Sewing a basic project bag
If you’re a knitter, crocheter or you do other portable crafts, you can never have too many project bags! In this blog post, we will explain how to make a simple zippered project bag with a lining, but the shape can be used for many other types of bags.
For this project, you will need your zipper of choice, two pieces of your main fabric and two pieces of your lining fabric.
To figure out the size of your pattern pieces, let’s choose the dimensions of your finished bag. I want mine to be as long as my zipper, which is 40 centimetres (16”), and about 30 centimetres high (12”). Draw a rectangle of that size. I also want a boxed bottom that is 10 centimetres wide (4”). Take that last measurement and halve it. In my case, that’s 5 centimetres (2”). You’re going to stick this on the bottom of your pattern piece, but take away a square at each corner, like this. Now add your desired seam allowance on all sides.
With your pattern piece all figured out, you can draw it onto paper or directly onto your fabric, that’s up to you. Cut it out twice from your main fabric and twice from your lining fabric. If you want to make any additional pockets, now is the time to do that. Here is a link to how I made this zipper pocket.
Take your zipper and one of your main fabric pieces and pin or clip the zipper to the top of the pattern piece, with right sides together. Make sure to place the zipper at the centre of the fabric, leaving enough room for seam allowance on either side. Now take one of your lining pieces and place it on top, with the right side of the fabric touching the wrong side of the zipper. Pin or clip this in place and sew it down with a zipper foot.
Open up your zipper sandwich and repeat this step for the other side of the zipper. Fold it open, press and topstitch if desired.
Open the zipper about halfway. This is an important step!
Now position your work so both the main fabric and the lining fabric pieces are placed right sides together. Pin and stitch the side seams and the bottom seam of the main fabric. For the bottom seam of the lining fabric, leave a gap in the middle. Make sure to backstitch at each end of this gap.
Reposition your fabric so the boxed bottoms are lined up. Pin and stitch, and repeat this for the other corners.
Using the gap we left in the lining, pull the entire bag inside out. Stitch the gap in the lining closed by machine or by hand, or use wonder tape to close it. Push the lining inside the bag and we’re done! Congratulations, you have made yourself a lined and zippered project bag!
This is a simple bag and once you understand the construction of it, it’s very easy to modify. Use a drawstring closure instead of a zipper, make an unlined bag, add more pockets, add a handle… Please share your results with us @twistingtalesmagazine on Instagram and Facebook, we can’t wait to see what you make!
