallel to the selvedge (the non-fraying edge of the fabric, which often has the company and fabric name printed on it).
• Fold lines – when a pattern piece says ‘place on fold’ you need to fold your fabric wrong sides together and place the appropriate edge of the pattern piece onto the fabric fold. In this way, the resulting cut fabric piece will be double the size; a mirror image joined at the fabric fold.
• Notches – these are the small vertical lines that appear on the pattern piece outline. These useful markings