Use a bright colored pattern fabric for a trendy bag.
You can make a convenient bag to carry around all of your essentials and turn it into a backpack so that you always have your hands free. Bring the bag filled with water bottles when you go running or fill the bag with makeup supplies for a night out with the girls. Embellish the bag with decorations of your choice, such as ribbon bows, silk flowers and iron-on glitter decals to customize as a fashion accessory.
Instructions
1. Make the main body pieces for the bag. Trace and cut out two rectangles from a cotton blend fabric that each measure 11 inches by 12 inches. Cut out two identical pieces of fusible interfacing and two pieces of a lining fabric of your choice.
2. Place the cotton blend rectangles on a flat surface side by side with the good sides facing downward. Place the interfacing on top and iron according to instructions to fuse the materials together. Place the lining fabric on top with the good side facing upward. Pin and sew the edges together.
3. Cut out a flap for the bag. Cut two pieces of the cotton-blend fabric that measure 7 inches by 8 inches each. Cut out a piece of fusible interfacing to the same size. Stack the fabrics on top of each other and round the edges of one short end.
4. Lay one cotton blend flap face down and place the interfacing on top. Use an iron to fuse the fabrics together. Place the remaining flap on top and sew the edges together.
5. Cut out the bottom of the bag. Cut a rectangle that measures 5-1/2 inches wide by 7-1/2 inches long from the cotton blend fabric, the interfacing and the lining fabric.
6. Lay the cotton blend fabric with the good side facing downward, place the interfacing on top and iron. Place the lining on top with the good side facing upward and sew the edges.
7. Attach the main body pieces to the bottom. Align the bottom edges of the main body pieces with the edges of the bottom fabric, with the good sides of each facing downward. Pin the edges and sew the seams together.
8. Sew the side seams of the main body pieces together on the lining side of the fabric. Leave a 1 inch gap at the top of the left seam.
9. Fold over 1 inch of fabric at the top of the bag onto the inside lining. Pin it in place and sew the fold close to the fabric's edge to create a hollow tube.
10. Attach the flap for the bag. Pin it to the inside edge of the top of the bag and sew the pieces together from the inside of the bag. Sew a piece of Velcro to the inside edge of the flap. Fold over the flap and attach a corresponding piece of Velcro on the front of the bag to connect to the Velcro on the flap.
11. Make the straps. Measure the distance from the bottom to the top of the bag and cut two pieces of cotton blend fabric to twice this length by 4 inches wide. Fold the straps in half lengthwise with the good sides facing inward. Sew the long edges and one short edge. Turn the straps right side out and pin the finished edge to the bottom back of the bag. Sew the ends in place.
12. Turn the open ends of the straps inward to make a smooth edge and sew the fold in place. Pin the ends to the top back of the back and sew them in place.
13. Attach a long length of cord or ribbon to a safety pin and push it through the hollow tube in the top of the bag. Pull the safety pin out of the same hole once you have pulled the ribbon or cord all the way through. Remove the safety pin and tug on the ends of the ribbon or cord to close the bag.
Tags: cotton blend, with good, blend fabric, body pieces, cotton blend fabric, main body