#Workshop - February 7th@ 8pm: Bag Making

Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Just as a quick note, since I forgot to mention it farther up: If you find the straps to be too complicated, you can always just not add them. The only difference is that your bag just won't have straps.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Misfit Momma Misfit Momma
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Just as a quick note, since I forgot to mention it farther up: If you find the straps to be too complicated, you can always just not add them. The only difference is that your bag just won't have straps.
We can always add braided t-shirt straps!
02/07/2011
Contributor: UrNaughtyaAngel UrNaughtyaAngel
Quote:
Originally posted by Emma (Girl With Fire)
I rocked the pillow making. And the Meatloaf
Hey after getting a good meal nothing like laying down on a nice pillow. Ps now you got me craving meatloaf its been a while since I've had some.
02/07/2011
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Just as a quick note, since I forgot to mention it farther up: If you find the straps to be too complicated, you can always just not add them. The only difference is that your bag just won't have straps.
You could just buy some decorative ribbon/nylon webbing too.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Emma (Girl With Fire) Emma (Girl With Fire)
Quote:
Originally posted by UrNaughtyaAngel
Hey after getting a good meal nothing like laying down on a nice pillow. Ps now you got me craving meatloaf its been a while since I've had some.
Me too, it is tasty stuff.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by Misfit Momma
We can always add braided t-shirt straps!
Yes! I love it!
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyTimeTim
You could just buy some decorative ribbon/nylon webbing too.
This too! And the webbing/ribbon can also get placed differently than where I placed my straps on the end result here.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Once your strap is all turned out, it's time to stuff it! If you don't want stuffing, go ahead and skip this step. So! First, you should iron your strap out so that it's nice and evenly flat. It's not critical that you do, it just makes things easier to work with generally. Next, you're going to take your screwdriver (or its replacement) and fold over the top 1/2” or so of the batting strip onto the top of the screwdriver. Hold it in place while you ease your strap on over it, and gently pull the strap all the way down the screwdriver so that the other open end is now at the top of the screwdriver. Remove the screwdriver, and while holding the batting and fabric in place at the top, gently pull the bottom down so that it's no longer bunched up. Use your fingers to kind of smoosh everything around inside the strap and the batting is centered pretty evenly.





02/07/2011
Contributor: Misfit Momma Misfit Momma
Quote:
Originally posted by UrNaughtyaAngel
I regret not ever taking home-ec class.
Me too! I wish I had taken Woodworking too...

I only took the mandatory classes. Never thought I would have regretted the afternoons off years later.
02/07/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Just as a quick note, since I forgot to mention it farther up: If you find the straps to be too complicated, you can always just not add them. The only difference is that your bag just won't have straps.
What I do is I create a very small button hole, then using very thick ribbon, tie a knot with my ribbon. It doesn't make it through the hole. Or you can hand sew a large button to the ribbon knot and would DEFINITELY not make it through the tiny hole. (hmmmm.....)

But if you use ribbon, make sure you use some craft glue or Fray Check to make sure the ribbon doesn't fray.
02/07/2011
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Once your strap is all turned out, it's time to stuff it! If you don't want stuffing, go ahead and skip this step. So! First, you should iron your strap out so that it's nice and evenly flat. It's not critical that you do, it just ... more
Looking good.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by BBW Talks Toys
What I do is I create a very small button hole, then using very thick ribbon, tie a knot with my ribbon. It doesn't make it through the hole. Or you can hand sew a large button to the ribbon knot and would DEFINITELY not make it through the ... more
This is a fantastic idea too!

Quite honestly, there are about a million ways to do straps on a bag, and it really just boils down to personal preference. I'm not tremendously happy with how mine came out, but I'm ok with them.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
You might want to run your strap back through the sewing machine one more time, just to give it a more defined look and help keep your batting in place. Make sure it's as even as you can get it, then very carefully sew along each edge with the edge of your fabric even with the inside of the foot on your machine. It should end up being about 1/4” in on each side. And now you have this snazzy looking strap! There's also a closeup of what the seams should look like.



02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Are there any questions so far?

This is the end of the strap section for now
02/07/2011
Contributor: UrNaughtyaAngel UrNaughtyaAngel
Quote:
Originally posted by Misfit Momma
Me too! I wish I had taken Woodworking too...

I only took the mandatory classes. Never thought I would have regretted the afternoons off years later.
I chose typing and art history and oh yeah aerobics. I should have taking home ec instead of aerobics, in Jr we did take some kind of class that was interesting I forgot its name but we did business cards, buttons and other fun stuff for a 12 year old. If we only knew what we know now.
02/07/2011
Contributor: fghjkl fghjkl
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
You might want to run your strap back through the sewing machine one more time, just to give it a more defined look and help keep your batting in place. Make sure it's as even as you can get it, then very carefully sew along each edge with the ... more
I like them. They look good!
02/07/2011
Contributor: UrNaughtyaAngel UrNaughtyaAngel
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Are there any questions so far?

This is the end of the strap section for now
So far, so good. And I really mean good looks beautiful and easy.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Emma (Girl With Fire) Emma (Girl With Fire)
Quote:
Originally posted by fghjkl
I like them. They look good!
Indeed!
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Awesome!

Now that we've spent all that time on the strap, it's time to move on to the bag! Don't worry, it all sounds harder than it actually is.

So we've got our 26”x20” rectangle of fabric and our 13”x20” piece of batting. Take your fabric and fold it in half face to face, so it's the same size as your piece of batting. Now line it up on the batting and get all the edges you'll be sewing as close to even as possible. If things don't quite line up, that's perfectly fine, just make sure that you end up sewing through 2 layers of fabric and the batting. Next, take some of your pins and use them to keep the 2 open edges you'll be sewing together. You only need one every 5-6” or so. Make sure that you only sew down one short edge and one long edge.







02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Everybody still awake? lol
02/07/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Everybody still awake? lol
I think we're all waiting for more instruction.

Personally, I'm also working on the Healthy Living Club stuff.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Misfit Momma Misfit Momma
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Everybody still awake? lol
Yup!
02/07/2011
Contributor: xoflxokcxo xoflxokcxo
lol
02/07/2011
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Everybody still awake? lol
HAHA Still here. Waiting on the next step/
02/07/2011
Contributor: fghjkl fghjkl
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Everybody still awake? lol
Haha yup! Just waiting for the next step. Sounds good so far!!
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Sorry for the confusion then
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
After that's done, you flip it inside out, so that it's now your pretty fabric on each side. You've still got that open end that needs to be taken care of, and that's pretty easy. First, like the strap, you can iron the bag so everything is nice and flat, but again, not necessary. Trim off any extra batting that's sticking out. Start at a corner and fold the edge in on itself, then turn the edges of the fabric in to meet each other face to face, and pin it together. Do this down the length of your open side. Sew down this edge the same way you sewed down the edges of your strap.





02/07/2011
Contributor: UrNaughtyaAngel UrNaughtyaAngel
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Everybody still awake? lol
Yeap just trying to imagine the last step.
02/07/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
There's only a few more steps from here, including how to fix the straps if you do it exactly how I did it
02/07/2011
Contributor: VieuxCarre VieuxCarre
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
There's only a few more steps from here, including how to fix the straps if you do it exactly how I did it
I'm liking the Jack Skellington slippers
02/07/2011