Silk/satin Used both as the exterior or lining, silks and satins are luxury fabrics that have beautiful looks, texture and movement. Silk looks gorgeous pleated or gathered. Try to stick to heavier weight silk/satin because it’s more durable and easier to sew with, while fine silk and satin are very slippery. Natural dupion silk is sturdy, has a lovely soft-sheen and an interesting texture from the small slubs in the fabric. Shimmery satin fabric makes a glamorous lining in an evening bag. Use a fine sewing machine needle when sewing with silk or satin. Try using silk or satin for any special occasion bags and purses.
Working with Colour and Pattern
Most bags require at least two different fabrics, one for the exterior and one for the lining. But how do you effectively combine the two (or more) fabrics? When it comes to sew-it-yourself there is no right or wrong, only what you like and don’t like.
Playing with colour
For those of you who are new to sewing and don’t know where to start when it comes to colour, here are my beginner-level suggestions for combining your fabrics.
Go complementary I admit I like to err on the brighter and louder side of things so I love nothing more than picking two colours that complement each other. Traditional complementary colour duos (hues that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel) include blue and yellow, red and blue, blue and pink, and turquoise and orange. If you aren’t sure what colours complement each other look for a colour wheel on the Internet for reference.
Go tonal An easy way to group colours is to pick lighter or darker shades of your focus colour. Say, for example, your bag exterior fabric has a red rose pattern; your lining fabric could have pink tones.
Go monochrome … with a twist Black and white is a classic colour combination, which always looks fabulous. Try adding a third flash of colour such as red, electric blue or lime to the monochrome palate to add an unexpected zing to your bag.
Using Texture
Combining different textures in a bag can have just as much impact as using different colours. Try pairing dissimilar textured fabrics with each other. The results will not only look great, they will feel lovely too. For example:
Try pairing paring a velvet, wool, corduroy or suede bag exterior with a shimmery satin lining.
Try appliquéing fluffy felt patches onto linen, denim or canvas.
Try plaiting strips of silk to make bag handles for a real or faux leather or suede bag.
Try adding silk or satin piping to a cotton or linen bag.
Playing with pattern
Patterned fabrics can be the hardest to know how to combine. There is no right or wrong – go with whatever you like, but here are some quick ideas to try.
Clashing patterns Provided the colours ‘go’ with each other you can have fun clashing different patterned fabrics together. This floral print works well with this stripe as the colours of the two fabrics tie in with each other.
Sizing patterns Don’t be afraid to use fabrics with large-scale patterns. You don’t always need to have the whole part of a pattern showing on your bag. Try cropping off an interesting section of a large pattern to make smaller sized bags or use it for a trim on a larger bag for a different look.
Matching patterns If you’d like both of your exterior and lining fabrics to be patterned, try putting the smaller patterned fabric on the inside of your bag. The smaller pattern inside the bag will be easier on the eye when your bag is full of your bits and bobs.
Sourcing fabrics for bag making
There are lots of ways to get your mitts on bag-making fabric and not all of them require you to part with any cash. Here are some fabric sourcing ideas and shopping suggestions.
Upcycling/repurposing old fabrics Besides being good for our planet and kind to the wallet, repurposing is a way to elongate the life of items that we still love but can no longer use in their original capacity. Less-than-perfect items such as tablecloths, silk scarves, vintage dresses and curtains can be all reincarnated as original, creative and fun bags. Also hunt around for old bags and purses that can be taken apart for spares like bag handles, clasps, and other hardware – some of the vintage components are truly beautiful. Items for repurposing can be found everywhere, from your relative’s attics to charity shops and jumble sales, to auction websites and even in newspaper adverts.
Shopping for new fabrics It’s a sad fact that local haberdashery and fabric shops are shutting down at faster rate than they are opening up. I believe in supporting these shops whenever possible because they are often a wonderful source of inspiration and advice, and also there are times when you want to touch before you buy. However, many towns don’t have them so thankfully there are loads of online stores stocked to the rafters with luscious fabrics. As long as you have a letterbox and a credit card you can feed your fabric addiction in just a few clicks … oooh dangerous! Turn to the back of the book for my recommended fabric suppliers.
Interfacing and Interlining
Available off the roll in different weights and strengths, interfacing and interlining do look fairly boring, but hidden underneath that dull exterior lie some pretty amazing powers. Interfacing and interlining strengthen and reinforce fabrics and provide invisible support and structure to your bags, making them essential ingredients in bag making. This support makes bags more durable and therefore longer lasting and better quality. Without it most bags will look floppy and feel thin and unsubstantial.
From reinforcing soft silk to making cotton fabric stiff and boxy (for when you want bags to stand up by themselves) interfacing and interlining change the nature of fabrics giving you the flexibility to use nearly any fabrics you like to make bags.
What’s the difference between interfacing and interlining?
Interfacings are typically fused to the back of fabrics. Most interfacings are fusible (also known as iron-on). Fusible interfacing has a layer of heat-activated adhesive on one side. The adhesive is activated by a combination of heat and steam from an iron. Simply lay it onto the wrong side of your fabric and iron it into place. Interfacing is particularly good for reinforcing fabrics, in other words making fabrics stiffer and stronger.
Interlinings are usually layered between the exterior and the lining of bags. Interlining is soft and is typically sew-in (as opposed to fusible) and it is cut to the same shape as the fabric pattern piece(s). The interlining piece is paired with the fabric piece and both are treated as one layer during stitching, thus the interlining is applied by sewing it into the seams of your bag. Interlining is particularly good for adding support to bags by adding a layer of padding