Sleep? What's that?

Omy. I haven't had a night like this in a long, long time.

Can't seem to get my brain to shut off. Keep trying to lie down, but -

yeah.

So, I took some photos along the way, thinking I would show you all the process for this, but it's done.

There are a couple of modifications I'd like to make...mostly to do with the order of construction.

Once again I took the webbing strap and big clip for the shoulder strap from the previous bag (what does that make? 5 bags now that I've used that strap?), and took the zipper out of it for this one.

I had a small clasp and some webbing here that I'd removed from some previous bag or backpack that came in handy holding the flap side down.

I have a hunch that I put the zipper in so that it would be more convenient for someone who is left-handed (uh, I'm not). The pockets on the inside are not as detailed as usual...there need to be more pencil slots in there (once again, an order of construction problem. I stitched through all the layers with the zipper side pocket and front open pocket before stitching the inside pocket to the lining. Big mistake).

The size is good, though, and I like the way it feels on. It holds all my gear with a little room left over for my camera, as well.

This one is certainly worth making again, better though.

Maybe this time when I lie down sleep will find me...

Yawn.

L

Bag lady chronicles

The next stage was to build the bag. The pieces were layered much like a pocket: the outside right-sides together with the lining fabric, all on (black) batting. I stitched ONLY the flap edge and what will become the top front edge.


The long sides were left open. I turned the whole works right way out through one side.

Once it was right side out I pressed it very carefully to make sure that the corners were turned, the hidden zipper on the front flap was not stitched shut by accident, and that the layers were all nice and flat. You can see here that I layed it with the outside facing up and chalked lines for stitching. These lines were at the fold of the top flap and the fold on each side of the base. I stitched them side to side, careful to make sure that my layers did not shift. At this point I did a few lines of vertical stitching in the back (between the base and the flap stitch line).


Once these lines were in place I turned to the inside pocket placement. The first thing I did was add a fabric covered piece of Timtex the same size as the base. I stitched it right to the inside of the bag. This will help keep the bottom flat even when the bag doesn't have a book or the computer in it.

I then put in the small patch pocket on the front inside. It's smaller than the outside pocket, so I put it on first...that way all the construction stitching was hidden inside the big pocket when it went on later. I used the same method as last post when I put the little patch pocket on the laptop pocket.



Notice in the photo at left that the top front edge (and flap edge, too) is only pinned, not topstitched yet. That is later. I pinned it early on so that the layers would not shift while I was putting all the pockets on the inside. It's really important to pin like crazy through this next portion so that the layers don't shift. If they do, the bag will never be square or stand true.


I put the laptop pocket on the back inside, topstitching down each of the three edges at a 1/8" from the edge. You can see in the photo that the pocket stands up nicely. You can also see where the Timtex is stitched into the bottom, and that the front inside pocket is open in the opposite direction to the laptop pocket. This is so that when the side seams are sewn the pockets are both right way up.



I put those pesky button tabs back on, they needed to be against the back of the bag. I'll put buttons on the pocket later so that when the computer is in the bag it will be secure. They were placed using the flap stitch line as a guide. First they were put on facing up, then stitched a second time, down, covering the previous stitching and the raw edges of the tabs.



Once the all the inside pockets were secured, I put the patch pocket on the outside front. It was done using the same patch pocket method as earlier...first with the lining facing up and stitching the bottom edge, then turning it upward and topstitching. The front pocket is the same size as the front of the bag - this was fundamental to the final bag shape, and to the final form of it.



The picture at left shows the front outsidepocket pinned into place before stitching the sides.


You can see that the top edge of the pocket is open, the sides of the bag are still unstitched.

I took a minute and trimmed the batting, making sure the outer bag, batting and lining fabric were all even, then turned the bag lining side out and stitched the side seams. The trick here was to make sure that the top edges were even. The bottom tends to work itself out a little. For this seam I used a strong overcast stitch. This one takes a lot of stress, and will be seen when the bag is open. Many times I'll use a Hong Kong seam finish on a side seam that will show, or flat fell the seam, but it didn't appear to need those kinds of finishing details.


The bottom edge was given its depth by the following, extremely simple corner shaping trick:

Once the side seam is stitched, stand the bag up on it's base. Match the side seam to the centre bottom of the bag. This will give you a little triangle. Stitch across this little triangle at the point at which it is your desired bag depth. In a lot of cases you can then cut off the little triangle, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance - but in this case I left it. When I'd put the Timtex on the base, I'd left the short ends open. Once the bag was turned right side out I just tucked those little triangles under the end of the Timtex.


Here it is, right side out for the first time. I like a bag that will stand up and keep it's shape without stuffing it with tissue.

I removed the strap hardware and webbing from my original favorite bag and made more strap out of the brown batik and black batting. The finished strap is 2" wide. The wider straps are more comfortable. I may yet make a strap pad for it, if carrying the computer puts a lot of strain on my shoulder.

I pinned the strap in place and tried on the bag to make sure it would hang right, and that the strap is long enough. It was good, so I stitched it on. It ended up that the best placement was right at the top of the bag sides. It seemed to take the weight the best there.
The last shot I have here is of the inside of the bag from the top. You can see that I don't have buttons on for the button loops yet.

Now to test drive it for a while. I'm never sure how functional a bag will really be until I've used it for a while. This one has definite potential, though. And luckily enough, it goes with most of my jackets!

G'night,

Lisa

In the bag!

This is how I make a not-so-simple pocket. This one is 3 dimensional, and designed to hold the laptop inside the bag. I wanted a specific spot like this for a few reasons...it further pads the laptop, distributes the weight of it a bit better (to the back of the bag as well as the bottom), and keeps it from flopping around inside the bag. Please ignore the button loops on the top of this pocket in the photos, I later removed them when I realized they were in the wrong place.

The method below is only for pockets that are the same depth on the sides as the bottom.

So. To start, I worked out the width of the pocket and the depth. The width of the pattern piece is left side + front width+ right side + seam allowances (1/4" each side). The height of the pattern piece is bottom depth+ front height + seam allowances. I then cut out the bottom corners - the measurement for the notches cut were taken from the width of the side ( in this case 2" on each edge).

I layered the two layers (lining and outer pocket fabric) right sides together, and batting, then stitched around the perimeter (1/4" seam allowance) but NOT the edges of the notches - see photo above and left. I trimmed the batting to size, then turned the pocket right side out through one of the notches. Then came pressing, making sure that the corners were well turned and pointy and topstitching along the top edge.

Of course why do one pocket when you can do two? I made a little patch pocket to go on the front of this one using the simple method from last post. As in that post, I left the bottom edge unfinished.

To place the pocket:
Place the small pocket lining side up, with the raw edges 1/4" above where you want the bottom of the pocket to be. Stitch across the bottom edge. Flip the pocket up into place and press carefully. Top stitch right and left sides of pocket down, making sure to backstitch well at the top edges to re-enforce. This will help keep the pocket corners from tearing.

If you wanted at this stage you could subdivide the pocket with vertical stitching, or you could just leave it. I left it.



Back to the big, main pocket now:

Bottom corners...

I turned the bag outside sides together at each corner and stitched the notch edges using a 1/4" seam. I didn't bother finishing this seam allowance as it ended up deep within the bag.

I stitched each corner, then turned them right way out.


More topstitching! I folded the bag along each of its vertical corners, then stitched at 1/8" from the edge to create a vertical pin tuck. Once both sides were done, I did the same to the bottom front edge of the bag.

At this point I had a completely finished 3 dimensional pocket. You'll notice in the photo at bottom right that none of the outermost edges of the pocket are topstitched - yet. They were stitched as a construction seam later, when the pocket was attached to the inside of the bag.

I then set this one aside and made one more inside pocket for the inside front (using the simple pocket method - leaving the bottom edge open).

Just a quick note here, about bag linings: I used to use really dark fabrics to line my bags, but now-a-days use light fabric. The reason being that it is really hard to find anything in a dark bag - especially in a dark room! Light coloured linings make things easier to find, and don't seem to get dirty very fast. The bonus about making this style bag is that I can throw it in the washer if I need to, too.

Cheers,

Lisa

As promised...

Here's the scoop on how I put together a 'simple' patch pocket for my quilted bags. You can see I had pieced the front, what I want to be the outside of the pocket...using some of that yummy strip pieced fabric among others. This is made the desired size plus seam allowances, 1/4" on each edge (the pocket finished measurements are the same size as the projected front of the bag. It'll help to give the bag dimension, body and a defined shape).

Next step is to layer the batting, outside of pocket and lining (last two layers right sides together). The lining and batting (in this case) are cut to the same size as the pocket. The reason I put the batting on the bottom is that I find the pocket and lining layer don't crawl on each other as badly as they do if they're on the bottom, so the pocket is less likely to come out trapezoidal.

Next, I stitched around the left, top and right sides (using my 1/4" seam allowance) - NOT the bottom edge. I clipped the corners, then turned the pocket right side out.

Once the pocket was turned right side out, ran a topstitch line across the top edge (this one was at 1/4" from the top, sometimes I do a different placement). At this stage I'll usually stitch some vertical lines to stabilize the piece and to emphasize the quilted texture...and most of all to help give the pocket vertical strength. In the early days of my bag making, I had a lot of difficulty with pockets sagging. Since doing the vertical stitching - almost not at all!

That's the basic method that I use. For this particular bag I made a smaller patch pocket to fit on the main front pocket (somewhere for my pen, and hotel room keys to go). With a bit of careful measuring it fit right in the middle, on the centre brown stripe.

In order to stitch that smaller pocket on I matched the raw edges at the bottom edge with the main pocket, then stitched from the bottom edge up each side of the small pocket (1/8") catching the edge of the small pocket, then continuing right on up to the top of the main pocket. (More of that re-enforcing vertical stitching!) Then I measured in and drew two chalk lines for pencil/pen slots. They were stitched the same way, from the bottom to the top, right on up and over the top edge of the small pocket (I do often backstitch here, as this is the place that gets the most strain) and right on up to the top edge of the main pocket.

I'll often layer pockets in this way. You'll see more of that with the pockets designed for the inside of the bag.

A little tip for really nice topstitching that I learned a long time ago was to use the blind hem foot, move the needle position over until it is about 1/8" to the left of the foot's 'fence'. Run the fabric under the foot so that the edge is against the 'fence' and the stitching will be on the left of that edge by 1/8". It's a slick trick, and works almost every time.You don't have to be so worried about following a seam guide, as the fence acts as a physical one for you. It is especially helpful for topstitching things like this where you can't see your usual seam guides on the machine bed.

For this (and most of my bags) I make the pockets all first, then put the whole works together at the end. This pocket (the bottom edge is still unfinished at this stage) was now put aside.

I guess my last post wouldn't be called a 'teaser' if all you wanted to see was the finished bag! I kind of gave the game away, with that.... You'll see, though, that there's a lot more to this than the final product. Man, I love process.

Cheers,

Lisa

A teaser....

I couldn't stand it. I had to finish it. It was just going so....so....so well. Don't worry, I'll post all the in-between stages later. I just had to put the photos up. It still needs clasps of some kind on the front flap, and on the inside laptop pocket. I'll think about those for a while...while I go get the mail with my new BAG!



:)
Lisa

Bag pursuits

I started out by making a paper pattern according to the diagram shown in yesterday's post, then folded it together to make sure that it would fit itself - and not be too big for my height.

I didn't make patterns for the pockets. I tend to like to do that as I go along, figuring out where they would be most useful.

The bag will be constructed in three layers, then all the layers put together at the end. I'm making the outside layer first.

The outside of the bag is brown batik, the lining is going to be a combination of some of my minty hand dye (I knew it would eventually come in handy!), and a lovely blue/green batik.

Anyone who followed my last bag construction project knows that I'm the pocket queen! This one needs a zip pocket on the closing flap (for keys, hotel keys, anything I don't really want to have to dig for).
The first step was to piece the top edge of the flap - this is where that great strip pieced yardage from yesterday came in (just as an accent, don't worry - I'll use more later). Second step was to put the zipper into what will be the bottom edge of the flap, or the top of the pocket. You can see here that the lining is green, the outer bag is brown.

Once the zip was in, the bottom edge of the pocket fabric was folded up until it met the top edge of the unsewn edge of the zipper. (This creates the pocket - before it was just two pieces of fabric with a zipper at the top)

Then, I brought over the top edge of the pocket, my accent strip. This was placed on top of the zipper so that the fold edge covered the zipper itself, and the raw edge was even with the top (unsewn) edge of the zipper and the pocket fabric. Then I sewed through all the layers, stitching near the ditch of the accent strip.

I put the zipper in the very middle with a bit of room on either side as I knew that the whole works would have to be trimmed to size.

The last photo here shows how the bag looks when folded roughly into shape. It will be as wide as the flap once it is all done. The black you can see in the final photo is a layer of black 80/20 batting. It's not attached yet and is there to see how it changes the weight of the piece.

The final bag dimensions that I'm aiming for are 15" wide X 10" high X 3" deep.

I'll find 15 minutes later today to put the other front pockets on the outside (under the flap, on the front of the bag).

Happy stitching,

Lisa

Misc. loose ends

My boys are counting the end of school in hours, not days now.

Oldest and I took some time last night to make a gift for his teacher who not only was responsible for a wonderful classroom culture and fantastic year, but also is retiring. This is Teacher's last class of students.

We made a journal to record the first few chapters of this next bit of Teacher's life. Oldest made an ATC which we mounted inside the front cover. Tonight he'll finish drawing a border around it all; tomorrow, he'll give it to Teacher.

I've not often been moved to this depth to thank a teacher, but this one is truly exceptional. We feel very lucky indeed that Oldest had the opportunity to learn from him.

On a totally different tack, I've started another bag. This one is a messenger style bag. Much as I like my other bag, it doesn't quite fit the bill. I like it, but I don't LOVE it. It's hard to go from a bag one loves to a bag one likes...so...let's try this again!

I've included here the first little inspirational sketches and working out doodles as some of you lovely readers have expressed interest in my process. It always starts out pretty humbly, usually on scrap paper (sometimes in my sketchbook or journal, though).

Part of what I hope to accomplish with this is a bag that will be easy to get in and out of, that I can put my laptop in if I need to, and that is comfortable and not too huge. I'm a small person and big bags make me look like a munchkin!

Part of my inspiration is this little strip pieced thing-y that I read about on one of the lists I belong to. I haven't read many of the lists lately as I've been quilting a lot, but this post caught my eye for some reason. Using the method posted I was able to strip piece a rather large piece of fabric (from 1 1/2" pre-cut strips that were in my strip bin) in 15 minutes. Once I totally decide which fabrics to use with it, I'll get going on the construction.

Oh! And I'll be posting a little fusible appliqué tutorial when I get a few minutes.

Oh! And Vicki over at Field Trips in Fiber tagged me to do the 7 random things about me meme:

1. I learned to sew on a hand crank Singer. This has left me with a deep love and nostalgia of old sewing machines of all kinds. I was pretty young, I think around 5 or 6, and remember making a rag doll by drawing a dolly shape, adding seam allowances and sewing all around. I know Mom guided me through this process, but she somehow made me feel like I did it all myself. I made a dress for that doll, too, and wish I still had her. Smart Mom giving me the hand crank to start on - I didn't put a needle through my finger until I was 25.
2. I ate fried egg sandwiches every day for lunch during my second pregnancy. I still can't think of them without my stomach turning.
3. When I'm not sewing, I'm drawing or writing. I have too many ideas in my head and can't get them all down fast enough. My ideas tend to come in clusters, almost like variations on a theme.
4. One of the most exciting things in my adult life was climbing Saddleback mountain last summer. If there stops being fresh snow up there and things melt, I hope to go back up this year in late August.
5. My family (Mom, Dad, Sister) are all super achievers in their horticultural pursuits. I am not. I'm not sure if I just blocked it all out growing up, or if I really have a black or blue or just 'not green' thumb. It may have just skipped a generation.
   
6. I listen to audio books or CBC radio all day. I'm a complete audiophile...it probably began when I was a kid and would stay up late to listen to re-broadcasts of 'The Jack Benny Show', 'The Shadow', 'Dimension X' and others. This may be where my fascination with advertising from the 30's, 40's and 50's comes from, too.
7. My shop is usually the cleanest room in the house. I'm endeavoring to change that (not by being messier in here!)...and get the rest of the house to be tidier, not just when we're expecting company!
   

Who knew it would be so hard to come up with 7 things?

Happy stitching,

Lisa