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The creative sewing tutorial that I propose to you today is that of one fabric bag for the summer – Summer’s Bags – very easy to make, suitable for summer evenings and also of great effect as a gift. It all depends on the choice of decorative fabrics (I used brightly printed American cottons) and on the consistency of the base fabric for which I recommend the raw hemp, which is particularly suited to this type of bags. The structure of the fabric, in fact, allows you not to use the padding to stiffen the project. For the inner lining, however, I used simple white cotton fabric. I recycled a new, never used white cotton sheet.
This project it does not have any type of closures but if you wish you can add a button or a zip.
The finished bag has a size about 37x34cm. The handles are about 30cm high. Obviously you can modify the measures as you like to adapt the final project to your tastes or needs.
Materials and tools needed:
Step 1. Make the inner lining of the bag
Take the white cotton cut 38×67 cm and fold it in half, as in the photo. Matching the upper edge of the two fabric edges.
Before proceeding you can already apply your label if you use one. Just sew it about 10-15cm from the top edge. By applying your label you will also have marked the inside of the lining and therefore of the bag.
Once you have matched the upper edge of the two parts, pin the sides and sew them first with a straight stitch, leaving about 1 cm of border and then finish with the zig zag to prevent the fabric from fraying.
Now we have to create the base of the lining: open a corner of the base with your hands, flatten it on the work table and mark a line of about 8 cm as in the photo. Make sure you leave 4cm to the right and 4cm to the left of the center seam. Sew along the mark with the straight stitch, cut the fabric about 0.70 cm from the seam and finish with the zig zag. Repeat the operation with the second corner.
The lining is ready. Set it aside and start working on the central body of the bag.
Step 2. Make the central body of the bag
Prepare the two strips of floral fabric to be sewn on the outside of the canapone.
Take the 2 38×16 cm cuts of flowered fabric and iron an edge of approximately 1 cm for each one as you see in the photo.
Place the first strip on one right side of the 38×67 cm cut of the hemp. Pin the strip 2 cm from the upper edge and sew on the two upper and lower sides. Do the same thing with the second strip to be sewn on the second straight side of the quilt.
Once the two strips of fabric have been sewn, fold the can a pone over on the reverse as in the photo, matching the two edges right sides together, taking care to align the edges of the decorative strips well.
Leaving a margin of 0.70 cm on the sides, sew with the straight stitch and then finish with the zig zag as already done for the lining.
You have to create the base of the bag, opening the corners and proceeding as done for the lining. Since the can a pone is a heavy and thick fabric, I didn’t cut the corners, but I folded them by hand sewing a few stitches to keep them in place as you can see in the photo.
Here is the base of the bag ready. At this point you can turn it right side out and insert the lining.
Step 3. Making the handles
Take 2 of the 40×7 cm cuts (one made from hemp and the other from fabric) to start making the first of the two handles.
Place the two strips right sides together and sew along one side, leaving about 0.50 cm of margin.
Then open the two fabrics and press along the seam.
Then turn right side out, pin and reattach the side where you joined the two fabrics as in the photo.
Now we need to close the other side of the handle: fold inside a margin of about 0.50 cm for both fabrics, pin to keep the fabrics in place and sew along the second side.
The handle is finished. Now proceed in the same way to make the second handle.
Step 4. Assemble the Summer’s Bag
After folding the edge of the canapone by about 0.70 cm inwards, position the handles and pin them temporarily. The handles should be positioned between the quilt and the lining at about 8 cm from the right and left seam, about 4-5 cm deep.
At this point, arrange the lining inside the bag well, fold the edge back by about 1 cm and staple it to that of the canapone, making sure that the side seams of the inner bag and the outer one coincide.
Prepare the machine to sew a tubular or free arm and, starting from a side seam, stitch the entire edge of the bag about a couple of millimeters from the outer edge.
When you get close to the handle, change the stitch, from straight to reinforced (number 5) and then resume with the straight stitch, in this way the bag will better support any weight. (Repeat the stitch change for all 4 ends of the handles)
Your summer bag is over! You will be able to indulge yourself with the combinations of fabrics and colors to create many bags for the summer, to give as gifts or to show off with as many matching outfits.
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