• Darts – these appear as large triangle shapes that point into the pattern from the pattern outline. When fabric cutting, I usually cut these dart triangles out. See Darts.
• Other markings – magnetic snap/twist lock/bag handle hook/zip pocket etc. markings need to be traced onto your patterns, and then transferred to your fabric pieces.
Glossary of terms and abbreviations
In addition to the patterns, you will also need to be able to follow the written instructions for each technique or project. The following terms are used throughout this book and in other commercial patterns.
Bag lining/bag exterior – most bags have a lining and an exterior, which essentially means that most bags consist of two bags (the inside bag and the outside bag). Each bag is made separately before being joined together towards the end of construction. In this book I refer to the inside bag as the ‘lining bag’ and the outside bag as the ‘exterior bag’.
Clip – clipping your seam allowance helps seams lie flat when you turn your project right side out by reducing bulk in the seams (especially curved seams). For inward curves cut small V-shapes pointing towards the stitching along the seam allowance close, but not too close, to the stitching. For outward curves make small scissor nicks pointing towards the stitching (again, not too close to the stitching).
Clip corners – snipping off the seam allowance reduces bulk in the seams of straight corners and makes for smoother and sharper corners on your bag when it is turned right side out. This results in neater rectangular pockets or fabric straps, for example. Before turning right side out, trim off the corner tips of your work close, but not too close, to the stitching.
Raw edges – refers to the cut, unstitched and unfinished edges of fabric.
Sewing in a box formation – particularly useful for stitching strap ends down securely onto your work. Stitch the item in a box shape for extra strength and durability.
Topstitching – a line of stitches that runs close and parallel to an edge on the right side of your work. The distance between the stitches and the edge will vary according to your preference or the instructions in the project. Topstitching is very useful in that it often serves both decorative and reinforcing functions.
Turning right side out (sometimes abbreviated – TRSO) – simply means that you need to turn your (inside out) work the right way out. Turning wrong side out means the reverse of the above.
WS – wrong side – the reverse or back of your work or fabric.
WST – wrong sides together – bring two pieces of fabric together so that the wrong sides of the fabrics are touching each other.
WSO – wrong side out – the wrong side of your work/fabric is facing outwards.
WSU – wrong side up – the wrong side of your work/fabric is facing upwards.
RS – right side – the good or the front side of your fabric or work.
RST – as WST, but with the right side.
RSO – as WSO, but with the right side.
RSU – as WSU, but with the right side.
Fabric Preparation and Cutting
There’s nothing like grabbing a few hours and making a start on a new sewing project. But before you rush in with your scissors it’s worth taking a little time and care to prepare and cut your fabrics in a methodical way. The following tips and hints will help you speed up the cutting process and end up with a more professional-looking bag.
Fabric preparation tips
• If you want to wash your bags you will need to pre-wash your fabric to prevent the fabric from shrinking during washing. Put your fabric in a mesh bag to help prevent the raw edges fraying in the washing machine. (I don’t pre-wash my fabrics because I don’t think it’s a good idea to wash bags. I prefer to ‘spot wash’ by dabbing the affected area with a moist cloth and a mild detergent.)
• Always iron your fabrics thoroughly before cutting. See Fig a.
Spray away …
Rather than washing bags, try using fabric protector sprays on your fabrics to help repel dirt and block stains. Always read the instructions and test first.
Fig a I know it’s boring, but ironing is a necessary activity in all sewing projects. Always iron your fabrics thoroughly before pattern cutting.
Fabric cutting tips
• Always cut on a flat surface and clear the decks before you get cutting.
• Speed things up by ironing fusible interfacing (if using) to the wrong side of fabrics before cutting out, see Fig b. See also Interfacing and Interlining.
• Always use sharp scissors or a sharp rotary cutter for cutting out your fabrics. This will ensure that you get clean and accurate cuts every time. If you are using a rotary cutter ensure that you cut on a rotary cutting mat. See Fig c.
• Follow the grain lines on your patterns to ensure that fabric designs don’t appear wonky.
• Try laying the fabrics and interlining pieces carefully on top of each other and then laying the pattern pieces on the top before pinning all layers and cutting. See Fig d. However, if your stacked up layers are too tall you will end up with very scruffy edges and your scissors won’t be happy at having to cut through all of those layers. If this is the case, try layering your lining and exterior fabrics together and cutting, and then layer your interlinings together and cutting.
• If using fabrics with a directional pattern and you are layering your fabrics before cutting (as suggested above) be sure to check that your fabrics are the right way up. You don’t want to end up with fabric pattern pieces with designs that are upside down.
Fig b Wherever possible iron fusible interfacing (if using) onto the WS of fabrics before pattern cutting. This saves the bother of having to match up and iron an interfacing pattern piece to the fabric pattern piece.
Fig c A rotary cutter makes cutting straight edges so much faster and neater. If you have a steady hand, a rotary cutter is great for curved edges too. Always use a rotary cutting mat – they not only protect your table, they also help keep the blade sharper for longer.
Fig d Another pattern cutting time-saving trick is to stack and pin the fabric and interfacing pieces on top of each other before cutting.
Modifying Patterns
If you are a sewing ‘newbie’ the thought of deviating from a pattern may seem like a crazy thing to do, but it’s actually very easy to make pattern modifications to suit