Sew

SEW SERENDIPITY Bags
Fresh + Pretty Projects to Sew and Love
KAY WHITT
Introduction
Indispensable Notions
Bag Hardware
Essential Techniques: Sewing
Essential Techniques: Working with Hardware
Essential Techniques: Working with Stabilizers
Simple Bags
Green Grocery Bags
Variation: Small
Variation: Medium
Variation: Large
Lunch Bucket Bag
Foldable Shoppers
Variation: Medium
Variation: Large
Cross-Body Purses
Variation: Small
Variation: Large
Intermediate Bags
Quilted Du el Bag
Tulip Tote
Variation: Wool & Silk Bag with Floral Embellishment
Ru e Hobo Bag
Versatile Handle Handbag
Socialite Handbag
Variation: Handle Length
Challenging Bags
Convertible Backpack
Variation: Small
Variation: Large
Multi-Tasker Bag
Variation: Diaper Bag
Laptop Messenger Bag
RESOURCES
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
Having a collection of versatile bags is such an essential part of

every woman’s wardrobe. We use bags in so many ways and for
so many di erent functions. No matter how many bags we
have, we always yearn for more! In this book, I have put
together a collection of twelve distinct designs that expand into
20 projects for bags that will multitask quite nicely for just
about anyone.
Each bag has its own individual style from sophisticated to
cool and casual, while keeping function and ease of use at the
core of each design. I want you to feel that what I have o ered
to you here is merely a stepping-stone to take each of these
designs and make them your own. We all have a unique vision
for what is the “ultimate” in a bag. My goal is for you to feel
con dent with adding or subtracting details to make each bag
the “ultimate” for you or whomever you might be making the
bag for.
I love to design and make bags! The challenge of making a
bag to suit a certain need is what I nd the most intriguing
about the process. I usually start with pencil and paper and
make a simple sketch of the design I have in mind. I then think
about the nished dimensions of the bag and assign
measurements to the di erent components of height, width and
depth. Then comes the fun part: adding seam allowances,
shaping the pieces and guring out the best way to put the
parts together that makes sound construction sense, as well as
addressing the overall durability of the design. This is obviously
the most time-consuming portion of the work and where
prototypes come to life in my process. Throughout the book,
you will see a sketch of where my design started and then the
actual photographs of the nished project. In a lot of respects,
the design will hold true to the original sketch, but sometimes a
detail here or there will change based on what happens during
the prototype phase. I like to let the design tell me where to go
next. My hope is that by seeing into my process a bit, you can
apply your own creativity here and there.
Indispensable Notions
MEASURING TOOLS
Dressmaker’s Measuring Tape: This tape is about 60 long and is

very exible. It’s perfect for taking body measurements and
other varied measuring uses when you need a exible tool.
Quilting Ruler: I love my 24″ × 6″ quilting ruler! It is

transparent so I can use it for a variety of measuring needs. I
use it often for cutting strips of fabric with my mat and rotary
cutter. Even if you don’t quilt, this is a great tool.
MARKING TOOLS
Marking Pencils: There is a variety of tools out there, from chalk

pencils to air-soluble markers. I’ve recently discovered Sewline
marking pencils. What can I say about these pencils? They’re
the best! They work like a mechanical pencil with a retractable
lead and even come with a handy eraser that really does
remove the marks from the fabric. They come in a variety of
colors. I have tried many marking pencils over the years, and
these are, hands-down, the best. These can be purchased at
your local quilt shop or online.
IRONS & IRONING BOARDS

Irons: I have a Rowenta Steam Generator. If you do a lot of
ironing, you need this tool. It has fantastic steam power, which
makes ironing so easy! It holds four cups of water in the tank,
which is about 1½″ solid hours of steam. This means you can
pretty much sew all day and not run out of steam. How is that
for awesome?
Ironing Board: I have a Rowenta Professional Ironing Board—I

love this little beauty! It features an extra-wide board, making it
a great location to lay out pieces to get them ready for ironing.
It also has a shelf to the side for holding the iron and a lower
shelf for holding other items. It’s heavy duty and well balanced
so that it does not tip easily.
Pressing Cloth: I use a plain white tea towel as a pressing cloth.

A pressing cloth is invaluable when working with heat-sensitive
materials, such as laminated or napped fabrics (like velvet or
velveteen).
CUTTING TOOLS
Scissors: I have three pairs of 6 Gingher scissors. I keep them

stashed at di erent locations in my studio so that a pair is
always handy. These are tough scissors that retain their
sharpness for a long time and can cut through many layers of
fabric at once. They have great points, which help to clip curves
and snip into seam allowances where needed.
Thread Snips: I love having a pair of thread snips by the

machine to clip threads. They t easily into your hand and are
ergonomically friendly.
Rotary Cutter and Mat: I use my rotary cutter and mat all the
time. These tools, along with a quilting ruler, really are the best
way to cut accurate squares, rectangles and strips.
Seam Ripper: It is inevitable that you will need a seam ripper
from time to time to do some “un-sewing.” Not fun, but
sometimes necessary. I also like to use these for opening
buttonholes; be careful if you do—these are very sharp and can
cut beyond the end of the buttonhole!
OTHER TOOLS
Point Turner: I use a bamboo skewer or an acrylic point turner

to fully turn out pieces. Because both of these have a duller
point than scissors, you’re less likely to punch through a corner.
I keep two or three acrylic point turners on hand in the studio
at all times.
Pins: I use a variety of di erent-sized safety pins to turn tubes of

fabric right side out. A lot of people like to use di erent turning
tools, but I prefer the good old safety pin for this task. And I
always have a supply of dressmaker’s pins on hand. I like the
ones with the pearlized heads—they are extra-long and very
sharp.
Pattern Tracing Cloth: I use a nylon product that is translucent

with a grid of dots spaced 1 apart. It’s virtually impossible to
tear, making it superior to using tissue scraps for tracing
pattern pieces. You can write on it with pencil or pen and it can
be gently pressed with low heat. It comes pre-packaged in 5-
yard lengths or can be purchased by the yard and it is 36 wide.
Needle-Nose Pliers: This tool is perfect for bending the prongs of

latches and snaps. I’ve also used them to pull out bits of broken
machine needles. (Yes, it occasionally happens!) These are
easily found at just about any hardware or craft store at an
inexpensive price. I prefer the small size; they t well in my
hand and are big enough for the job.
Grommet Pliers: These are wonderful for installing grommets.
The 3⁄8 size seems to be common and is the one I used for the
projects in the book. This tool usually comes with a few
grommets to get you started.
Awl: An awl is a very pointed tool, much like an ice pick. I like
to use it for starting a hole, like for the eyelets used on the
Laptop Messenger Bag and Convertible Backpack.
Your Machine and Specialty Presser Feet

Perhaps the most important tool of all is your
sewing machine. Get the best one you can a ord.
Even if you have to forego the bells and whistles,
get a basic machine from a reputable company.
There are also several specialty feet you may want
to invest in that are referenced throughout this
book.
Open-Toe Embroidery Foot: Believe it or not,
this is the foot that I do all of my sewing with. That’s
because it lets me see where the needle is at all times.
Denim Foot: This foot is ideal for sewing
through many layers of fabric and stabilizer. It
gives additional support to the needle and thus
you have less needle breakage.
Te on-Coated Foot: This foot is great for
sewing with laminated cottons. It enables the
fabric to ow easily under the machine foot
instead of getting caught up, as with a regular
foot.
Zipper Foot: This foot is indispensable for
adding zippers to bags.
Ru er Attachment: It’s a bit expensive, but if
you love ru es, it’s worth it. It gives you perfect
ru es every time.
Walking Foot: This foot enables you to feed
multiple layers under the needle evenly,
particularly when batting or eece is sandwiched
in between. If you’re quilting your own fabric for
the Tulip Tote or Quilted Du el, this is a great
addition to your sewing arsenal. The walking foot
is also a good alternative to the Te on-coated foot
when sewing laminated cottons.
Bag Hardware
Hardware is like the icing on the cake for a bag. If the icing is
poorly chosen or made (or bought—gasp!), the end result is a ected.
Having said that, it is hard to nd good hardware—maybe that’s
why it is called that! I have searched high and low, so I have done a
lot of the grunt work for you. Below is a detailed list of my
preferred hardware elements and why I think they make a
di erence. For the harder-to- nd items, check out the Resources
section of the book.
Zippers: Zippers scare a lot of people. If you merely mention

installing one, some people’s eyes will widen with horror! Most of
the time, a zipper is an easy installation. In the marketplace, there
are a lot of zippers to choose from. The question is, which one do
you use? Well, that can vary, but my preference for the exterior
closure of a bag is the sport zipper (1). These are the chunkier-type
zippers that you see in jackets and heavier bags. They can be made
from vinyl or metal. I prefer the vinyl ones because I can color-
coordinate them with the fabrics and the teeth aren’t as sharp (helps
prevent damage to the items you’re carrying, or even scratching
yourself as you reach in and out of the bag). Sometimes a supply list
will call for a separating zipper (1), usually due to a construction
step that cannot be completed with a closed-bottom zipper. If one is
called for, do not make a substitution! If a separating zipper is not
speci cally required, then you can use either type. It’s simple to
make a separating zipper into a closed one, and I tell you in the
instructions where needed. For the interior of a bag, like a zippered
pouch or pocket, I list a lighter-weight closed-bottom zipper (2)
(commonly used in garment-making) since the added bulk of a sport
zipper isn’t needed in this application.
Zipper Charms: I love zipper charms (3). You might know them
better as zipper pulls. Of course, these are just a little extra
accessory to pretty up the bag, but they do serve a functional
purpose as well. Not all zippers are created equal when it comes to
the built-in zipper pull; some are small and hard to get hold of.
Zipper charms just make a bag easier to open and close.
D-rings, Double Loop Sliders and Swivel Clasps: I use these

throughout the di erent projects. D-rings (4) are a great way to add
a shiny touch to a bag handle where it attaches to a bag. In some
instances, these are added for function, such as for the Convertible
Backpack. I like a nice heavy D-ring without a physical join. In my
opinion, these have more presence and make the bag more
professionally nished. The double loop sliders (5) are a nice touch
when a bag needs an adjustable-length handle. These are wonderful
because you can decide whether to wear your bag across the body
or over the shoulder. Lastly, the swivel clasp (6) is wonderful for
adding versatility to a handle, such as for the Cross-Body Purses.
Because this clasp has the ability to twist, the handle can remain at
against the body during wear, making the bag more comfortable
and attractive.
Buckles: Buckles (7) are great for adding a nice touch to the handle,
such as for the Ru e Hobo Bag. This bag’s handle is actually in two
parts, so it has to be joined by overlapping and sewing the nished
pieces, or adding a fun buckle. I obviously prefer the fun buckle!
These come in a variety of nishes and shapes.
Magnetic Snaps: Magnetic snaps (8) are probably the most

common type of closure for a sewn bag. They are easy to nd and
easy to install. Over time, these can cause the fabric to tear, so I like
to reinforce the wrong side of the fabric with a small piece of
interfacing or Peltex before installation so that the fabric can
withstand the repeated use of the snap.
Latches: Latches (9) can also be called twist locks, depending on the
manufacturer. I like this type of hardware as it brings another shiny
little detail to the exterior of the bag. Most of these latches have a
prong installment, so they are similar to installing a magnetic snap
in most cases. There are a few exceptions. I have run across a type
that actually has a front and back piece that screw together. These
are nice also and are simple enough to install.
Hook and Loop Tape: This is a great way to add an invisible

closure to a pocket ap. I use hook and loop tape (10) throughout
the book on the exterior pocket aps. Commonly referred to as
Velcro, it is easy to nd and install. When you purchase it, be sure
that you are buying the “sew-in” type and not the stu with
adhesive. The adhesive can do seriously wicked things to the
internal workings of your sewing machine!
Buttons & Brooches: Never underestimate the power of a good

button or brooch! I always have my eye out for ones with good
“bling” power. Buttons are one of my personal favorites because
they are easily accessible and simple to install. They make such a
nice statement on the Foldable Shoppers as well as on one of the
Socialite Handbags. They are great on their own as a statement or to
complete the center of a wonderful fabric ower. I also love a good
pin! I love vintage brooches, but I’ve found some great ones in
discount stores and in craft shops. Check out the Tulip Tote to see
how a brooch can add that perfect nish. I even added just a touch
of tulle to the back of the pin before attaching it to the bag. And you
can’t miss the fabulous silk ower on the Laptop Messenger—that
one’s a show-stopper! You can also make your own little
embellishments. Check out the fabric owers on the Multi-Tasker
bags. Those are easy and fun to make; I have a special tutorial under
“Summer Flower” on my blog.
ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES: SEWING
Using a Ru er Attachment
The ru er attachment allows you to make uniform gathers or pleats
with the sewing machine rather than pulling threads by hand.
1 Most of the ru es for the projects are created from a strip
that has been folded in half lengthwise, wrong sides
together, and pressed.
2 Place the strip between the blades on the ru er

attachment. Using a straight stitch, sew about ¼″–3⁄8
from the raw edges. The project will detail whether to set the
attachment to gather at every stitch or every sixth stitch.
3 Adjust the ru es by hand, if needed, smoothing them out

to make them easy to work with.
4 Press the ru es at to create a more pleated appearance.
Making Gathers
Ru es and gathers are a great way to add fullness to a pattern,
adding a sweet irty twist. Check out how cute they can be on the
Socialite Handbag (page 90).
1 Using a long, straight stitch, sew about ¼″ away from the

raw edge.
2 Sew another line of long, straight stitches about 3⁄8 away
from the edge.
3 Wind the bobbin threads around your ngers and gently pull
the threads to create gathers in the fabric. Keep pulling and
positioning the gathers along the length of the fabric until you
achieve the fullness you want.
Cutting on the Bias

Cutting strips on the bias helps you to easily bind the edges of a
curved piece (such as the ap of a bag). This is because fabric cut on
a 45-degree angle has a bit of stretch.
1 To cut on the bias, begin by folding up a corner on the
diagonal and trimming it o .
2 Fold the fabric along this newly cut edge.
3 Using a rotary cutter, cut the strips to a speci ed width

according to your project instructions. Cut however many
strips it will take to go around the piece you are binding.
4 Place the ends of the strips together at a 90-degree angle.
Piece the strips right sides together along the angled
edges with a ¼″ seam allowance.
5 Trim o the points.
6 Press the seams open.

7 Fold the strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides together
and press.
8 Trim the angled seam edges to straighten.
9 Open out the strip once more. Fold the narrow edge back ½″
to the wrong side and press.
10 Fold the strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides
together once more and press brie y. Add the bias strip
as directed in the project instructions.
Making Handles
Many of the handles for the projects are made in the same manner.
Be sure to piece the strips together as instructed per project to
ensure the proper length as well as width. Once the strips have been
cut, pieced and interfaced on the wrong side of fabric, follow the
steps below to create the handles.
1 Place two strips right sides together and stitch down one of
the long sides with a ½seam allowance. Press the seam
open.
2 Fold in one of the outer raw edges so that it just touches the
raw edge of the seam allowance and press.
3 Repeat for the other outer raw edge.
4 Fold the handle strip in half along the seam, with wrong sides
together, and press.
5 Edgestitch down the long open side of the handle, then down
the long nished edge. To edgestitch, begin at one end and
follow the nished edge all the way around a piece. I like to stay
within 1⁄16 to 1⁄8 away from the edge for this stitching.
6 Topstitch each side. To topstitch, begin again at the same end

where the edgestitching started, only this time, complete
the stitching approximately ¼″ in from the previous stitching line.
Notice how I use the outer edge of my machine foot to gauge the
distance evenly all the way around the piece.
Repeat for any remaining handle strips, then trim the handles
down to the length speci ed in the instructions.
Pivoting
When edgestitching or topstitching handles, I like to
pivot the piece and stitch across the end. Pivoting at
the end of the handle saves time and means that there
will be fewer threads to trim later.
1 When you are within 1⁄8″ of the edge, stop

with the needle rmly in the fabric. Lift
the presser foot, and rotate the fabric.
2 Drop the presser foot, and continue sewing.
ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES: WORKING WITH HARDWARE
Installing a Double Loop Slider

Installation of a double loop slider enables the handle to be
adjustable. This is particularly handy on the Cross-Body and
Convertible Backpack projects. This is a simple installation once you
know how to do it.
1 Feed the handle end through the slider.
2 Put the end of the handle through the D-ring or swivel clasp,
whichever applies to the project.
3 Pull up some slack in the handle portion that feeds through

the slider. Slip the end of this handle under the slack, and
next to the middle bar of the slider.
4 Feed the end over the middle bar, keeping it under the slack.
5 Fold over the end of the handle ½″ and place that end as
close as possible to the slider while still being able to
machine-stitch to secure it.
6 Stitch across the handle end. Repeat for added durability.
Installing Grommets
Grommets (or eyelets) allow for a nished-edge hole to be put into a
bag. These are used for the media pockets on the Laptop Messenger,
Convertible Backpack and Multi-Tasker Bag.
1 To install a grommet, place the front portion onto the piece,

following the placement in the project instructions. Use a
temporary marking pencil to trace the inside of the circle.
2 Start the opening with an awl.
3 Enlarge the opening with a sharp pair of scissors.
4 Place the front portion of the grommet in the opening with

the back portion on the other side of the piece.
5 Use grommet pliers to attach the pieces around each other
and secure to both sides of the fabric.
ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES: WORKING WITH STABILIZERS
Trimming and Clipping

When you’re working with multiple layers of fabric and stabilizers,
the bulk can really build up at the seams. Trimming the seams down
and clipping them along curves enables the nished seam to lay
atter and reduces bulk, producing a nicer nish. When trimming
close to the stitches, be careful! Cutting stitches will create an ugly
opening in your seam.
1 Use sharp scissors and begin at one end of the seam.

2 Trim close to the stitching and follow the seam all the way to
the other end. Once the trimming is complete, check to
make sure that stitches are still intact. Sew again over any cut
stitches.
3 If the shape of the bag has curves along the sides, clip those
by completing a series of snips through all thicknesses of
the remaining seam allowance, about ¼″ apart, being careful that
you don’t clip through the stitches.
4 Check the stitching once more after clipping is completed to
be sure that none were clipped. Sew again over any clipped
stitches.
Pressing Techniques
When working with stabilizers, sometimes you will get a crinkly
e ect once a bag is turned right-side out. Not to worry! The iron can
take care of that. But even more handy, the iron can help shape the
bag. Stabilizers respond to heat and steam, softening to let you
shape them. You’ll want to steam and press the bag at multiple
stages—usually before you add the lining, once the lining has been
added and again at the end of the construction process. Repeat this
process until the bag has a smooth, professional appearance.
1 To get a professional nish, begin with the bag sewn together
and right-side out. Wad up a tea towel in your non-
dominant hand and hold it inside the bag wherever the bag needs
to be smoothed. Use the tea towel to shape the bag and also to
protect your skin from the heat and steam.
2 If the bag has curved corners (like here) or rounded sides,

wadding up the tea towel and stu ng it into the curve
allows you to press and shape without attening.
3 For sharp creases (often found along seams and corners),
determine where you want the crease to go before pressing.
Make sure the pieces are aligned correctly. You don’t want one
seam rolled over the other, or uneven corners.
4 You can use the iron to help manipulate unusual shapes.

Here, I’m only pressing to crease the top portion of the bag,
because this bag has a narrower opening and ares toward the
bottom with rounded corners.
a word about stabilizers

The use of stabilizers in bags is of the utmost
importance. These wonderful products will raise the
nished quality level of your work to look very crisp
and professional. Here is a breakdown of the ones that
are my absolute favorites. I will be referring to them
in my materials lists, so refer back to this information
to understand the di erences between them and why I
use certain ones for particular functions.
PELLON PELTEX 71:This is a heavy one-sided fusible
product, 20 wide and sold by the yard. I frequently
use it for the exteriors of my bags so that they
have body, making them stand quite nicely on
their own. This product is surprisingly easy to sew
through along with layers of fabric and even some
other stabilizers thrown in. It responds well to
intentional pressing, allowing itself to be softened
and then shaped by ironing (such as for creases
and corners).
This product is 20 wide
PELLON FUSIBLE INTERFACING:
and sold by the yard. I use the one speci cally
made for light- to mid-weight fabrics. It is fusible
on one side. Quite often I use this stabilizer
doubled for handles and a single layer on the
wrong side of fabric for linings and pockets. It is
easy to sew through and adds body to regular
cotton.
PELLON FUSIBLE THERMOLAM PLUS: This product is 45
wide and sold by the yard. It is a polyester eece
product that is fusible on one side. Using fusible
eece will render a softer bag. It may stand a little
on its own, but not so sturdily as it would with
Peltex. Fusible eece is machine-washable as well.
TEMPORARY ADHESIVE SPRAY:The two adhesive sprays I
use most often are 505 or Sulky KK2000. These
products are considered spray-on stabilizers. I use
them in bag construction to add fabrics to the non-
fusible side of Peltex or to temporarily hold a
pocket in place rather than pinning. They help
keep puckers out of fabrics when adding the lining
fabric. The adhesive dissipates over a few days,
negating the need to wash them out. They are also
nice because they do not gum up the machine in
any way. I also love to use this adhesive as a way
to stick my paper patterns to bulkier stabilizers
instead of pinning.
SIMPLE BAGS
I love sewing simple bags! You can move right through the sewing
process and get to the showing-o part! The bags in this section are
the perfect starting place if you’re a beginning bag maker. If you
have a little more experience, these bags are great as quick projects.
The Green Grocery Bag and Foldable Shoppers are great
portable bags; they both fold up for storage. The Lunch Bucket Bag
is so much more stylish than that old paper bag! With an easy-to-do
drawstring closure, this bag is a snap to make and a pleasure to use.
The Cross-Body Purses are perfect for the gal on the go. There is just
enough room in either size for the essentials!
Three of the four projects are o ered in more than one size.
And there are lots of little details that let you add your own
de nitive style. Dig out your button and ribbon stash—you can put
them to great use here!
GREEN GROCERY BAGS
The Green Grocery Bag is featured in three sizes. This design is
based on my very popular Dharma Eco-Friendly Bag pattern that is
now out of print. I felt that this was such an easy bag to make and
so handy that I just had to add it to the book. I’ve updated the
design by narrowing the handles on the larger sizes, changing the
slope of the front opening, adding a ru e edge to the outer pocket,
as well as a convenient loop handle inside the pocket for easy
carrying when the bags are folded up. The three sizes will even nest
inside one another for additional carrying convenience.
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior
Small: 5⁄8 yard
Medium: 2⁄3 yard
Large: 1½″ yards (this will yield leftover fabric for
making another smaller bag)
Fabric B—bag lining & pocket
Small: 7⁄8 yard
Medium: 1 yard
Large: 1½″ yards
Fabric C—handle loop
All Sizes: One 2″×14″ strip
All yardage based on 45-wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
Rotary cutter, ruler and mat
Sharp, pointed scissors
Removable marking pencil
Thread to match fabrics
One package of 3⁄8-wide elastic
Safety pin or bodkin
Finished dimensions of the bag:

Small: 11″×10½″×5½″ deep, without the handle
Dimensions of the bag folded: 6½″×4½″
Medium: 14½″×12½″×7½″ deep, without the handle
Dimensions of the bag folded: 7¾″×6″
Large (shown at left): 18½″×16″×7½″ deep, without
the handle Dimensions of the bag folded: 10″×7″
my initial sketch
Be creative with your fabric choices. You might want to make them from a sturdy canvas
or be thrifty and use an old sheet or men’s size shirt. This would be the ultimate in
recycling!
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The only pattern piece provided is for the Main Bag Body piece
(sheet 1). The rest of the pieces are cut by measurements given in
the instructions using a rotary cutter, ruler and mat. Since the sizes
are nested on the pattern piece, you may want to trace the pattern
for the size you want to make.
Instead of cutting the exterior bag body and lining pieces on the o -
the-bolt (lengthwise) fold, I recommend you open out the fabric and
then fold the selvedge edge over just enough to t the pattern piece.
For the Large Bag, fold over one selvedge edge lengthwise toward
the center about 26 inches. Place the fold line of the pattern along
the folded fabric edge. Pin and cut. The two exterior bag body
pieces (and the two lining pieces) will be cut one below the other.
You will end up with a long strip of leftover fabric, which can be
used for the pocket (lining fabric), the loop handle (exterior or
lining fabric) or for a Small Bag or another project. For the Small
and Medium Bags, open out the fabric and fold both selvedge edges
to meet at the o -the-bolt center fold-line, creating two folded
edges, one on each side. Cut the two exterior bag body pieces (and
the two lining pieces) side-by-side, placing the fold line of the
pattern pieces along the folded edges of the fabric.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
CONSTRUCTION
1 While one of the exterior bag pieces is still folded along the
fold line, snip a tiny triangle on the upper and lower edge
of the fold. ( gure 1) This will be your front exterior panel.
2 For the pocket, cut a rectangle measuring as follows for

each bag:
Large: 11½″wide × 22″ long
Medium: 9½″ wide × 18″ long
Small: 7¾″ wide × 15¼″ long
3 Fold the pocket piece in half crosswise, right sides together

with raw edges even and press. Measure ½″ from the fold
and mark on either side with a removable marking pencil.
Measure 1 down from the fold and repeat. ( gure 2)
4 Stitch along both sides using a ¼″ seam allowance, leaving

the space between the marks open for the elastic casing.
Backstitch to reinforce the opening. Leave the bottom open for
turning. ( gure 3)
5 Clip the corners, then turn pocket right-side out and press
at, turning under the raw edges of the casing. Mark ½″
and 1 down from the fold on both sides, then stitch along both
lines to create the casing. ( gure 4)
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
6 Using a long stitch length on the machine, stitch two lines

of gathering stitches, ¼” and 3⁄8 away from the open
bottom edge of the pocket. ( gure 5)
7 Fold the pocket in half lengthwise and snip the center along
the bottom edge ( gure 6), careful not to cut through
gathering threads.
8 Cut a piece of elastic for the casing as follows:

Large: 7″
Medium: 5½″
Small: 4½″
Attach a safety pin or bodkin to one end of elastic and pull thro
9 the casing, just until the edge of the elastic is inside the
casing. Stitch across the end, 1⁄8 from the edge. Finish
pulling the elastic through and stitch across other end. ( gure 7)
10 On the outside of the bag’s front piece (the one with the
bottom snipped to mark the center), measure from the
center snip as follows, and mark with a removable marking
pencil:
Large: 3½″ to either side of center
Medium: 2¾″ to either side of center
Small: 2¼″ to either side of center
11 Starting at these new marks, align the horizontal line of a

rotary-cutting ruler with the bottom edge of the bag.
Using a removable marking pencil, draw a straight line up on each
side. ( gure 8) The length of the lines for each size is as follows:
Large: 11 Medium: 9 Small: 75⁄8
12 To make the loop handle, fold the 2×14 strip in half

lengthwise with wrong sides together and press. Open
out the strip and fold the outer raw edges toward the center and
press. Fold closed once more and edgestitch both long nished
edges.
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
13 Fold the loop handle in half so that the raw ends are
together. Place it on the bag front, ½″ in from either
pocket side marking. ( gure 9) Pin with all raw edges even and
stitch across the handle ends, ¼″ in from the edge.
14 Pin the pocket to the bag front, lining up the center snips
and have the nished edges of pocket along vertical
marks. ( gure 10) Once the pocket is pinned in place, pull the
gathering threads along the bottom of the pocket to make it t
within the markings. Press the pocket at. Starting at a top
corner, edge-stitch down the side, across the bottom, and up the
other side. Backstitch at the beginning and ending of the pocket
stitching.
15 Place one lining piece on top of each exterior piece, right

sides together. Pin the large “U” shape in the center
together, as well as the curved edges on either side. Stitch
together with ¼″ seam allowance, then clip the curves to ease the
seam when turned and pressed. ( gure 11) Turn one of the
sections right-side out. Do not sew the sides and bottom.
16 Place the handles of the right-side out joined piece inside

the handles of the joined piece that is still wrong-side
out, matching exterior fabric to exterior fabric and lining fabric to
lining fabric. Match up seams and all raw edges. ( gure 12)
17 Pin raw edges together and then stitch with a ¼″ seam
allowance across each of the two open handle ends.
Turn bag right side out.
18 Lay the bag at (as shown in gure 14). Press the seams
of the large center opening, the side curved edges of
the handles and the handle seams at.
19 To sew the sides of the bag: With right sides together

( gure 13), pin then sew the front exterior piece to the
back exterior piece along each side with ¼″ seam allowance,
matching the handle seams. Pin and sew the lining pieces together
the same way.
Small Bag
Medium Bag
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
20 Turn the bag right-side out and press the seam at. Turn
the lining to the inside of the bag and match up the
side seams of the exterior and lining pieces. Pin the exterior and
lining pieces together, with right sides facing outward and wrong
sides against each other, with raw edges even along the bottom of
the bag. Stitch around the bottom of the bag to hold the two
layers of fabric together. ( gure 15) Do not sew the bottom of the
bag closed yet—you’ll do that in the next step.
21 At the bottom edge of the bag, measure to either side of

the side seams on the lining side and mark ( gure 16):
Large: 3¾″ Medium: 3¾″ Small: 2¾
22 Bring these two marks together to form the pleat at the

bottom of the bag on each side. Start at the marks and
stitch all the way across the pleat, ¼″ in from the raw, lower
edge. ( gure 17)
gure 18
gure 19
gure 20
gure 21
gure 22
22 Lay the bag out at with the bottom edges even. From
the top of the handle, fold the width of the handle in
half to the inside. ( gures 18, 19) This will move the side seam of
the bag to the inside, completing the pleat that was formed in the
previous step. Press along the sides to form the creases of the
pleat. ( gure 20)
23 Sew across the bottom of the bag (right side facing out),
about 3⁄8″ from the bottom raw edge. Trim down the
seam close to the stitching.
24 Now turn the bag wrong side out. The fold of the pleats
will fall to one side of the bag. Make sure that the fold
on both sides falls to the same side. I usually plan for that to be
the side opposite the outer pocket. Be sure that the corners are
turned completely. Press the bag at. Sew a ½″ seam across the
bottom of the bag to enclose the raw edges of the seam. ( gure
21) This forms a French seam and now the raw edges cannot be
seen from either side of the bag!
25 Turn the bag right-side out once more and check the
bottom to be sure that the entire raw edge was
enclosed. Press.
26 Finish the bag by edgestitching the main opening and

handles (open the handles out to do this stitching).
Stitch again approximately ¼″ away from the edge for decorative
topstitching. ( gure 22) Fold handles in half again along pressed
edge and stitch the handle together through all thicknesses, using
the seam as a guide.
step 1
step 2
step 3
step 4
step 5
folding instructions
1 Turn the bag so that the side with the pocket is facing
downward. Fold over each side to be even
with the edge of the pocket.
2 Fold the handles over by about one-third.
3 Fold over again so that the fold is

about even with the top of the
pocket
4 Carefully ip the bag over so that the pocket

faces up and the bag is still folded.
5 Slide your hand inside the pocket and grasp

the folded parts of the bag. With your other
hand, turn the pocket wrong side out, encasing the
folded parts of the bag inside the pocket. Use your
ngers to poke out the corners. Pat the bag to get it
to lie at and pull out the loop handle. When you
are ready to use your bag, simply turn out the
pocket again and the bag will open up.
LUNCH BUCKET BAG
What a stylish way to carry your lunch! This little bag is a modern
twist on the old-fashioned “lunch pail” from long ago. Featuring
decorative hardware on the handle and a convenient drawstring
closure, this bag is not only functional, but good-looking and easy to
make. Once you carry this little number to work, everyone will want
one!
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior & handle:
5⁄8 yard (7⁄8 yard if using laminated cotton)
Fabric B—lining, binding & drawstring:
5⁄8 yard (¼″ yard if using laminated cotton)
Fabric C—drawstring section for top of
bag: ½″ yard
All yardage is based on 45-wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
One-sided fusible stabilizer (Peltex 71):
¾″ yard
Fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight fabrics: 1
yard
Two 1¼″ rings for handle (can be rectangular or
circular, though the latter may require extra stitching
to secure)
Heavy-duty machine needle (such as for denim)
Large safety pin (or bodkin)
Finished Dimensions of the Bag

10 (counting the drawstring
unit) × 7, without the handle
The handle has an 8 drop.
my initial sketch
Make this bag your own with a funky choice of fabrics. This is the perfect opportunity to
use all of those cool food prints. Another great idea is to use laminated (vinyl-coated)
cotton for the liner so that any spills or moisture can be easily wiped away. (See page 41
for tips on working with laminates.)
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The only pattern piece provided for this bag is the circular Bag Base
(sheet 2). The rest of the pieces should be cut according to the
measurements provided using a rotary cutter, ruler and mat.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
MAIN BAG & HANDLES
1 Using the Circular Base pattern piece, cut one base each
from Peltex and Fabric A; transfer all markings. Fuse the
Peltex to the Fabric A piece (fusible side of Peltex to wrong side of
fabric). Set the base aside until Step 10.
2 For the main body of the bag, cut one 6½″×24 rectangle
from the Peltex and one from Fabric A. The design motif
should run parallel to the short edge. Fuse Peltex to the wrong
side of the rectangle. On the fabric side of the rectangle, mark the
ring tab placement. Measure in 6 from either end and down 1½
from top edge, and mark. ( gure 1)
3 For the handles, cut two strips—2¼″× the width of the

fabric—from Fabric A. Cut three 2¼″×20 strips from
interfacing; cut one in half crosswise. Apply the interfacing strips
to the wrong side of the fabric strips, overlapping the interfacing
strips by ¼″ to piece.
4 Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques for Making

Handles (pages 16–17).
5 Trim the handles down to 30″. Cut two 3 lengths from the
leftover pieces for the ring tabs.
6 Place the ring tab through the ring and fold in half. Sew
across the end with a ¼″ seam allowance. Trim the
corners diagonally and position the seam at the center of the back
side of the tab. Press seam at and to one side. ( gure 2)
7 Center the tabs on the 6 mark, with the top of the tab at the
1½″ mark. Sew across the lower edge of the tab, then
pivot and stitch up the side to just below the ring. Pivot again and
stitch just below the ring (don’t stitch too closely to the metal or
you will break the needle). Pivot once more and stitch back to the
beginning. Backstitch when you reach the start of the stitching.
( gure 3) If you’re using circular rings, sew again over the
stitching under the ring for more stability.
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
8 To add the handle to the rings, place one end through a ring
from the front. Fold the cut end over ¼″, and then turn
that end up by an inch or so (take care not to twist the handle).
Stitch in place in the same manner as the ring tab in step 7.
Repeat for the other end of the handle. ( gure 4)
9 With right sides together, stitch the ends of the rectangle

piece together with a ¼″ seam allowance to create the
main bag piece. ( gure 5) Press the seam open. Fold the bag at
with the seam along one side and mark the opposite side at the
top and bottom edges. Now open the bag out and align the marks
just made with the seam and mark the opposite ends the same
way. This divides the bag evenly into quarters, to be used later.
( gure 6)
10 Divide the bag’s base into quarters by folding the circle in

half and snipping each end to mark. Open it out and
fold in half the other direction (aligning your previous snips),
then snip at each end to mark. ( gure 7)
11 Complete a series of ¼″ deep snips along the entire

bottom edge of the main bag piece and the base.
( gure 8) With right sides together, pin the main bag piece and
bag base together with the wrong sides out, aligning the quarter
marks. Allow the snips to ease the two pieces together. Pin fairly
close together and then stitch around the bottom of the bag with a
¼–3⁄8 seam allowance. ( gure 9)
12 Press the bag brie y so that the steam will soften the
Peltex then turn the bag right-side out. Press along the
bottom seam to smooth the main bag piece. A wadded-up tea
towel held inside the bag while pressing will help shape the bag
and also protect your hand from the steam. Refer to the Essential
Techniques section (page 22) for more details on pressing.
LINING, DRAWSTRING & BINDING
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
1 For the lining, follow Steps 1 and 2 on page 36, cutting

from fabric B and interfacing (not Peltex). Apply the
interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.
2 Sew the side seam of the bag lining with a 3⁄8″ seam
allowance. This larger seam allowance accounts for the
bulk of the Peltex, making the pieces t together better.
3 Refer to Steps 9–11 on page 37 to assemble lining, except

here, use a 3⁄8″ seam allowance.
4 Leaving the lining wrong-side out, place it inside the main

bag. This will put the wrong sides of the bag and lining
together. Line up the quarter markings and pin the bag and lining
together. Trim any uneven edges. Stitch around the top of the bag,
¼″ from the top edge. ( gure 10)
5 To make the drawstring unit of the bag, cut two 12″×18″

rectangles from fabric C. The direction of design motif
should run parallel to the short edge.
6 Mark on the wrong side of fabric so the markings face up
when sewn. Along the 12 edge, mark 4½″ up from the
bottom, and again 1″ above that. Repeat on the other 12 edge.
This will mark the drawstring opening. ( gure 11)
7 Place the two rectangles for the top portion right sides
together matching raw edges and making sure design
motifs run in the same direction. Sew with a ¼″ seam along one
side, backstitching at the rst mark. Skip the 1″ section. Continue
the remainder of the seam from the second mark. Repeat for the
other side. ( gure 12)
8 Press the seams open and turn right-side out into a circular
shape. Edgestitch around each opening to reinforce it.
( gure 13)
9 Fold the drawstring unit in half, wrong sides together with

bottom raw edges even and the openings on the outside of
the folded piece. Press. From the top folded edge, measure down
½″ and mark. Mark again 1″ below that. Repeat the marks on the
other side, and then draw a line with removable marking pencil.
( gure 14) This will create the casing for the drawstring.
Edgestitch along the top folded edge, then stitch along the ½″
marked line and the 1″ mark.
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
10 Divide the drawstring section into equal quarters (see

Steps 9 and 10 on page 37). To create gathering
stitches, complete two rows of stitching, using a long straight
machine stitch, ¼″ and 3⁄8″ from the edge. Break stitching at
each seam. ( gure 15)
11 Pin the drawstring unit to the inside of the bag; make

sure the side with the openings is facing away from the
lining. Pull the gathering threads until the drawstring section
matches the bag opening in size. Distribute the gathers evenly and
pin the lining to the bag. Stitch along the top of the bag, 3⁄8″
from the edge. Trim the seam to ¼." ( gure 16)
12 For the binding, cut a 2¾″ strip × the width of fabric

from Fabric B. Trim away the selvedges and press in
½″ to the wrong side on one narrow end. Fold the strip in half
lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
13 Starting with the pressed-under edge, place the binding

against the drawstring section on the inside of the bag.
Pin in place until reaching the pressed end. Allow for a 1 overlap
and trim away excess. Open up the pressed end and tuck the cut
end inside. Close and pin in place. Stitch around the top of the
bag with a 3⁄8″ seam allowance.
( gure 17)
Open out the binding away from the bag and press. Fold the binding
down over the bag’s top edge. Edgestitch the binding in
14 place along the lower pressed edge. ( gure 18)
15 Open out the drawstring unit from the inside of the bag
and press. Stitch through all thicknesses at the upper
nished edge of the binding to secure the drawstring section to
the upper exterior of the bag. ( gure 19)
gure 20
gure 21
gure 22
gure 23
gure 24
16 If you used circular rings, the bag may have a tendency

to tip. To prevent this, place the handle over the
binding directly opposite the ring and tab and stitch through all
thicknesses (including the handle) along the previous stitching at
the top edge of the binding. ( gure 20) This will make the handle
stationary. You can also do this with a square ring, but it may not
be necessary. The bag on page 34 shows the reinforced stitching;
the variation using laminated cotton on the facing page does not.
17 Cut two 2″×27″ strips from Fabric B for the drawstrings.
18 Trim away the selvedges and fold in half

lengthwise, right sides together. Stitch along
the long edges with a ¼″ seam allowance, forming a tube. Repeat
with the second strip. Turn the tubes right-side out and, with the
seam along one side, press. Edgestitch along each edge. ( gure
21)
19 Pin a large safety pin through one end of one of the

drawstrings. Insert pinned end into one of the openings
in the drawstring casing. Pull the drawstring all the way around
until you reach the opening where you started; pull the end
through. Remove the safety pin. Attach the safety pin to the
remaining drawstring, insert through the opposite opening and
draw through the casing the same way. There should be two ends
coming out of each opening. Test to see that they were properly
threaded by pulling all the ends at the same time. This should
result in the bag pulling closed. If not, then the drawstrings are
not correctly inserted. ( gure 22)
20 Open the bag fully. With the ends of the drawstrings

together and folded inward as shown in the illustration,
stitch them together with a 1⁄8″ seam ( gure 23). With the seam
inward, stitch across the end again, encasing the seams ( gure
24). Tie a knot close to the stitched ends.
Laminated Cotton
This is the perfect bag for trying out the new
laminated cottons on the market! Laminated
cotton is so cute for the outside... and so smart for
the lining! Leaky containers aren’t such a big deal
if you can just wipe up the spills! You’ll just need
to adapt the yardage listed for the project, because
the typical fabric width for laminated cotton is 56
to 58″, rather than 44″.
To make the exterior bag, liner and handle
from laminated cotton, cut both rectangles for the
lower portion of the bag (exterior and lining) from
this fabric, as well as the handle strips and circular
base. You’ll need 7⁄8 yard of laminated cotton,
since this will be both Fabric A and the lining
portion of Fabric B. You’ll only need a ¼″ yard of
Fabric B (for binding and drawstring) for this
variation.
If you do decide to try out the laminated
cottons, there are a few sewing tips I have for you.
Because the vinyl coating can melt when direct
heat is applied, use a tea towel or press cloth
between the iron and the vinyl coating. This
allows you to smooth out wrinkles without
melting the vinyl.
You may also want to think about purchasing
an additional sewing machine foot. Regular
machine feet have a tendency to drag on the vinyl,
preventing the fabric from feeding through the
machine properly. Some sewing machine
manufacturers make a special machine foot
designed to work with vinyls. I’ve found that a
Te on foot works well; it helps the fabric ow
smoothly under the needle.
If you have trouble nding a laminated cotton
that you like, try an iron-on vinyl (such as Heat-n-
Bond). This product can be ironed onto your
fabric, making it water-resistant. It’s sold by the
roll or yard, and is usually 17 wide. Just follow the
manufacturer’s instructions, and you’ll have
custom-laminated fabric.
FOLDABLE SHOPPERS
The Foldable Shoppers, featured in two fabrics and sizes, are a great
way to shop in an eco-friendly way. Take these bags everywhere you
go whenever you know that treasures will be brought home with
you. They are easily portable since they fold up and stay that way
with a button and loop closure. There is even an exterior pocket that
is accessible while the bags are closed, perfect for stashing little
extras! These are so quick and easy you will nd yourself making
more than one of each size!
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior, lining & pocket
Medium: 1¼″ yards
Large: 15⁄8 yards (lining will be pieced)
Fabric B—handles & pocket trim
Medium: 3⁄8 yard
Large: ½″ yard
Other Materials
Fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight fabrics:
Medium: 17⁄8 yards
Large: 2½″ yards
½″ yard ribbon
1 decorative button
Finished Dimensions
Medium: 12×18×6 deep, without the handle.
The handle has a 9 drop. Dimensions of the
bag folded: 6½×8
Large: 14×21×8 deep, without the handle.
The handle has a 10 drop. Dimensions of the
bag folded: 7½×9
my initial sketch
How about using laminated cotton or a home decorating fabric for this bag? If you use
heavier fabrics, you may not need the interfacing in the body of the bag. Another option is
to piece some scraps together before cutting the outer bag rectangles. Not only would the
scrappy look be cute, but it would recycle all those extra pieces! How green can you get?
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The only pattern piece provided for these bags is the scallop trim for
the pocket (medium on sheet 3, large on sheet 5). The rest of the
pieces are cut by measurements given in the instructions using a
rotary cutter, ruler and mat.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
MAIN BAG & POCKET
1 Cut four rectangles from Fabric A. Medium: 19×16 Large:

22×19
The direction of fabric’s design motif should run parallel to the
smaller edge for each size.
Cut two pieces of fusible interfacing same size as fabric A. Apply to
the wrong side of two of the fabric A pieces. These will
2 form the exterior of the bag. Set the remaining two
rectangles aside.
3 With the fabric side of the interfaced pieces facing up, mark
the center at the top and bottom edges. ( gure 1)
Medium: Center at 9½″, then 3 to either side of center Large:
Center at 11, then 3½″ to either side of center
4 For the pocket, cut two rectangles from Fabric A and one
from fusible interfacing. Medium: 6×7 Large: 7×8
The direction of the design motif should run parallel to the longer
edge.
5 Using the Pocket Scallop Trim pattern piece in the

appropriate size, cut two pieces from Fabric B and one
from fusible interfacing, transferring all pattern markings. Apply
interfacing to the wrong side of one scalloped piece and one
rectangle from Step 4.
6 Place the scalloped trim pieces right sides together and

stitch along the scalloped edge with a 3⁄8 seam
allowance. Wedge cut notches in the curves of the scallops and
snip closely to the seam allowance at the points before turning.
( gure 2)
7 Turn trim right-side out and fully turn out the scallops.
Press. Edgestitch the scalloped edge. Pin the trim to right
side the interfaced pocket piece from Step 5, along the top edge.
Keep the side and top edges even. Stitch together, ¼″ in from the
edges. ( gure 3)
8 Place the remaining pocket piece from Step 4 on top of the

scalloped one, right-sides together. Stitch along the top
and bottom edges with a ¼″ seam allowance. ( gure 4)
9 Turn the pocket right-side out and press along the top and
bottom edges. Edgestitch along the top edge of the
pocket. Fold the pocket in half lengthwise and mark the bottom
edge for the center. ( gure 5)
Pin the pocket to the right side of one of the interfaced exterior bag
10 pieces. Medium: 3½″ up from the bottom and centered

on the 9½″ marking Large: 4½″ up from the bottom
and centered on the 11 marking. Stitch the sides and bottom edge
of the pocket in place. ( gure 6)
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
HANDLES
1 For the handles, cut strips that are 2¼″ wide by the width
of fabric in these quantities:
Medium: cut ve strips
Large: cut six strips
Trim o the selvedges.
2 For Medium, cut the fth strip into four equal pieces and
sew one of these to each of the remaining four strips,
right-sides together, with a ¼″ seam. Press seams open. Trim the
four strips to 50.
For Large, cut two of the strips in half and sew one to each of
the remaining four strips, right-sides together, with a ¼″ seam.
Press seams open. Trim the strips to 58.
3 Cut 2¼″ wide strips from interfacing and apply to the

wrong side of two of the handle strips, overlapping by ¼″
as
necessary.
Medium: cut ten strips
Large: cut twelve strips
4 Follow the steps in Essential Techniques for creating the

handles (pages 16–17).
5 Place the handles on the exterior bag pieces, centered at the

outside pocket markings; they should cover the raw edges
of the pocket. The raw edges of the handles should be even with
the bag’s bottom edge. Make sure the handle is not twisted, then
pin in place. Mark 2 down from the top (on either side of the
handle on the bag itself). This is where the edgestitching will turn
and go across the handle. ( gure 7)
6 Begin edgestitching the handle at the lower edge of the bag,

following the previous edgestitching on the handle. Pivot
at the 2 marking, backstitch across the handle, then continue
down the other side. ( gure 7) Repeat for the three remaining
handle ends.
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
SEW THE OUTER BAG TOGETHER
1 Place the outer bag pieces right sides together, matching up

side and bottom edges. Pin then sew together with a ½″
seam allowance. Mark a 3 or 4 square at each bottom corner,
including the seam allowance in the measurement ( gure 8).
Medium: 3 square; Large: 4 square
2 Cut away the corners on the marked lines. Trim down the
seam allowances to ¼. ( gure 9)
3 To form the corners for the bag, bring the bottom seam and side
seams together, right sides together; pin. Stitch across this
edge with a ½″ seam allowance. ( gure 10) Trim down the seam
to ¼. Press seams at.
MAKE THE LINING AND FINISH THE BAG
1 Use the remaining two rectangles from Step 1 on page 44

and sew them together following Steps 1–3 of Sewing the
Outer Bag Together, above.
2 With the lining wrong-side out, place the main bag inside,
with right sides of the exterior and lining together. Make
sure the handles are tucked between the two layers. Match up the
side seams and the centers; pin. Stitch together with a ½″ seam
allowance, leaving a 6 opening along one side (3 to either side of
one of the side seams). ( gure 11)
3 Turn the bag right-side out through the 6 opening. Turn the
lining to the inside of the bag and press along the top
seam. Then fully press the bag so that all layers and seams lie
together smoothly. Turn the edges of the 6 opening under ½″ and
edgestitch all the way around the top edge; stitch again ¼″ from
edgestitching. ( gure 12)
4 To hold all of the layers in place, slip the bag under the
machine and stitch through all thicknesses, following the
inside stitching on the handle, turning about even with the
bottom corners of the bag. ( gure 13)
gure 14
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
5 To fold the bag, rst turn it pocket-side down. Fold the

bottom in along the angled corner seams and the handles
down toward the bag. ( gure 14)
6 Fold the bag into thirds by folding each side in along the
outer handle edge. ( gure 15)
7 Fold the bag in half height-wise. The top edge of the bag
should be even with the top edge of the pocket on the
other side. Mark the center between the handles along the top
edge of the bag.
( gure 16)
8 Flip the bag over so that the pocket faces up. Mark the
center at the lower edge of the pocket.
( gure 17)
9 Open out the bag and sew a button to the top edge center
marking. Cut ribbon long enough to form a loop that will
accommodate the button and sew it to the center bottom of the
pocket through all thicknesses. Tie a bow from the same ribbon
and machine sew it in place on top of the raw edges of the ribbon
loop. ( gure 18)
CROSS-BODY PURSES
The Cross-Body Purse is a sweet little on-the-hip bag that’s perfect
for a day spent running around doing your favorite things. O ered
in two sizes, these versatile bags are able to hold just a few of the
essentials or a bit more, depending on your personal preferences.
There are convenient interior pockets for keeping your cell phone at
your ngertips, and the twist lock closure keeps everything in its
place. The adjustable handle makes this purse a cinch to switch from
cross-body to over the shoulder in a ash!
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior & interior pocket
All Sizes: ½″ yard
Fabric B—lining & ap
All Sizes: 5⁄8 yard
Fabric C—ring tabs, binding & handles
Small: ½″ yard
Large: 2⁄3 yard
Fabric yardage based on 45-wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
Peltex 71 (one-sided fusible stabilizer):
Small: ¾″ yard
Large: 1 yard
Small: 7⁄8 yard
Large: 15⁄8 yards
Two 1¼″ D-rings
Two 1¼″ swivel clasps
One 1¼″ double loop slider
One ¾″ twist lock
Needle-nose pliers
Awl
Finished Dimensions
Small: 9×7½″ with a base depth of 2½″
Large: 10×9 with a base depth of 2½″
Both bags have an adjustable 60 long handle.
my initial sketch
I initially had the design more rounded, but liked the boxier nal result. I also made a
decision to taper the bag depth so that the opening is narrow. This makes the purse lie
closer to the body for a more attering look. Try making your cross-body purse from all
one fabric; just combine the yardage requirements.
LAYOUT & CUTTING
For this bag, you’ll use these pattern pieces: Main Body (Small, sheet
3; Large, sheet 2), Purse Flap (Small, sheet 2; Large, sheet 3) and
Interior Pocket (Large, sheet 1; Small, sheet 3). Make sure you cut
the correct size for every piece. The ring tabs and handles will be
cut by measurements given in the instructions below.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
gure 5
BAG EXTERIOR
1 Cut two Main Bag Body pieces each from Peltex and Fabric
A. Fuse the Peltex to the wrong side of the fabric pieces.
2 On the right side of one bag piece, mark a horizontal

placement line for the twist portion for the closure.
Measure down from the center of the upper edge: Small: 5 Large:
6″
This will be the front piece of the bag body.
3 Center the twist portion of the clasp horizontally over the

center mark and mark prong placement. ( gure 1) Use an
awl to pierce the prong marks and enlarge those holes slightly
with sharp, pointed scissors. Install the twist portion of the clasp
on the right side of the main bag body, following the instructions
in Step 11 on page 131.
4 From Fabric C and fusible interfacing, cut two 2½″×10

strips for the ring tabs. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong
side of the strips. Follow the instructions for creating handles on
pages 16–17 in the Essential Techniques section to make one 10-
long strip.
5 Cut the 10 piece into two 4-long pieces, discarding the rest.
Place each 4 piece through one of the D-rings and fold in
half with raw edges even. Stitch across the end with a ¼″ seam.
( gure 2)
6 Rotate the seam on the ring so that it is centered along one

side. ( gure 3)
7 On the non-clasp main bag body piece (the back of the bag),
measure 1½″ down from the top and 1 in from the side,
and mark. Repeat on the other side. ( gure 4)
8 Place the upper outside corner of the ring tab at this mark
and stitch in place along the lower edge of the tab. Stitch
another line close to the ring. Repeat for the remaining tab.
( gure 4)
9 Sew the darts in the bottom corners of the front and back
main body bag pieces. Fold with right sides together,
aligning the angled raw edges of the dart. Stitch from the fold to
the outer lower edge with a ¼ seam allowance. ( gure 5)
10 Place the front and back bag pieces right sides together
with all edges even and dart seams together. Stitch the
bag together with a ½″ seam. ( gure 6) Stitch again to reinforce.
It’s helpful to push the darts on one half of the bag inward so that
the pieces nest together when you stitch the bag together.
11 Trim down the seam and clip the curves (page 21 in

Essential Techniques).
12 Brie y steam the bag to soften the Peltex, then turn right-
side out and press (page 22 in the Essential
Techniques).
BAG INTERIOR
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
1 Cut two lining pieces from both fusible interfacing and

Fabric B, using the Main Body Bag pattern piece. Fuse the
interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric pieces.
2 Cut two Interior Pocket pieces from both fusible interfacing

and Fabric A. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of
the fabric pieces.
3 Place the interior pocket pieces right sides together, then

stitch the upper and lower edges with a ¼″ seam. ( gure
7) Turn the pocket right-side out and press. Edgestitch the upper
edge of the pocket. ( gure 8)
4 On the right side of one of the lining pieces, place and pin
the pocket up from the lower edge: Small: 31⁄8 Large:
35⁄8″ Edgestitch the lower edge of the pocket in place, then stitch
¼″ in from the side edges. Mark down the center of the pocket to
divide it, then stitch down the marking.
( gure 9)
5 Stitch the darts on the lower edges of the lining as you did
for the bag exterior (step 9, page 50), then sew the two
halves—right-sides together—with a 5⁄8 seam allowance. This
slightly larger seam allowance helps reduce bulk of the Peltex and
makes the exterior bag and lining pieces t together nicely. Trim
seam to ¼″.
6 Place the lining inside the exterior bag with wrong sides
together. Determine if you want the inside pocket in the
front or back, and place lining accordingly.
7 Smooth the lining into place, matching the upper edges and
seams. Pin the layers together, then stitch around the
upper edge, ¼″ from raw edges. ( gure 10)
BINDING
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
gure 15
1 To bind the top of the bag, cut a strip from Fabric C that is
2″× the width of fabric. Trim o the selvedges. Fold ½″
to the wrong side along one of the narrow ends and press. ( gure
11)

and press.
Starting with the pressed-under edge, place the binding strip ag
3 the lining side of the bag with raw edges even. Pin in
place all the way around until you reach the pressed-
under edge. Allow ½″ extra and trim away the excess binding.
( gure 12)
4 Open out the pressed-under end and tuck the cut end inside.
Pin in place, then stitch around the top of the bag with a
3⁄8 seam allowance. ( gure 13)
5 Fold the binding around the seam to the exterior of the bag.
If the seam seems too bulky, trim it down slightly, then
proceed with folding the binding to the outside. Pin in place.
Edgestitch the lower folded edge. Edgestitch the upper edge to
nish, then press. ( gure 14)
FLAP & HANDLES
1 Using the correct Purse Flap pattern piece (Small versus

Large), cut one from Peltex, and two from Fabric B. Fuse
the Peltex to the wrong side of one of the ap pieces. (This will be
the front of the ap.) Use temporary spray adhesive to adhere the
remaining fabric piece to the non-sticky side of the Peltex with the
fabric facing right-side out. (This will be the back of the ap.)
Edgestitch around the outside edges to hold the layers together.
2 From the remainder of Fabric C, cut a series of 2-wide bias

strips (pages 14–15 in Essential Techniques).
3 Starting along the upper straight edge of the ap piece and

beginning with the pressed-under edge, add the bias
binding to the ap piece along the back. Keep the raw edges even.
4 Pin in place all the way around until you reach the
beginning. Allow ½″ extra and trim away the excess.
Tuck the cut end inside the pressed one and pin in place. Stitch
around the outer edge with a ¼″ seam allowance. ( gure 15)
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
5 Trim the corners to slightly round them, then fold and press
the binding around the edge of the ap to conceal the
raw edges. Edgestitch both edges of the binding in place. ( gure
16)
6 Mark the center of the top (straight) edge of the ap; mark
the center of the back bag exterior (side with rings) along
the binding. Line up these marks with the ap binding
overlapping the exterior bag binding on the exterior. The ap
should be centered between the side seams.
7 Pin in place, then stitch over the edgestitching of the ap to

attach. Stitch again along the previous stitching, ¼″
above. ( gure 17) Fold the ap over to the front side of the bag.
Brie y steam the fold to crease the Peltex.
8 Add the remaining half of the twist lock to the ap by

measuring up from the lower (curved) edge: Small: 1
Large: 1¼″
9 Mark for the prongs as before (in Steps 2 and 3, page 50)
and trace around the opening of the lock onto the fabric.
Carefully trim away the oval for the opening, then install the
remainder of the lock the same way you installed the twist
portion (Step 11, page 131).
10 Cut three strips 2½″ × width of the fabric from Fabric C

for the handles. Cut the third strip in half, and then
sew those lengths to the two remaining strips, resulting in two
long strips.
11 Cut seven 2½-wide strips from fusible interfacing and add

to the wrong side of the fabric, overlapping by ¼” as
necessary.
12 Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques for

Making Handles (pages 16–17), then trim them down
to about 60″.
13 To attach the rst swivel clasp, insert the end of the

handle through the loop’s clasp. Fold the raw edge over
twice by ½. Stitch in place along the edge, then topstitch to
reinforce. Stitch and topstitch across the handle close to the loop.
( gure 19)
14 Install the double loop slider and remaining swivel clasp

according to the Essential Techniques section (pages
18–19). Clip the handle onto the bag. Adjust the handle as
desired.
INTERMEDIATE BAGS
All of these projects build on the techniques and skills used in the
Simple Bags section, but step up your bag-making skills with
techniques like zipper installation, quilting your own fabrics and
working with special fabric like wool and silk.
The Quilted Du el and Tulip Tote are both soft-sided bags.
While I normally like a lot of structure, I decided to show my softer
side—but even these bags will remain shapely when stu ed to the
top! The Versatile Handle Handbag and Ru e Hobo have a bit more
structure and detail. The Socialite Handbag is the most structured
with a lovely teardrop shape.
These bags do a great job of highlighting special fabrics, so get
out those favorites of yours that you have a yard or so of and get
ready to showcase them! Don’t forget to grab more bling—many of
these bags really shine with the addition of a great zipper charm, pin
or fabulous button.
QUILTED DUFFEL BAG
The Quilted Du el bag is one of just a few soft-sided bags that I have
included in this book. I usually like very structured bags—ones that
stand on their own and hold their shape whether they are lled with
items or not. Even though this is a soft bag, I feel that the shape of
the pieces and the nishing stitching along the outer seams provide
a nice structure. This design provides the perfect opportunity to use
double-faced quilted fabrics. These are fabrics that are already
quilted when you purchase them. It makes for a quick assembly. In
the event that you cannot locate such a fabric, no worries—I’ve
provided information about how to create your own quilted fabric!
materials list
Fabrics
Fabric A—double-faced quilted fabric for main bag and
end pieces: 1 yard
Fabric B—exterior pockets/zipper tabs: 1⁄3 yard
Fabric C—handles: 3⁄8 yard
Fabric D—bag bottom (interior and exterior), zipper
binding, and interior seam binding: ½ yard
Other Materials
¼ yard Peltex one-sided fusible
1¼ yards fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight
fabrics
One 14 non-separating sport zipper
1 zipper charm
Matching polyester thread
Zipper foot
Temporary adhesive spray
Finished Dimensions of the bag

10½″×17½″×8 deep at base, 4 deep at top. 34″-long
handles with 15″ drop
my initial sketch
To make this bag your own, think about these other ideas: You could quilt up some
laminated cotton fabric with a regular cotton for the lining. (If you choose this option,
check out the sidebar on laminates on page 41) You could also make the exterior of the bag
scrappy by piecing some of your favorite fabric scraps together and then quilting it. Cute
embellishments such as wide ribbon or other decorative trims would give this bag a lot of
personality. Let your imagination soar!
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
LAYOUT & CUTTING
Pattern pieces for the Main Bag Side and End are provided on sheet
4. All other pieces are cut based on measurements provided
throughout the instructions using a ruler, rotary cutter and mat.
LARGE EXTERIOR POCKETS & HANDLES
1 Using the Main Bag Side and End pattern pieces, cut out two
of each from Fabric A, transferring all marks. (If you are
making your own quilted fabric for Fabric A, refer to page 63.) On
each piece, mark a line 4½ in from each side, stopping 4 from the
top edge on each Main Bag Side piece. ( gure 1)
2 For the Main Exterior Pocket, cut a 12″×9″ rectangle from
Fabric B and interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the
wrong side of the fabric.
3 Fold the rectangle in half wrong-sides together so that it

measures 6″×9 and press. Edge and topstitch the top
folded edge. Mark in ¾ from each top corner; line up a ruler from
this marking to the bottom corner and mark. ( gure 2) Cut along
both lines.
4 Center this pocket along the lower edge of one Main Bag
piece with the wider edge at the bottom edge of the main
bag. Pin in place, then stitch ¼ in from the sides and bottom edges
of the pocket to attach. ( gure 3) The raw edges of the pocket will
be concealed later by the handle placement and the bottom seam.
If you desire a pocket on the other side, repeat these

instructions on the other main bag piece.
5 For the handles, cut ve strips 2½ wide × the width of

fabric from Fabric C. Trim away the selvedges, then cut
one of the strips into four equal parts. Add one of these shorter
lengths to each of the other four handle strips, right sides together,
with a ¼ seam allowance. Press the seam allowance open.
6 Cut twelve strips 2½ × width of the fabric from fusible

interfacing and fuse to the wrong side of the handle strips,
overlapping interfacing by ¼ as needed.
7 To make two handles, follow the instructions in the

Essential Techniques for Making Handles (pages 16–17).
8 Once the handles have been completed, press them, then

trim each one down to a length of 54. Discard the leftover
pieces.
gure 4
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
9 Place one of the handles on one of the Main Bag pieces with
the outer edge of the handle along the 4½ markings made
in Step 1 and the lower edges even. Pin in place. Be sure to cover
the raw edges of the pocket sides with the handle placement. Take
care not to twist the handle during pinning. Stop pinning at the 4
mark below the top edge. ( gure 4)
10 Following the previous handle edgestitching, attach the

handles. Start at the lower edge of the bag piece. Stitch
up to the 4 mark, pivot and stitch across the handle to the
opposite edgestitching, then pivot and stitch down. ( gure 4)
Repeat this stitching for the other end of the handle as well as the
remaining handle and bag pieces.
BAG ENDS
1 From Fabric B and fusible interfacing, cut two rectangles,

12″×5 wide for the End Pockets.
2 Fold the rectangles in half, right-sides together, so that they

measure 6″×5″. Sew the side seams with a ¼ seam
allowance, leaving the bottom of the pocket open. Clip the corners
( gure 5), turn right-side out and press. Edge- and topstitch the
upper nished edge of each pocket. ( gure 6)
3 Add the pockets to each Bag End piece, centered from side
to side with bottom edges even. Edgestitch the sides of the
pockets and ¼ up from the bottom edge to attach. ( gure 7)
Fussy Cutting
When cutting pieces that will be front and center,
you really want to make the most of the fabric’s
design. Say, for example, that the fabric you chose
for the exterior of a bag has a large rose motif, and
you want one of the roses to appear in the center
of the bag ap. When cutting the fabric, make sure
that motif is perfectly framed within the
measurements, or centered under the pattern
piece, before cutting. This is called “fussy cutting.”
Some design motifs may require extra fabric
yardage (¼ yard or so) to accommodate fussy
cutting.
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
ADDING THE ZIPPER
1 Cut a strip 2¼ × the width of fabric from Fabric D for the

zipper binding. Trim o the selvedges, then fold the strip
in half lengthwise, wrong-sides together and press. Cut the strip in
half for two strips approximately 22.
2 Add one strip to the interior side of each Main Bag piece
along the top edge, matching raw edges. Stitch with a ¼
seam. ( gure 8)
3 Open out the bindings away from the bag pieces and press
the seams, then fold the binding around to the exterior
side of the bag and press. Edgestitch the lower folded edge in
place. ( gure 9)
4 Mark the center of the zipper on the zipper tape (at 7) and
the center of the top edge of the bag piece (at 8½). Match
up the center markings and pin the zipper so that the zipper tape
is mostly concealed by the binding.
( gure 10)
5 Use a zipper foot to attach the zipper to each Main Bag

piece. Add another line of stitching along the binding
about ¼ away from the edge next to the zipper. This will reinforce
the stitching at the zipper. ( gure 10) Zip the zipper halves
together.
6 Cut two 2″×3 rectangles from Fabric D. Fold these in half,

right-sides together, so that they measure 2″×1½. Stitch
down the sides with a ¼ seam allowance; clip the corners. ( gure
11) Turn right-side out and press, then edgestitch. ( gure 12)
7 Add these pieces to the ends of the zipper to provide a neat

appearance to the zipper and close the gap between the
zipper end and bag edge. The outer edges of these small rectangles
should line up with the outer edges of the binding. Pin in place,
then edgestitch. It is okay if the small pieces extend slightly
beyond the side edges of the bag, as this can be trimmed away
after stitching. ( gure 13)
gure 14
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
8 Once these small pieces are in place, you can add the zipper
tabs. To do this, cut two 2½″×6 pieces from Fabric B and
fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the
fabric, then stitch these together to create handles following the
instructions for handles in Essential Techniques (pages 16–17).
9 Once the zipper tabs have been completed, cut this piece
into two 3 lengths. Fold each tab in half to measure 1½
and add to each end of the zipper, centering on the small rectangle
added to each end in Step 8. Stitch across the ends, ¼ in from the
raw edges. ( gure 14)
ADDING THE BAG BOTTOM
1 Cut two 9″×19 pieces from Fabric D and one 8″×18 piece
from Peltex. Center the Peltex on the wrong side of one of
the fabric pieces and fuse. Using temporary adhesive, apply the
remaining fabric piece (right-side out) to the other side of the
Peltex. There should be a ½ margin of fabric all the way around
the Peltex. ( gure 15) Stitch ¼ in from the outside edges of the
Peltex to hold the pieces together. The fused side will be the one
that faces the exterior of the bag; you can mark it with a safety pin
to help distinguish the exterior from the interior, if needed.
2 Add the Bag Bottom to the Main Bag pieces with the lining
sides together. (This may seem backward, but keep going!
You’ll end up creating a French seam that will conceal this seam.)
Stitch together with a ¼ seam. ( gure 16) Trim the seam
allowance very close to the line of stitching.
3 Turn the bag so that the lining is facing outward. Fold the
bag along the bottom seams and press at. (The right
sides of the exterior will be together.)
4 Stitch again along the seam, 3⁄8 from the edge. This will
encase the seam you just stitched and provide a neat
French seam inside the bag. ( gure 17)
5 Turn the bag right-side out once more and check the seams
to be sure they are neat, then press.
gure 18
gure 19
gure 20
gure 21
ADDING THE BAG ENDS
1 Turn the bag lining-side out once more and mark the center
of each end of the Bag Bottom. ( gure 18)
2 Clip along the raw edge of the Main Body Bag near the
zipper as well as on either side of the center of the bag
bottom to ease the curve when the bag ends are added. Be sure
that your clips stay well within the ½ seam allowance.
3 Mark the center along the top and bottom of each Bag End
piece. ( gure 19)
4 Matching the centers, pin the Bag Ends into the openings at
each end of the Main Bag pieces with exterior sides
together and raw edges even. Ease the fabric together at the
corners to t in the fullness. Make sure that the bag is slightly
unzipped so that you can turn the bag right-side out in a later
step. Tip: You might nd it helpful to slightly cut a diagonal o
the corner of the bag end to get the two parts to t together. Keep
the ½ seam allowance in mind if you do this—you don’t want to
completely eliminate your seam allowance here.
5 Stitch across the bottom of the bag rst between the bottom
seams, and then along the sides and top. ( gure 20) Tip: I
place my hand inside the bag when stitching around the top
portion. It helps to guide the fabric as well as prevent puckering.
6 When the stitching is complete, trim the seams down very

close to the stitching, watching carefully not to cut into
any of the stitching lines.
FINISHING THE BAG
1 Turn the bag right-side out and press, creasing along all
seams. Follow the tips in Essential Techniques for getting
a professional nish (page 22).
2 To lend more structure to the bag and to conceal the interior

seams, fold the bag along one of the side seams and
edgestitch between the top and bottom corners. Repeat for the
remaining three side seams. You can also press a crease along the
top corners near the zipper area, and then add detail stitching.
This really does make a di erence in the way the nished bag will
look. It gives more structure to an otherwise soft bag. ( gure 21)
3 Add a zipper charm to the zipper for easy zipping.
creating double-faced quilted fabric

There are some wonderful double-faced pre-quilted
fabrics out there, but sometimes
you need to create your own. It’s relatively quick and
easy to do with just a few tools.
1 Press Fabrics A1 and A2 so that they are smooth.
2 Apply the fusible eece to the wrong side of Fabric

A1.
3 Apply Fabric A2 (right-side out) to the other side of the

eece. It might be helpful to use temporary adhesive
spray to hold the fabric/ eece layers together while you quilt.
4 I personally like the diagonal quilting lines, but you can do

whatever you like to quilt the two fabrics together. If you
would like to do diagonal lines, start at one corner and, using your
quilting ruler, draw a line at a 45-degree angle with a chalk
pencil. Following this line, create more parallel lines spaced about
2 apart. You can choose to make them closer together or farther
apart if you wish.
5 Draw lines at 45 degrees going in the other direction in the

same manner. This should create a diamond-shaped
pattern on the fabric. ( gure 22) If you would rather do horizontal
and vertical lines, or even a random meandering pattern, go for it!
6 Quilt together through all thicknesses, starting at the rst

corner-to-corner lines. I highly recommend that you use a
walking foot attachment for the quilting lines. It makes the fabrics
feed through the machine evenly, preventing small tucks or
puckering.
7 Once the fabrics have been quilted together, press the entire
piece to smooth it out, then use it just as Fabric A is used
to make the bag.
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A1—exterior: 1 yard
Fabric A2—lining: 1 yard
Yardage based on 44-wide cotton fabrics
Additional Tools
1 yard of fusible eece for quilting
Walking foot attachment (optional)
Spray adhesive
For all other tools, refer to main materials list.
gure 22
TULIP TOTE
The Tulip Tote is a medium- to large-size shoulder bag, perfect for
everyday use. The exterior is soft-sided, but because of the bag’s
shape, this one still stands nicely all on its own. This purse just goes
to show that interesting elements can come from just about
anywhere—the large grommets are from the drapery section. The
interior o ers pockets on both sides to keep you organized so
everything is at your ngertips. Once I had designed this bag, it just
looked like a tulip to me with its graceful curvy shape, thus the Tulip
Tote!
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior: ½ yard
Fabric B—bag lining & handles: 1 yard
Fabric C—interior pockets & binding: ½ yard
3″×12½ piece one-sided fusible stabilizer (Peltex 71)
½ yard fusible eece (Thermolam Plus)
12⁄3 yards fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight
fabrics
Fabric yardage based on 45-wide cotton fabrics.
The materials list on page 70 lists yardages for the wool &
silk variation with the ower embellishment.
Other Materials
One ¾ magnetic snap
Four 19⁄16 drapery grommets

10×13×3 deep at base, not including
the handles
my initial sketch
Featured in three fabrics and with an option to make a wool and silk version (see pages 70–71),
there are a lot of opportunities to make this bag your personal style statement. Look around when
shopping for fabrics! This bag would be wonderful made from a textured linen or a lighter-weight
home decorating fabric.
I embellished the bag with a neat decorative pin with a bit of tulle on one side of the bag.
Look through your jewelry box and see if there is one that you haven’t worn in a long time that
might be just that perfect bit of bling your bag is begging for. You can also pick up pretty,
decorative pins fairly inexpensively at major department stores.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The Main Bag pattern piece is provided (sheet 2). The ring tabs and
handles will be cut following the measurements provided in the
instructions using a ruler, rotary cutter and mat.
BAG EXTERIOR
1 This bag has a quilted exterior using the main fabric (Fabric
A, or wool in the variation) and fusible eece. You need
to quilt the fabric before the pattern pieces are cut. To do this, lay
the Main Bag pattern piece onto Fabric A and cut two rectangles
slightly larger than the pattern. Cut the same rectangles from
fusible eece. Fuse the eece onto the wrong side of the fabric. (If
you’re working with wool, you’ll need to spend a little longer with
the fusing process so that the heat of the iron properly activates
the eece’s adhesive.)
2 Lay the rectangle out on a at surface with the right side of

fabric facing up. With a ruler and removable marking
pencil, draw quilting lines on the fabric. (See Quilting Lines
sidebar below left.)
3 Once the quilting lines have been stitched on both halves of

the exterior ( gure 1), press brie y, then place the Main
Bag pattern piece onto the fabric and cut out two Main Bag pieces.
If you are adding the ower embellishment, refer to the

instructions on page 71.
FORMING SIDE SEAMS AND BOTTOM
1 Place the Main Bag pieces right-sides together with the side
and bottom edges even. Stitch together with a ½ seam
allowance. ( gure 2)
2 Lay the bag out on a at surface and mark 1½ up from the

bottom and side at each corner, including the side seam
allowance in the measurement. ( gure 3) Cut away the corners
and trim down the seam allowances to ¼.
Quilting Lines
For the quilting lines, I chose to mix it up a bit.
When looking at the photos, you will see diagonal
lines that are set on a 45-degree angle and spaced
3 apart. I also chose to do some that were double
stitched diagonally. If you would like to do the
double stitching, stitch on the drawn line, then
again ¼ away from the original stitching on each.
It’s helpful to use a walking foot, but since the
eece is fused to the fabric, it really isn’t
necessary. Don’t rush out and purchase one, but
you might want to use it if you have one lying
around.
gure 4
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
3 At each cut corner, align raw edges and the side and bottom
seams right sides together to form the corners of the bag.
Stitch across with a ½ seam, then trim the seam allowance to ¼.
4 Clip the curves along the side of the bag, then turn right-
side out and press (see page 22 in Essential Techniques).
5 Place the 3″×12½ piece of Peltex inside the bag on the

bottom with the fusible side facing the bag. Carefully
place your iron inside the bag and fuse the Peltex in place. This
reinforces the bottom of the bag and prevents sagging during use.
BAG INTERIOR
1 Using the Main Bag pattern piece once more, cut two each
from Fabric B and fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing
to the wrong side of the fabric.
2 For the interior pockets, cut two rectangles. One will

measure 10½ tall × 13½ wide and the other will be 8½
tall × 12½ wide. Cut the same size rectangles from fusible
interfacing and fuse to the wrong sides of fabric.
3 Fold each rectangle in half, right sides together, so that its

height is reduced by half (5¼ and 4¼ respectively).
4 Stitch the pockets together along the sides and bottom,

leaving a 3 opening along the bottom edge for turning.
Clip the corners diagonally. ( gure 5) Turn right-side out and
press. Now edgestitch the top folded edges of each pocket.
5 On the interior bag pieces, mark 4 down from the top on

one and 4½ down from the top on the other. Place the
smaller pocket’s upper edge along the 4 mark (refer to gure 6)
and the larger pocket’s upper edge on the 4½ mark and pin in
place, centered from side to side.
6 Edgestitch the side and bottom edges of each pocket. Mark

the smaller pocket 4 in from each end to divide into three
equal parts, then stitch down the marked lines. ( gure 6)
7 Mark in 5 from each side of the larger pocket to divide it

into three sections. ( gure 7) Note that the center section
will be about 3 wide, so this pocket is not evenly divided. If you
wish to divide your pocket di erently, please do so. Stitch down
the marked lines.
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
8 For the magnetic snap placement, measure 1½ down from

the top and mark at the center (about 81⁄8″ in from the
sides) on each interior piece. Mark the prong placement on either
side of this mark ( gure 8), then snip small openings. Insert the
snap, and fold the prongs to the wrong side.
9 Sew the interior together in the same manner as the exterior

(Steps 1–5 under Forming Side Seams and Bottom), except
use a 5⁄8 seam allowance. This slightly larger seam allowance
helps reduce the bulk of the seams and makes the exterior bag and
lining pieces t together nicely.
SEWING THE BAG TOGETHER
1 Place the interior bag inside the exterior with the wrong
sides together. Match the side seams and upper raw edges.
Pin in place, then stitch around the top edge, ¼ in from the raw
edges. ( gure 9)
2 For the binding, cut a strip from Fabric C 2× the width of

the fabric. Trim o the selvedges, then turn ½ to the
wrong side along one of the ends and press. ( gure 10)

and press.
4 Starting with the pressed-under end, place the binding

against the top edge of the lining. Pin all the way around
until you reach the pressed-under end. Allow for ½ overlap and
trim away the excess. ( gure 11)
5 Open out the pressed-under end of the binding and place the
cut end inside. ( gure 12) Finish pinning, then stitch
around the top of the bag with a scant 3⁄8 seam.
6 Fold the binding over to the outside and press. Pin in place,
then edgestitch the lower folded edge in place. Edgestitch
the top edge of the binding also. ( gure 13)
gure 14
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
GROMMETS & HANDLES
1 For the grommets, lay the bag out on a at surface. Place

one half of the grommet on top of the bag with the outer
edge of the grommet 2½ from the side seam and just below the
nished edge of the binding. Use a removable marking pencil to
trace the inner circle of the grommet. ( gure 14)
2 Use the grommet template that came with the product to trace a
slightly larger circle. ( gure 15) This will create a
perfectly sized circle for installing the grommet. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for snapping the grommet onto the
bag. Repeat for the remaining grommets.
3 Cut four strips 2½″× the width of fabric from Fabric B for
the handles and nine strips 2½″× the width of the
interfacing from fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the
wrong side of the fabric, overlapping by ¼ as necessary. (If you’re
making the wool variation, test a set of strips with and without the
interfacing—you don’t want too much bulk in the nished handle,
and some wools are thicker than others.)
4 Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques for making

the handles (pages 16–17).
5 Once the handles have been made, add one more line of
stitching down the center of each to complete ve lines of
stitching on each one. ( gure 16) Trim the handles to 43 in
length.
6 Place the end of one of the handles through one grommet

opening, going from the exterior toward the interior of
the bag. Bring up the end and turn under the raw edge twice by ½
to conceal it. Pin the folded end of the handle in place. (Note: if
the handles have been made from wool, complete a tight zigzag
stitch along the raw edges of the handles, then turn up only once
to reduce bulk.)
7 Place the remaining end of that handle through the

grommet hole on the same side of the bag, being careful
not to twist the handle. Turn the end up as before and pin. Repeat
with the remaining handle on the other side of the bag.
8 Try the bag on your shoulder and make any length

adjustments to the handles. It may be that you prefer
shorter handles. If so, be sure to cut o an equal amount from
each handle, then edge- and topstitch in place. ( gure 17)
WOOL & SILK VARIATION with Floral Embellishment

On the wool variation I made, I also created this spectacular oral
embellishment. After quilting the exterior fabric (see Steps 1–3 on
page 66), follow these steps, and then return to the instructions on
page 66, starting with Forming Side Seams and Bottom.
materials list
Fabric
Wool (60 wide medium weight)—bag exterior,
handles and ower: ¾ yard
Silk (45 wide)—lining, interior pockets and
binding: ¾ yard
Contrasting silk—outer edge of ower: 1⁄8 yard
Netting (54 wide)— ower detail: ¼ yard
For interfacing, refer to main materials list.
Additional Tools
Ru er attachment
Hand sewing needle
For all other tools, refer to main materials list.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
1 To create a ower for one side of the exterior, cut the

following:
2 strips: 1½ × width of the fabric from wool
3 strips: 2 × width of the fabric from netting
1 strip: 3 × width of the fabric from contrasting silk
After all of the strips have been cut, fold the silk strip in half
lengthwise and press.
2 For all strips, add one strip of netting on top. The netting
will extend beyond the width of the wool or silk by ½
along one side.
3 Stitch the netting and strips together along the sides where
the netting and fabric are aligned. If the netting extends
beyond the length of the strip, just trim the excess away.
4 Once all netting has been attached, run the strips through a
ru er attachment set at every stitch. I nd it helpful to
have the netting side against the feed dogs so that it does not
catch on the machine foot during sewing. If you don’t have a
ru er attachment, see page 74 to make your own gathered strips.
5 After all of the strips have been ru ed, begin by placing the
silk/net ru e onto the bag with the net-side facing up.
Form a circle, approximately 2 from the top edge, 1½ from the
bottom and 4 in from the sides. This should form about an 8
circle. ( gure 1)
6 Pin in place and stitch on top of strip’s previous stitching.

With the net-side facing up, start with the rst wool strip
and place the ru e just inside the silk one. Begin stitching and
continue in a spiral pattern with the rows close together until the
strip has been sewn down. ( gure 2)
7 Slightly overlap with the next wool strip and continue in

this pattern until there is about a 1½ wide circle at the
center. Stop stitching. Trim the end of this partially attached strip
to create a curved edge ( gure 3) and begin rolling it up to form
the center of the ower.
8 There may be too much length left, in which case you’ll

need to trim it down. You want the ower to have a loose
appearance, but not too loose. Use a hand needle and thread to
take a few stitches at the base of the rolled-up portion to keep it
from unrolling, then lay the base against the bag and hand-stitch
in place. Continue to hand-stitch any of the loose portions of the
ower in place. Once the ower is complete, you can continue
with the bag construction, beginning on page 66.
RUFFLE HOBO BAG
The Ru e Hobo bag is based on one of my bag patterns with
Serendipity Studio called the Sylvia Sling. I have always thought that
this bag would look terri c with some ru e “ u ,” so I revisited the
design and made some changes here and there to make the ru e
idea work with the shape. I love how it came out! The bias strip
ru es give you an opportunity to use some of the great pre-cut
fabric strips available in many independent sewing shops. So if you
are in love with a lot of di erent fabrics, this bag is for you!
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—main exterior (underneath ru es):
1⁄3 yard
Fabric B—side/bottom of bag: 1⁄6 yard
Fabric C—exterior zipper panels: 1⁄8 yard
Fabric D—lining (includes interior zipper panels): 5⁄8
yard
Fabric E—handles: 1⁄3 yard, or 1⁄6 yard each of two
di erent fabrics
Fabric F—interior pockets: 1⁄3 yard
Ru es and interior seam binding: 1 pre-cut roll of 2½
-wide strips
All fabric yardage is based on 45-wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
15⁄8 yards
Fusible eece (Thermolam Plus): 1⁄3 yard
One-side fusible (Peltex 71): 1 yard
One 14 sport zipper (can be separating or closed
bottom)
1½-wide buckle for handle
Heavy-duty machine needle
Removable marking pen or chalk pencil
Ru er attachment foot
1 zipper charm
Turning tool
Hand-sewing needle
Temporary spray adhesive

7 tall × 14 wide × 4 deep, with a 20 handle
my initial sketch
This bag would be fabulous with the ru es made from bias strips out of silk! You could piece
several colors of silk together, or just use one solid color. You would need about 1¼ yards of 45-
wide silk for this look from one color, or split that yardage equally depending on how many
di erent colors you would like to piece together. The cutting of the strips and construction would
be the same. Another idea—if you don’t fancy ru es—leave them o and have a smooth,
tailored bag.
gure 1
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The pattern sheets include pieces for the Main Bag Side/Bottom
(sheet 1), Interior Pocket (sheet 6), Front Handle (sheet 3), Back
Handle (sheet 6) and Main Bag (sheet 5). The Zipper Panels, Ru e
Strips and Bias Binding will be cut from measurements provided in
the instructions using a ruler, rotary cutter and mat. Seam allowance
for this bag are ½ unless otherwise stated.
CREATING THE BIAS RUFFLES
1 You will create the ru es from a pieced unit of fabric that

you will create by stitching together the pre-cut 2½ fabric
strips (each 40½ long). Choose twenty 2½-wide strips from the
pre-cut roll, or cut twenty 2½-wide by 40½-long strips from
fabrics of your choice. Place them horizontally in a pleasing order.
Set aside leftover strips from a pre-cut roll to create binding.
2 Once you have decided on an order for the strips, begin

piecing them into one large unit. Place two strips right
sides together, and then sew along the length of the strips with a
¼ seam allowance. (I like to use my serger for this.) Continue
sewing strips in this manner until all twenty strips are sewn
together. This should create a unit that is 40½″× the width of the
fabric. Press all of the seams to one side. ( gure 1)
3 Following the Cutting on the Bias instructions in Essential

Techniques (pages 14–15), begin cutting the strip unit
into eight 4-wide strips. (You will need approximately 8 yards’
worth and no more.) Use the leftover portion to cut 1½ to 2 yards’
worth of 5 strips (two strips) and three 3 strips for the bias
binding ( gure 1).
4 Once all strips have been cut, piece all of the 4-wide strips
together, following the instructions in the Essential
Techniques. Repeat this process for the 5 strips. Still following the
Essential Techniques, trim the ends and fold the strips in half and
press, readying them for the ru er foot.
5 Serge or zigzag stitch the raw edges of the ru e strip units

to prevent fraying before ru ing them, then edgestitch
(page 16) along the folded edge.
6 Ru e both strip units with the ru er attachment set at

every stitch, ¼ in from the raw edge. Do not press the
ru es at after stitching. Set the ru ed strip units aside until the
bag exterior has been prepared.
Gathering Without a Ru er Attachment

If you do not own a ru er attachment, you can
complete the gathering of the strip units by
completing two rows of gathering stitches, ¼ and
3⁄8 away from the top raw edges. Leave long tails
of thread at the beginning and end of the strip
units so that the bobbin threads may be pulled up
to gather the fabric.
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
gure 5
PREPARE THE MAIN BAG
1 Cut out two Main Bag pieces each from Fabric A and from
the fusible eece. Fuse the eece onto the wrong sides of
each Main Bag piece.
2 Using an awl or other sharp object, punch a hole through

the pattern at each circle marking. Using temporary
adhesive spray, place the pattern on the right side of one Main Bag
piece and transfer all pattern markings to the fabric. Peel away the
pattern piece and repeat on the other Main Bag piece. ( gure 2)
ADDING RUFFLES
1 You will add the 4-wide and 5-wide ru es (now 2-wide and
2½-wide, respectively) to the Main Bag. First add the 4-
wide ru es, beginning at the lower end of the bag. Take the 8-
yard-long strip of 4-wide ru es and lay its top (gathered) edge
carefully along the bottom marked ru e placement line, with
about half of the ru e extending beyond each raw side edge. Pin
in place and cut the ru e strip. Stitch ru e to bag over the
ru e’s edge stitching. ( gure 3) Place, pin and stitch the ru e
strip in the same manner along each ru e placement line except
the top one. Repeat on other Main Bag piece.
2 Place and stitch the 5-wide ru e strip along the top ru e

placement line in the same manner as you did the 4-wide
ru es. Repeat on other side of bag. ( gure 4)
3 Stitch ¼ in from the curved side edges. It is okay if the ru es
slightly extend beyond the bag edge. Once the stitching is
complete, carefully trim away any ru e extensions. ( gure 5)
Pre-Cut Fabric Rolls

If you’re using a pre-cut fabric roll for this bag,
you’ll have leftover strips. Some of these you can
use for the interior binding, and others can be set
aside for another project.
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
PREPARE THE LINING & INTERIOR POCKETS
1 Using the Main Bag pattern piece, cut out two lining pieces
from Fabric D and two from the fusible interfacing.
Transfer the center markings to the Fabric D pieces, then fuse the
interfacing to the wrong side of each fabric piece. Using the
Interior Pocket pattern piece, also cut four pocket pieces from
Fabric F and four from fusible interfacing. Transfer the center
markings to the Fabric F pieces, then fuse interfacing to the wrong
side of each pocket piece.
2 Place two of the pocket pieces right-sides together and stitch

with a ¼ seam allowance along the top edge only. Clip
seam allowances ( gure 6), then turn so that the pocket pieces are
wrong-sides together. Press along the seam at the top edge, then
edgestitch. Repeat for the two remaining pocket pieces.
3 Mark down the center of the pocket, then 3½ to either side

of center. ( gure 7)
4 Pin one pocket to the lining along the bottom edge,

matching the center markings. Stitch the pocket to each
lining along the outside edges, about ¼ from edge. Then stitch
down the markings dividing the pocket into four parts,
backstitching at the beginning and end of stitching lines. ( gure 8)
PREPARE THE ZIPPER PANEL
1 Cut two 16½″×2¼″ zipper panels each from Fabrics C and

D. Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of each zipper panel.
2 Mark in 1 from narrow edges on all four panel pieces.

( gure 9)
3 If your sport zipper is the separating type, you will need to

secure the ends so they don’t separate when using the
bag. This is simple to do. Just drop the feed dogs on your machine
and set it for a tight zigzag stitch set at the widest setting. With
the zipper closed, stitch across the zipper teeth just above the
zipper stop. Test the zipper to be sure that the stitches will hold,
then proceed to the next step.
Center the zipper facedown onto the right side of one of the exte
4 zipper panels (Fabric C) between markings, with the edge
of the zipper tape even with side edge of panel. Use a
zipper foot to stitch zipper in place along the one side.
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
5 Place an interior zipper panel (Fabric D) right-sides together

against the strip with the zipper attached. Align markings
and panel edges with the zipper sandwiched between the two
panels. Stitch the panels together over exterior panel stitching
done in Step 4. ( gure 11)
6 Press the panels away from the zipper, taking care not to
apply too much heat to the zipper teeth. (Pin the Interior
and Exterior Zipper Panels together.)
7 Repeat Steps 5–7 for the other side of the Zipper Panel.
ADD THE ZIPPER PANEL TO THE BAG PIECES
1 To add the Zipper Panel to the Main Bag piece, unpin the
panel pieces and open one side out so that the exterior
Zipper Panel edge is free from the remainder of the Zipper Panel
unit. I nd it helpful to pin the lining portion of the panel to the
other side so that it stays out of the way.
2 Pin one of the Main Bag pieces to the edge of opened-out

exterior Zipper Panel pieces, right sides together, with the
top edges of the bag just barely extending past the 1 markings on
the Zipper Panel at either end and raw edges even. The Zipper
Panel will extend beyond the bag piece itself. Stitch together.
( gure 12)
3 Repeat this with the lining for that side of the bag, using the
interior portion of the Zipper Panel.
4 Repeat this process for the other side of the Main Bag and
lining. Open out the pieces away from the Zipper Panel
and press all seams toward the panel. Pin the edges of each side
(Main Bag and Lining) wrong sides together with center marks and
zipper panel seams aligned. Stitch along the outer edges of the
Main Bag lining only to hold them together. ( gure 13)
5 Edgestitch on the Zipper Panel along the seam that joins it

to the Main Bag side. Stitch again ¼ away from stitching.
Stitch again next to the zipper along the seam, using your zipper
foot to get near the teeth. Stitch again ¼ away from edgestitching.
( gure 13)
6 Fold along the seam where the Zipper Panel joins the Main
Bag, and press to crease it slightly. Repeat for other side.
gure 14
gure 15
gure 16
PREPARE THE SIDE/BOTTOM AND ADD TO BAG
1 Cut one Side/Bottom piece from Peltex and set aside. Cut a
strip 5 × the width of fabric from Fabrics B and D for
Side/Bottom exterior and lining of the bag.
2 Lay the exterior Fabric B wrong-side facing the fusible side

of the Peltex. The ends of the fabric will extend beyond
the ends of the Peltex and be a small amount wider as well. This
will be trimmed away in the following steps.
3 Fuse the fabric to the Peltex. Flip the piece over and trim
away the extra fabric at the ends and sides near each end.
4 Spray the Peltex side of this piece with an adhesive, then,

wrong sides together, place the lining piece on top,
smoothing the fabric as you apply it to prevent wrinkles or
puckering. Transfer all pattern markings to the fabric, making
small snips into the fabric for the centers. Keep all markings or
snips inside the seam allowances.
5 Flip the piece over and follow the cut edge of the Peltex,
stitching through all thicknesses about ¼ from the edges.
6 Trim away the excess fabric of the lining to be even with the
other layers. ( gure 14) Clip the center of the piece and
also clip along both long edges to prepare it for sewing to the bag.
( gure 15)
7 Turn the Main Bag (with zipper) so that the lining is facing
out, with the zipper open. With the lining side of the
Side/Bottom piece facing out, match up the center marks at the
bottom, align the raw edges and pin along one long edge of the
Side/Bottom piece. The ends of the Side/Bottom will extend
beyond the ends of the Zipper Panel. I nd it helpful to pin the
Zipper Panel portion to the Side/Bottom piece so that it is easier
to start and stop the stitching.
8 Stitch the Side/Bottom and Main Bag pieces together along

the pinned edge. Start stitching just below the Zipper
Panel seam on one end and stopping when you reach this same
point on the other end. ( gure 16) Trim down the seam to a scant
¼, leaving the entire seam allowance intact above the line of
stitching.
9 Repeat this process for the other Main Bag-Side/Bottom

seam.
10 To make bias binding strips for the interior seams, cut a

series of 2¼ wide strips from the leftover pieced strips
for the ru es. Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques
(pages 14–15) to create a binding strip.
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
gure 20
11 With the bag inside out, pin the binding strip to the
Side/Bottom piece with the raw edges even and the end
of the binding about 1 beyond the start of stitching. Pin all the
way around, stopping 1″ beyond where the line of stitching ends.
Cut away any extra.
12 Stitch the binding to the seam, following the seam

stitching line. Trim away the extra binding that extends
beyond the stitching at each end. ( gure 17) Fold the binding over
the seam so that the folded edge just covers the stitching and pin
in place. Fold the binding over the seam so that it just covers the
stitching. Pin in place, and then stitch. Repeat for the remaining
seam.
13 Turn the bag right-side out, smoothing out the seam

where the Side/Bottom and Main Bag join. Turn out
each end of Zipper Panel and Side/Bottom so that they are fully
turned to the exterior and raw edges are exposed. These should
resemble tubes at each end. ( gure 18)
14 Zip the bag closed and turn in the seam allowance on the
Side/Bottom piece so that it lies nicely underneath the
zipper panel. Pin in place. Measure across the end. It should be
about 3 wide (in preparation for the handle). Press each end so
that it lies at.
15 Open the bag once more and use your hand to push out
and even up the seams. Take the bag where the
Side/Bottom and Main Bag are joined and crease it with your
hands. Also press along this seam in this manner to create a crisp,
professional nish. Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques
(page 22) for additional pressing.
HANDLES
1 Using the Front Handle and Back Handle pattern pieces, cut
two pieces each from Fabric E and interfacing. Press
under ½ along the wide bottom edge of one of the Front Handle
pieces and one of the Back Handle pieces (the ones that will be on
the inside of the handle facing the zipper panel).
2 Pin the handle pieces right sides together. Starting and

stopping at the pressed/folded edges, stitch along the long
edges and angled, narrow ends. Leave the folded edge unstitched.
( gure 19)
3 Trim across the stitched ends and cut corners diagonally to

reduce bulk. Leave side seam allowances intact.
( gure 20)
gure 21
gure 22
gure 23
gure 24
4 Turn each handle right-side out and fully turn out corners
with a turning tool. (A bamboo skewer or chopstick also
works well for this.) Press each handle at.
5 Stitch across the ends of the bag through all thicknesses,

about ¼ down from the raw edge of the zipper panel.
( gure 21) Trim away the portion of the Side/Bottom that extends
beyond the zipper panel.
6 Join the open end of the Handle (the end with the folded
edges) to the Side/Bottom. Pin the right side of the
top/outer Handle only to the exterior of the Side/Bottom, leaving
the bottom side of the handle (which will face the zipper) free.
Align top and side raw edges, and place the pressed fold line of
the Handle along the Side/Bottom stitching. Stitch this layer of the
Handle to the Side/Bottom just above the fold, being sure to keep
the bottom side of the handle free and open. ( gure 22)
7 Stitch the handle to the bag just above the pressed edge
with the side edges even. Trim down the seam and cut the
corners diagonally. ( gure 23)
8 Extend the handle outward away from the bag and bring the
seam to the inside of the handle opening. Pin so that the
folded edge of the handle encases the entire seam and conceals the
previous stitching. Stitch close to the folded edge by hand ( gure
24), then edgestitch with the machine from the Side/Bottom side
of the bag.
Edgestitch the Handle edges from the side of the Handle that will be
9
facing out.
10 Repeat for remaining Handle piece.
gure 25
gure 26
ADDING A BUCKLE
1 You will need a 1½-wide buckle with a tongue (I know it

sounds weird, but that’s what it is called!). The buckle can
be round or square.
2 Start by feeding the short end of the Front Handle through

the buckle and fold it over the cross bar. Just push the
tongue gently to one side to make sure that the buckle will t onto
the handle appropriately.
3 The edge of the handle should fold over about ¾ to the

inside. Mark the center of the fold so that you can stitch a
small buttonhole as an opening for the tongue.
4 Remove the buckle and make sure that the marking you just ma
centered on the handle. Make a small buttonhole, about ¼
long. ( gure 25) Carefully cut the buttonhole open, place buckle
back onto the handle, place the tongue through the buttonhole
and stitch the folded-over edge of the handle in place by hand.
( gure 26)
5 Feed the angled end of the Back Handle through the buckle
and decide on a nished length for the handle. The one
shown is about 20 long from where it attaches to the bag.
6 Mark where you would like to place the second buttonhole

on this portion of the handle. Again, check to be sure that
the marking is centered, then make the buttonhole. Cut it open
and feed it through the buckle, placing the tongue through the
buttonhole.
VERSATILE HANDLE HANDBAG
You can use a di erent fabric to highlight each design feature on
this bag—or have the design feature highlight the fabric! There are a
lot of great features on this bag. There are elasticized sides that are
accented with ru es, exterior pockets (also accented with ru es),
interior pockets and a magnetic snap closure to keep everything in
its place. The loop handle is extra-functional in that it can be pulled
through the tabs to be one long handle for wearing over the shoulder
or pulled into two smaller handles as a handbag. This bag is fun and
casual and would look great from just about any fabric combination.
materials list
Fabric
½ yard each of four di erent fabrics:
Fabric A—main bag center panel fabric, main
lining and handle tabs
Fabric B—bag sides and pockets (exterior and
interior)
Fabric C—contrast strip for pockets, sides, interior
seam binding, handle and top of bag binding
Fabric D—ru es
Other Materials
¾ yard Peltex 71 (one-sided fusible stabilizer)
1⁄3 yard Thermolam Plus fusible eece
1 yard fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight
fabrics
10 of ¾ -wide elastic
Ru er attachment (optional)
Needle-nose pliers
Finished Dimensions
9½ tall × 11 wide at base, 17 wide at opening × 6 deep,
not including handle
my initial sketch
Make this handbag your own by adding fun trims or a vintage brooch to one of the outer pockets.
It might also be fun to make the entire outer bag from one fabric, then use two other fabrics for
the contrast strips and ru es. Silk would make a gorgeous luxurious addition as a ru e in this
case!
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
LAYOUT
The only pattern piece provided will be for the Exterior Pocket
(sheet 3). All other pieces will be cut by measurements given
throughout the instructions.
MAIN HANDBAG, LINING & POCKETS
1 From Fabric A, cut four rectangles measuring 13″×10, with

the design motif of the fabric parallel to the 13 side. Also
cut two rectangles of the same size from the Peltex.
2 For the exterior of the bag, fuse the Peltex to the wrong side
of two of the rectangles. Set the remaining two rectangles
aside for the lining.
3 Place the two exterior rectangles fabric-sides together and

sew along the 10 sides using a ½ seam allowance. This
seam forms the bottom of the bag. (If your fabric is directional,
make sure the rectangles are turned correctly.) Trim the seam to
¼ and press open. Mark 3 to either side of the bottom seam on the
right side of fabric. Repeat for the lining pieces.
4 Using the Exterior Pocket pattern piece, cut four pocket

pieces each from Fabric B and interfacing. Apply the
interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric for each pocket piece.
Set two of the pocket pieces aside as the backing.
Cut two strips 2″× the width of the fabric from Fabric D for the
5 pocket ru e. Trim o the selvedges at each end. Fold the
strips in half lengthwise, wrong-sides together, and press.
6 Use a long straight stitch to complete two rows of stitching

at ¼ and 3⁄8″ across the raw edges. Pull up the bobbin
threads or use a ru er attachment set at every stitch to gather the
strips along the long raw edge, approximately ¼ in from the edge
for each strip. Press the ru ed strips at.
7 Cut two ru es from one of the strips to be the same length

as the top of the pocket, about 7. Turn under the ends of
the ru es by 1⁄8 twice so that the raw edges are concealed.
Edgestitch near the folded edges. ( gure 2)
8 Center the ru es, wrong-side down, along the top edge of

two of the pocket pieces (pocket pieces should be right-
side up; ru e will be inset from raw edges of pocket). Sew in
place with a ¼ seam. ( gure 3)
9 Mark 2½ down from the top of the pocket. Align the raw
edge of another piece of the ru ed strip with this mark,
with the ends of the ru e extending beyond the pocket sides by
½. Stitch along the previous stitching on the ru e to attach.
( gure 4) Repeat for other pocket piece. Save the rest of the ru e
strip for the side pockets.
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
10 Cut two 2″-wide by 8″-long strips from Fabric C for the

contrast strip. Fold one strip in half lengthwise with
wrong sides together, and press. Lay the contrast strip on top of
the lower ru e with raw edges aligned and with the ends
extending beyond the sides by ½. Pin in place and stitch 3⁄8 from
raw edge. ( gure 5)
11 Fold the contrast strip upward away from the ru e and

press. Edgestitch the upper folded edge of the contrast
strip, then edgestitch the lower edge near the ru e. Trim away
any excess strip/ru e at pocket sides to be even with the pocket
edges. ( gure 6) Repeat steps 10 and 11 for other pocket.
12 Place one pocket with ru e trim against one of the

pocket pieces without ru es, right-sides together,
matching the raw edges. Stitch together with a 3⁄8 seam
allowance, taking care not to catch the ru e strip along the top
edge in the side seams. Leave an opening for turning along the
bottom of the pocket about 2½ wide. Clip curves and cut corners
diagonally ( gure 7), then turn right-side out.
13 Press the pocket at, making sure to fully turn out the
corners and curves. Open the top ru e out away from
the pocket. Turn in the edge along the opening by 3⁄8 and press.
Double topstitch the top edge of the pocket below the ru e.
( gure 8)
Pin one pocket to each side of the bag exterior (Fabric A) ½ up from
the bottom 3 marking and centered from side to side.
14 Double topstitch the pocket edges in place. ( gure 9)
15 For the interior pockets, cut two rectangles measuring

10″×8 with the direction of the fabric parallel to the 8
side. Cut two rectangles the same size from interfacing and apply
to the wrong side of each piece.
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
16 Fold the inside pocket pieces in half right sides together

so that they measure 10″×4. Stitch along the 10 edge
with a ¼ seam allowance, forming a tube. Turn right-side out and
press with the seam along one edge. Edgestitch along the pressed
folded edge. ( gure 10)
Sew the two remaining 10″×13 rectangles cut from Fabric A in Step
17 1 (for the lining) right-sides together with a ½ seam

along one of the 10 sides. Trim the seam and press
open. Apply the interior pockets to the lining on the right side of
fabric with the raw edges along the sides even, and with the seam
edge of the pockets along the 3 marking on either side of the
bottom seam. Stitch ¼ in from the side edges to attach the pockets
( gure 11) and edgestitch along the bottom edge of each pocket.
Draw a line down the middle of each pocket at 5 and stitch along
the line to divide the pockets in half.
18 On the wrong side of the lining, mark the center at each

top edge, then 1¼ down. Cut two small squares of
scrap interfacing and apply on top of interfacing already fused to
the lining. ( gure 12) This will reinforce the area where you will
place the magnetic snap.
19 On the right side of the lining, mark the center and then
1¼ down from the top edge for the snap placement.
Snip small openings for the snap prongs on either side of the
center marking, then place the prongs through the fabric to the
wrong side. Slide the backing plate on and bend the prongs
outward toward the sides of the bag with needle-nose pliers.
( gure 13) Repeat for other half of snap at opposite end of lining.
20 Lay the Lining right-side up on top of the Peltex-exposed

side of the Main Bag piece. Align the bottom seams and
raw edges. Pin together at bottom seam, then use temporary spray
adhesive to attach the lining to the Peltex. This helps to prevent
puckers when the layers are stitched together. Stitch in ¼″ around
entire outer edge and set Main Bag aside. ( gure 14)
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
gure 20
HANDBAG SIDES, HANDLE & BINDING
1 For the handbag sides, cut four 10” squares from Fabric B.
Also cut two 10 squares from fusible eece. Fuse the
pieces to two of the fabric squares. Mark these pieces with a small
dot in one corner; this will identify the side that forms the exterior
of the bag. Attach the other two squares to the non-fusible side of
the eece with temporary adhesive spray, then stitch in ¼ from all
four outside edges.
2 On the exterior side, mark 3½ down from the top edge.

Align the raw edge of the ru e strip to this marking and
sew through all thicknesses on top of the previous stitching.
( gure 15)
3 Cut a 3″×10″ strip from Fabric C, fold in half length-wise

with wrong sides together and press. Add this strip to the
ru e (like you did for the pockets on page 85) and stitch in place.
( gure 16) Fold the strip upward away from the ru e and press.
Pin in place and edgestitch both the folded edge and the one near
the ru e. ( gure 17) Repeat for other side.
4 Cut two pieces of ¾ wide elastic, 5 long. Insert into the

contrast strip casing and stitch across the ends with the
edges of elastic and bag even. Clip the center of the bag side along
the bottom edge by folding in half and snipping o the corner
slightly. ( gure 18)
Use a long straight machine stitch to complete two rows of stitch
5 along the bottom edge of the Bag Sides at ¼ and 3⁄8.
6 Clip along the bottom edges of the main bag (Fabric A)

piece, starting about 2 before the bottom markings at 3,
across the bottom and up the other side to prepare for adding the
side pieces. ( gure 19)
7 With the lining side facing out for all pieces, pin the Bag
Side to the Main Bag. Match the Main Bag’s bottom seam
with the center marking on the Bag Sides. Match the bottom
corners of the Bag Side to the 3 markings on the Main Bag. The
top edges of all pieces should be even. Pull the gathering threads
along the Bag Sides until it matches in size with the main bag; pin
in place.
8 Stitch the Main Bag and Bag Sides together with a ½ seam
allowance. ( gure 20) Trim the seam down to ¼.
gure 21
gure 22
gure 23
gure 24
gure 25
gure 26
gure 27
gure 28
9 Cut two strips 2¼-wide × the width of fabric from Fabric C.

Fold in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and
press. Add the binding strip to the seam along the Main Bag’s
interior. Stitch along the previous line of stitching. ( gure 21)
10 Fold the binding over the seam to conceal it and pin in

place. ( gure 21) Edgestitch the folded edge in place.
Brie y press the bag while wrong-side out to soften the Peltex,
then turn the bag right-side out. Fully turn out the bottom. Fold
along the seam lines and press. Continue to press until the bag has
a crisp, professional nish. (See Essential Techniques page 22.)
11 Cut four 2″×5 pieces from Fabric A for the handle tabs.
Cut four pieces the same size from interfacing and
apply to the wrong side of each tab. Fold and press ¼ to the
wrong side of each tab along the 5 sides. Fold in half lengthwise
wrong-sides together and edgestitch the pressed edges in place;
edgestitch the folded side. ( gure 22)
13 Add the tabs on top of the main bag portion of the

handbag where the side of the bag is joined. Pin in
place, then stitch across ¼ from the edge. ( gure 23) Set the bag
aside.
For the handle, cut a 4 ½″×35 strip from Fabric C. Fold the strip in
half crosswise, right-sides together matching raw edges,
14 and sew with a ¼ seam to form a loop. Press the seam
open. ( gure 24) Cut a piece of fusible eece 1½″×35″. Center
the eece on the wrong side of the handle and press in place.
( gure 25)
16 Cut two strips of interfacing, 4½″×20. Add to the wrong

side of the handle loop on top of the fusible eece. Use
the second interfacing strip to continue covering the wrong side of
the handle, overlapping the interfacing by ¼ when piecing. When
the beginning edge of the interfacing is reached, overlap again by
¼ and cut away the excess. ( gure 26)
17 Fold one of the handle’s raw edges over to the wrong side
by ¼″ and press. ( gure 26) Fold the remaining edge to
the wrong side using the edge of the fusible eece as a guide and
press in place. ( gure 27)
18 Sew the handle together, fold it in half lengthwise with

wrong sides together; match the pressed folded-under
edges. It’s ne if this causes one edge of the eece to fold over
slightly as well. Edgestitch the two pressed edges together. Fold in
half lengthwise once more and edgestitch again, following the
previous stitching. This will result in a handle that is a continuous
loop approximately ¾ wide. ( gure 28)
gure 29
gure 30
gure 31
Truly Versatile
The tabs and strap on this bag are designed for
versatility. This bag can be held a number of ways.
There are two options for a handbag-style hold: the
one to the right and the one shown on page 82. Or,
you can pull the handle through to create a
shoulder bag (left). As a handbag or a shoulder
bag, it’s just perfect.
19 Place the handle around the top edge of the bag over the
open tabs. Fold the tabs in half and bring the unsewn
end up to be even with the top edge of the bag, encasing the
handle. Do this for each tab. Stitch across the tab to hold the
handle in place. ( gure 29)
20 Cut a 3 strip by width of fabric from Fabric C for the

exterior binding at the top of the bag. Trim away the
selvedges and press one of the narrow ends to the wrong side by
½. Fold the strip in half lengthwise wrong sides together and
press.
21 Starting with the pressed-under edge, pin the binding in

place around the entire top edge on the lining side until
the pressed-under edge is reached. Overlap the binding by about 1
and cut away excess. Stitch around the top edge about ½ from the
top of the bag using a 3⁄8″ seam allowance. ( gure 30)
22 Open out the binding away from the bag and press. Fold
it over to the outside and press once more. Edgestitch
the lower pressed edge, then edgestitch the upper nished edge of
the binding. ( gure 31)
SOCIALITE HANDBAG
You’ll feel just like a debutante carrying this little beauty! With its
lovely curved shape and smooth elegant features, it is most
de nitely a show-stopper. The Socialite Handbag is a simple yet
sophisticated design with a wide base that tapers to a narrow
opening. Gently ruched pockets grace the exterior back with the
embellished magnetic tab closure completing the design at the
exterior front. Divided pockets on one side of the interior help keep
your things organized. This bag o ers the option of a handbag or
shoulder-length handle.
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior, exterior pockets and handle: 1
yard
Fabric B—lining and interior pockets: 5⁄8 yard
Fabric C—interior seam binding, ap, exterior pocket
trim and top edge binding: ½ yard
Other Materials
1 yard Peltex 71 (one-sided fusible stabilizer)
1¼ yards fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight
fabrics
Needle-nose pliers
1 large decorative button, brooch or pin for ap
embellishment
Finished Dimensions
7½″×16 wide at base, 10 wide at opening x 3 deep
The handle has either a 9″ or 12½ drop.
my initial sketch
Make this bag your own by making it from only two fabrics, or even one. A pretty cotton
sateen would be a lovely choice for this bag. Of course, the fabric choice will completely
change the look of the bag and a nice geometric black and white print would be striking.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
gure 5
LAYOUT & CUTTING
With the exception of the Main Bag Side, all pattern pieces are
provided for this bag: Flap/Closure (sheet 2); Main Bag (sheet 5);
and Exterior Pocket Lining/Interior Pocket, Handle and Exterior
Ruched Pocket (sheet 6). This will be cut as a strip using a rotary
cutter, ruler and mat. Watch the pattern of the fabric closely; fussy
cut as desired.
EXTERIOR, LINING & POCKETS
1 From Fabric A: cut two Main Bag pieces, two Handles and
one Exterior Ruched Pocket. Cut one Exterior Pocket
Lining from Fabric B. Transfer all pattern markings to fabric. From
interfacing, cut two Handles and two Exterior Pockets; from
Peltex, cut two Main Bags.
2 Apply interfacing to the wrong side of each Exterior Pocket

piece (ruched and lining).
3 Sew gathering stitches on the Exterior Ruched Pocket piece

(Fabric A). Use the longest straight machine stitch and
sew along the outer edge between the notches and down the
center from marking. ( gure 1)
4 Pull up the gathering stitches until the Exterior Ruched

Pocket piece is the same size as the Exterior Pocket Lining
(Fabric B) piece and press the gathers at, arranging the pleats as
desired during the ironing process. ( gure 2)
5 Pin the two pocket pieces wrong sides together and stitch ¼
in along the edges. ( gure 3)
6 From Fabric C, cut a bias strip of fabric, 2 wide by 25″ long.

See the Essential Techniques (pages 14–15) section for
cutting fabric on the bias. From the bias strip, cut one piece 4
long. Fold in ½ along each 4 side to the wrong side and press to
get a 1″×4 strip. Place this strip down the center of the pocket
(wrong side of strip to right side of fabric), covering the stitches.
Pin and edgestitch (page 17) the strip in place. ( gure 4)
7 Using the remaining bias strip, pin it right-sides together to

the lining side of the pocket along the top edge, with the
strip extending slightly at each pocket side. Trim away any excess
strip. Sew with a ½ seam allowance. ( gure 5)
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
8 Open out the strip away from the pocket and press. Fold it
over the top edge of the pocket and press again, then turn
under the lower raw edge to the exterior side about ¼ and press.
Edgestitch the lower edge then the upper edge in place. ( gure 6)
9 Pin the pocket to the right side of one of the exterior Main
Bag pieces, matching up the sides and bottom edge. Stitch
together ¼ from the outer edges. Stitch the center of the pocket
through all layers, following the previous stitching on the contrast
band, pivoting just below the top binding and stitching down the
other side to divide the pocket. ( gure 7)
10 Cut out two Interior Pockets from Fabric B. Apply

interfacing to the wrong side of each Interior Pocket
piece. Sew the pocket pieces right-sides together along the top
edge, then clip the curve. ( gure 8) Turn the pieces right-side out,
folding along the seam line and press, with all remaining raw
edges even. Pin together, then stitch ¼ in from all raw edges and
edgestitch the top along the seam. ( gure 9)
11 Find the center of the Interior Pocket. Using a removable

marking pencil, mark a vertical line down the center.
Then divide those two sides in half, creating marks that will divide
this pocket into fourths. Pin the pocket to the right side of one of
the Lining pieces, matching up the sides and bottom edge. Stitch
¼ in around the sides and bottom edge, then stitch down the three
marks that divide the pocket. ( gure 10)
12 Add the large “receiving” side of the magnetic snap to the

Exterior Main Bag piece that does not have the Ruched
Pocket. To do this, nd the center marking, then mark 1¾ below
the center for the snap placement. Place the prongs of the snap on
either side of the mark and mark for the prongs. Snip at these
marks. ( gure 11) Insert the snap, then place the plate on the back
side. Bend the prongs to the wrong side to secure the snap using
needle-nose pliers. ( gure 12)
gure 13
gure 14
gure 15
gure 16
13 Attach the Lining pieces, right-sides facing out, to the

Peltex side of the Main Bag pieces with temporary
spray adhesive. Be sure to place the Interior Pocket on the non-
pocketed Main Bag piece. Stitch these together, ¼ in from all edges
and set aside.
14 Cut a strip from Peltex measuring 4″×34½. Cut the same size
from both Fabrics A and B. Place the wrong side of the
Fabric A strip against the fusible side of the Peltex and press. Then
add the Fabric B piece (right-side up) to the Peltex side using
temporary spray adhesive spray. Stitch in ¼ from all outer edges.
This is the bottom/side piece.
15 Fold the strip in half and clip at the top and bottom of the
fold to mark the center. Complete a series of 3⁄8″ snips
along each side of the strip ( gure 13) and along the side and
bottom of both Main Bag pieces. This will help ease the pieces
together when stitching.
16 Pin the right sides of the Main Bag and Bottom/Side

pieces together with the Lining facing outward. Begin
at the bottom center of the bag, matching markings and work
around the curves, making additional snips as necessary to ease
the pieces together. Stitch together with a ½ seam. ( gure 14)
17 Trim the seam to a scant ¼. Cut several 2½″ bias strips

from Fabric C and piece together with a ¼ seam,
pressing seams open. (See Essential Techniques, pages 14–15.)
Two 1-yard pieces should be enough for the interior seam binding.
Cut the ends of the strips straight and then fold them in half
lengthwise with wrong-sides together and press.
18 Pin each strip to the bag, with raw edges even with the
seam’s raw edges, and the folded edge in toward the
Sides/Bottom piece. The strip must extend at least 3⁄8 past the top
edges of the bag. Stitch, following the bag’s seam line.
19 Open out the binding and fold it over the seam edges.
( gure 16) Pin in place and edgestitch the outer folded
edge in place.
20 Brie y iron the bag to soften the Peltex, then turn right-
side out. For a crisp nish, fold the bag at
the seams and press. (See Essential Techniques, page 22.)
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
gure 20
gure 21
HANDLES, CLOSURE & BINDING
1 Apply interfacing to the wrong side of both Handle pieces.

Sew the Handle pieces right sides together along both
long edges with a ½ seam allowance. Clip the curves and leave the
entire seam allowance in place. ( gure 17) Turn right-side out and
press.
2 Double topstitch the nished edges of the handle. See the

Essential Techniques section for more detail about double
topstitching (page 17).
3 Place the handle on the inside of the bag, with the raw edges
of the handle against the Bottom/Side piece’s top edges.
The handle should just t between the two interior bound seams.
Stitch across the handle ends (over the binding) at 3⁄8 a few times
to reinforce. ( gure 18)
Cut two Flap/Closures from Fabric C and two from interfacing.
Apply interfacing to the wrong side of each Flap/Closure
4 piece. To apply the remaining half of the magnetic snap to
the Flap/Closure, mark 1¼ up from the center of the rounded
edge. Center the snap’s prongs on either side of the marking and
make marks for the prongs. Snip at the markings. ( gure 19) Slip
the prongs through the snips and t the backing plate into place.
Fold the prongs over with needle-nose pliers to the wrong side.
( gure 20)
5 Sew the Flap/Closure pieces right sides together along the

sides and bottom curved edge with a 3⁄8 seam allowance,
leaving the straight end open.
6 Clip the curves along the rounded corners and turn the
Flap/Closure tab right-side out. Press. Trim the Peltex
piece for the Flap/Closure down by ½ on all sides. Insert it into
the open end of the Flap/Closure with the fusible side facing the
side without the snap. Trim as needed so the Peltex piece ts,
completely, yet snugly inside the tab. Iron in place. ( gure 21)
gure 22
gure 23
gure 24
gure 25
7 Double topstitch the nished edges of the Flap/Closure with

the non-snap side facing up. Stitch ¼ in from raw edges
along straight edge. ( gure 22)
8 Place the Flap/Closure on the Exterior Ruched Pocket side

of the bag, centered, with the snap side facing up. Stitch
across 3⁄8 from raw edge at the top of the bag. ( gure 23)
9 Referring to pages 14–15 in the Essential Techniques section, cu
series of 3½-wide bias strips from Fabric C. Piece enough
strips together to go around the top of the bag, with an additional
1″ of overlap.
10 Starting with the pressed-under edge, pin the binding

along the lining of the bag, overlapping by 1″. Trim
away any excess, and tuck the cut end inside the pressed-under
edge. The handle should still be resting inside the bag at this
point. Stitch around the top of the bag using a 3⁄8 seam
allowance. ( gure 24)
11 Open out the binding away from the bag and press. Fold
the binding over the seam to the exterior of the bag and
press. Pin in place and edgestitch the lower edge. Then edgestitch
the upper nished edge of the binding. ( gure 25)
gure 26
gure 27
12 Bring handle to the outside of the bag and press where the ha
joins the bag. With the handle opened out, stitch again
along the top edge of the binding, following the previous stitching.
This will hold the handle to the outside of the bag during use.
( gure 26)
13 Fold the Flap/Closure up away from the bag and press.

Edgestitch through all thicknesses along the bottom of
the Flap, then again about ½ away from the edgestitching. Fold
the Flap around and close at the front of the bag with the other
half of the snap. ( gure 27)
Ruched Pockets
The subtle texture of the ruched pockets adds a
stylish touch.
CHALLENGING BAGS
Up for a real challenge? These bags have everything that an

experienced bag-maker loves—lots of construction detail everywhere
you look. While no step is di cult, these bags do require a bigger
commitment of time and e ort, but the end result is worth it.
First up is the Convertible Backpack. I wanted to create a backpack
that could also be carried as a bag, depending on your mood. The
adjustable straps do just that! The Multi-Tasker Bag is next; it’s just
perfect for toting around books, crafts, baby stu , you name it! With a
nice zipper closure, it can be easily laid on its side without the worry of
losing any contents. The biggest challenge of all is the Laptop
Messenger because it’s a bag within a bag.
These were my favorite bags to design. I always have a great
feeling of accomplishment after completing designs like these. I hope
you’ll feel that same sense of accomplishment when you make one.
You’ll certainly earn your bragging rights!
CONVERTIBLE BACKPACK
The Convertible Backpack is a cool, casual look suited to everyday use or
travel. The exterior media pocket (also featured on the Laptop Messenger
Bag) gives you a convenient place to keep your cell phone and other media
devices handy. The interior has a roomy pocket with a zippered closure,
perfect for keeping smaller items at hand. The main bag closes with a
drawstring and the exterior ap features a metal twist latch. The handles,
though, are what really set this backpack apart from the pack—they can
convert from shoulder handles to backpack handles with the quick slide of
two adjustable rings.
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—exterior bag, lining, drawstring covering and
exterior media pocket
Small: 1¼ yard; Large: 1½ yards
Fabric B—handles, ap binding and bag binding: 3⁄8 yard
(both sizes)
Fabric C—pocket ap, main bag ap and interior pocket: 3⁄8
yard (both sizes)
All yardage based on 45-wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
Peltex 71 (one-sided fusible stabilizer)
Small: 7⁄8 yard; Large: 11⁄8 yards
Fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight fabrics
Small: 2 yards; Large: 2¼ yards
Zipper (not sport weight)
Small: 7″ ; Large: 9
One 1×13⁄8 metal twist latch
1½ yards of 3⁄16 cotton cording for drawstring
One zipper charm
Two 1¼ two-loop sliders for handle adjustment
Three 1¼ D-rings for handles
Twelve 3⁄8 metal grommets
1 strip of hook and loop tape
Finished Dimensions
Small: 12″ tall × 10″ wide at the base, 7″ at the opening and
4″ deep. Handles have a 9″ drop.
Large (shown at left): 14 tall × 11 wide at the base, 9 at the
opening and 5 deep. Handles have a 9 drop.
my initial sketch
Feel free to add a di erent type of latch or add a cord stop to the drawstring. Use a decorative
cording for the drawstring instead of making the covered cording. Use home decorating fabrics for
the exterior, or make your own exterior fabric from your favorite fabric scraps to create a bag with a
Bohemian, patchwork air.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
LAYOUT & CUTTING

The only pattern pieces provided for this bag are the Media Pocket Flap
(sheet 1, sheet 5) and the Bag Flap (sheet 3). The rest of the pieces are cut
by measurements given in the instructions using a rotary cutter, ruler and
mat.
BAG EXTERIOR, HANDLES

& MEDIA POCKET
1 Cut two rectangles from Peltex.

Small: 14½″×15
Large: 17″×18
2 Lay the Peltex pieces out on a at surface with the longer side
running top and bottom. Measure in 1½ from the two top corners
and mark. Using a ruler, align the marking at the top with the bottom
corner along one side and draw a diagonal line. Repeat for the other side.
( gure 1) Cut on drawn lines to form a trapezoid. The top of the bag
piece should now measure: small—12 (top), 15 (bottom); large—15 (top),
18 (bottom). The height will be 14½ or 17 as originally cut. Repeat for
the remaining piece of Peltex. ( gure 2)
3 For the exterior bag, cut two rectangles from Fabric A per Step 1.
The direction of the design motif should run parallel to the
shorter side (14½ or 17). Fussy cut as needed. Lay the fabric rectangles
right-side up on the fusible side of the Peltex, with the 12 or 15
(narrower) width at the top. Fuse together, then trim away the excess
fabric on the sides so that all edges are even. On the fabric side, mark in
from sides and bottom of each piece on the fabric side with a removable
marking pencil: 2½ for small and 3 for large. ( gure 3).
4 Cut four strips 2¼ × the width of fabric from Fabric B. Cut nine
2¼ wide strips from interfacing. Apply the interfacing strips to
the wrong side of the fabric strips, overlapping by ¼ as necessary. Make
the handle according to the Essential Techniques (pages 16-17). When
complete, cut one 4 long piece from each handle for the handle tab.
5 Place handles onto one of the exterior bag pieces (it will be the
back of the bag) with the outside edge of handles just inside the
2½″ (for small) or 3 (for large) markings, and bottom edges even. Pin,
then mark 3½ (for small) or 4 (for large) up from bottom edge on either
side of handles. This is the pivot point when you stitch the handles down.
( gure 4)
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
6 To attach handles, begin at the lower edge of bag and stitch over
the handle edgestitching up to the 3½ (for small) or 4 (for large)
marking. Pivot, backstitch across the handle, pivot, then stitch down the
other edge, over handle edgestitching, to the bag bottom. The remainder
of the handles remain free. ( gure 4)
7 Place one handle tab through one D-ring and fold in half. Sew
across the end with a ¼ seam allowance. Trim the corners
diagonally and position the seam at the center of the back side of the tab.
Place the other tab through two D-rings, then fold in half and sew
together like the rst one. ( gure 5) The two rings help the handles to lie
next to one another as they are pulled through.
8 On the exterior bag back (with handles), place the tab with one D-
ring on the left side and the one with two D-rings on the right,
inside the 2½ (for small) or 3 (for large) markings at an angle with lower
outer corner ¾ inside the marking and the upper outer corner 1 inside
the marking and 1½ down from the top edge. Sew across the lower edge
of the tab, pivot turn and stitch up the side to just below the ring. Pivot
again and stitch just below the ring, taking care not to break the needle
by stitching too closely. Pivot once more and backstitch to where you
started stitching. Leave the handles free from these rings at this point;
they will be fed through the rings in a later step. ( gure 6)
9 For the media pocket, cut one piece from Fabric A and one from
interfacing: small—8¾ wide × 9 tall; large—10½ square. Fussy
cut as needed. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.
10 Fold the pocket in half right-sides together and stitch along the
sides and bottom with a ¼ seam allowance, leaving a 3
opening along the bottom edge. Clip the corners diagonally. Turn the
pocket right-side out. ( gure 7) Press, turning the opening edges in by ¼.
Edgestitch the top folded edge of the pocket. ( gure 8)
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
11 Cut a 1 piece of hook and loop tape. Apply the loop side to the
center of the pocket, with the top edge of the tape ¼ down
from the top edge of the pocket. Stitch around all sides of the tape to hold
in place.
12 Mark down the center of the pocket. Place the pocket onto the
front exterior bag piece without the handles, centered between
the side markings and up from the bottom 3½″ (for small) and 4″ (for
large). Pin in place and edgestitch the sides and bottom edges, then stitch
down the center marking through the hook and loop tape to divide the
pocket. ( gure 9)
13 Cut two Media Pocket Flaps from Fabric C, as well as two from
interfacing. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of each
ap. Apply the remaining half of the hook and loop tape to one of the
ap pieces, centered and 1″ from top and bottom edges of ap. ( gure
10) Sew around edges of hook and loop tape.
14 Sew the ap right-sides together with a ¼″ seam allowance,
leaving a 2½″ opening along the straight edge. Cut wedge-
shaped notches from the curve to ease the seam in turning; clip corners
diagonally. ( gure 11) Turn the ap right-side out and press, fully
turning out the corners and curve. Turn in ¼″ along the opening.
15 Edgestitch the lower curved edge of the ap. Add the grommet
for the earphone wire to the left side of the ap, centered up
and down and 13/4″ from the side edge. ( gure 12) Then, apply the
grommet. Refer to Essential Techniques for instructions (page 20).
16 Mark ¼″ above the nished edge of the pocket. Align the

straight-edge of the ap with this marking, centered above the
pocket. Use the hook and loop tape to help center the ap. Edgestitch the
upper edge of the ap in place. ( gure 13)
17 Mark the center of the bag front 2½ down from the top edge.
Center the twist portion of the closure horizontally over this
center mark and mark prong placement. Use an awl to pierce the prong
marks and enlarge those holes slightly with sharp, pointed scissors. Install
the twist portion of the clasp on the right side of the bag front, following
instructions in Step 11 on page 131. Prongs will be folded to the wrong
side. ( gure 14)
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
SEWING THE EXTERIOR BAG TOGETHER
1 To sew the exterior bag together, place the exterior front and back
right-sides together with all edges even. Take care that the
handles are tucked safely inside the layers. Pin the pieces together and
sew along the side and bottom with a ½" seam allowance. ( gure 15)
2 Lay the bag still wrong-side out on a at surface and mark up from
the bottom, 2 for small and 2½ for large, then again with the
same measurement from the side at each bottom corner. Include the seam
allowance in the measurement. Cut away on these markings to remove
the bottom corners. Trim down the seam allowances to ¼. ( gure 16)
3 Open out the bag at the cut areas and bring the bottom seam up to
the side seam. Align them and pin the opening together at each
corner. Sew across the corners with a ½″ seam allowance. ( gure 17)
Trim the seam to ¼".
4 Brie y iron the bag to soften the Peltex, then turn right-side out.
Press the seams, then fold the bag along the 2½ or 3 markings on
the sides and crease it. Also fold along the bottom on the previous
markings and press to crease. Bring the creased sides together on each
side so that the side seams pleat inward. ( gure 18) Clip the top of the
bag layers together temporarily with clothespins or binder clips to hold
the shape while working on other parts of the bag.
LINING & INTERIOR POCKET
1 For the lining, cut two rectangles from Fabric A and two from
interfacing: small—14″×15″; large—17″×18″. Fuse interfacing
to wrong side of fabric. Trim rectangles into trapezoid shapes following
the instructions in Step 3 on page 102.
2 For the zippered interior pocket, cut two squares and two strips
from Fabric C:
Small: 8 squares and 8″×2 strips.
Large: 10 squares and 10″×2 strips.
Cut the same pieces from interfacing and apply to the wrong side of each
fabric piece.
3 Center a 7 or 9 zipper on one of the 2 strips, with the right side of

the zipper facing the right side of the strip. Align along one long
side; use a zipper foot to stitch down that side. ( gure 19)
gure 20
gure 21
gure 22
gure 23
gure 24
gure 25
4 Lay the other 2 strip on top of the zipper unit along the sewn edge,
right-sides together and edges even. Fold in the zipper tape on
the unsewn side so it is not caught in the seam allowance. Follow the
previous stitching to add this strip. While the strips are right-sides
together with edges even, stitch across at each end, ¼ from the edges,
leaving the long top edge unstitched. Trim the corners diagonally. ( gure
20)
5 Turn zipper unit right side out and press at, turning in the edges
of the opening by ¼" and pressing to the inside. Edgestitch next
to the zipper teeth. ( gure 21)
6 Now apply the squares (8 or 10) to the opposite side of the zipper
in the same manner as the strips were added. When stitching the
squares together, be sure that the upper completed section does not get
caught in the side seams, and leave a 3 opening for turning right-side out
along the bottom edge. Trim the corners diagonally before turning.
( gure 22)
7 Press the entire unit once the bottom section has been turned right-
side out. Turn in the opening edges by ¼" and press in place.
Edgestitch along the zipper teeth on the lower section. ( gure 23)
8 Add the pocket to one of the lining pieces, 2½″ down from the
upper edge and centered from side to side. Pin in place and
edgestitch all pocket edges. Edgestitch again along the upper zipper teeth,
following previous stitching and topstitch on the upper section, ¼" below
the upper edgestitching. ( gure 24)
9 Sew the lining together just like you did for the exterior of the bag
in Steps 1-3 of Sewing the Exterior Bag Together section, except
use a 5⁄8" seam allowance. This will account for the bulk of the Peltex
and the two united will t together nicely. Don’t forget to trim the seams
once the corners have been cut away.
10 Press the lining, leaving it wrong-side out. Remove the

clothespins from the main exterior bag and place the lining
inside, wrong sides together with the zippered pocket against the handle
side of the bag. Align the side seams and ease the lining into place so that
the top edges are even with the exterior bag. If the lining extends 1⁄8″ to
¼″ beyond the top exterior bag edges, simply trim away the extra before
sewing the layers together. Sew along the top edge of the bag to hold all
of the layers together, 3⁄8″ in from the raw edges. ( gure 25)
gure 26
gure 27
gure 28
BAG BINDING & GROMMETS
1 To bind the top edge of the bag, cut a strip 2¼× the width of the
fabric from Fabric B. Trim o the selvedges from each end, then
press ½″ to the wrong side along one of the narrow ends. Place the
binding strip’s right side against the inside top edge of the bag, and pin
all the way around until reaching the starting point. Overlap by 1″ and
cut away any excess binding. Stitch the binding strip in place with a ½"
seam allowance. ( gure 26)
2 Open out the strip away from the bag and press. Fold the strip over
the seam, turn the edge under by ¼ and press. Pin in place and
edgestitch both the lower and upper edges. ( gure 27)
3 For the grommet placement at the bag top for the drawstring,
measure across the top edge of the bag between the side creases.
(Small size should be close to 7 and the large, 9.) Mark the center at 3½
(small) or 4½″ (large) as well as 1¾ (small) or 2¼ (large) to either side to
divide the front and back into fourths. The sides will be approximately 4
(small) or 5 (large). Mark the center at 2 (small) or 2½ (large) and 1
(small) or 1¼ (large) on each side of center, respectively. ( gure 28)
Zipper Charms
I love zipper charms! They’re not always easy to nd—I
usually rely on the Internet to track them down—but
they’re worth it. Usually I like to show them o on the
outside of a bag, but once in a while, that interior pocket
can be surprisingly charming!
gure 29
gure 30
gure 31
gure 32
4 The bag will use a total of 11 grommets. The bag back will need 4,
the bag front will need 3, and the creased sides will need 2 each.
On the front, mark the rst grommet placement directly below the center
marking. For all the others, center the grommets’ placement between the
markings. ( gure 29) Once the grommet holes have been marked, follow
the instructions in Essential Techniques (page 20) for adding grommets.
BAG FLAP & HANDLES
1 Cut two Bag Flaps from Fabric C and one from Peltex. Fuse one of
the fabric pieces to the Peltex. Apply the remaining fabric piece
(right-side facing up) to the other side of the Peltex using temporary
spray adhesive. Stitch in ¼" from all edges.
2 Cut a 2½″-wide bias strip from Fabric B to bind the ap edge.

Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques (pages 14-15) to
create a strip that is approximately 24″ (small) or 30″ (large) long.
3 Starting with the pressed-under end, place the bias strip against the
interior of the ap. Pin in place and overlap the ends by 1″,
cutting away any excess strip. Tuck the cut end into the pressed-under
end. Stitch together with a ¼" seam allowance, clipping curves as
necessary. ( gure 30)
4 Open out the strip away from the ap and press. Fold the strip over
the raw edges to the exterior side of the ap and press. Pin the
lower folded edge in place and edgestitch, then edgestitch near the
folded, nished edge. ( gure 31)
5 To add the exterior portion of the twist latch to the ap, place the
latch piece on the ap, centered horizontally and 1″ up from the
lower nished (curved) edge. Trace around the inside hole of the latch,
and cut a hole. Carefully trim the hole until the latch ts nicely over the
opening, then secure in place, following the instructions in Step 11 on
page 131.
6 Place the straight bound edge of the bag ap over the binding on
the back of the bag, with the inside of the ap facing the exterior
of the bag back. Center the ap from side to side. The pieces should
overlap by about 1½. Pin in place, then edgestitch the lower outside edge
of ap (only), over previous stitching. Backstitch at the beginning and
end of stitching. Be careful not to stitch so far up bag binding that the
drawstring is compromised. ( gure 32)
gure 33
gure 34
gure 35
7 Once the ap is in place, fold the bag inward along the side creases
and latch shut just to get an idea of how it will look.
8 For the next four steps, you’ll need to refer to instructions for
Installing a Double Loop Slider in Essential Techniques (pages
18-19). Start with the left handle. Feed the left handle through the D-ring
above it. Slip the two-ring slider onto the handle, and then feed the
handle-end through the back D-ring on the right side of the bag. ( gure
33).
9 Pull up some slack on the slider so that the end of the left handle
can be inserted around the center post of the slider. Fold the end
of the handle under by ¼″, then again by ¾" and pin the end in place.
( gure 34) The handle should move freely to lengthen or shorten as
desired.
10 Insert the right handle through the front D-ring, then slide on the
double-loop slider. Insert the handle end through the D-ring on
the left that already has the left handle through it. ( gure 35) Pin this
end of the handle in place like you did in Step 9.
11 Try the backpack on and work with the handles in the shortest
position. If they seem too long to be comfortable on your
shoulders, trim an equal amount from each handle to create to the
appropriate length. Once you’ve determined a comfortable length, stitch
the handle ends in place.
gure 36
gure 37
gure 38
12 The next step is to create the drawstring. Start by stitching across

the cotton cording using a small tight zigzag stitch, about ½″
in from the cut end. Place a medium-size safety pin through this stitching
in the cording.
13 Cut a strip 1½″ × the width of fabric from Fabric A. Fold the
strip right-sides together, and stitch a ¼″ seam along the long
edge starting at one end and stopping 1½ before the other end. Place the
safety-pin end of the cording inside the strip, about 1½″ in from the end,
as shown. Finish stitching the seam, then pivot and stitch across one end
of the strip of the strip through the cording, enclosing the safety pin
inside, about ¼″ in from the end of the fabric. ( gure 36)
14 Find the safety pin inside the tube and begin pushing it toward
the open end, sliding the fabric along the cording. Smooth out
the fabric as it covers the cording. When you’ve pulled the full length of
the cording through, remove the safety pin. Trim the ends as desired.
( gure 37)
15 Feed the cord through the grommets. ( gure 38) (In the
illustration, I’ve indicated feeding the drawstring through the
grommets so that the ends are o -center, but you can refer to the photo
on page 107 for another method.) Open out the bag and leave about 3″
extra cording at each end. Tie an overhand knot at this point and trim
away the rest of the cording. Tighten down the knots by pulling on them.
16 To close the bag, pull the drawstring. Fold over the ap and turn
the latch to close.
Convertible Straps
When the straps are completed, the rings should allow
you adjust to the straps as you please. You can carry your
creation as a handbag (far left, and below) or wear it as a
backpack (left).
MULTI-TASKER BAG
The Multi-Tasker bag is just that—a bag for toting around miscellaneous
stu for travel, crafts or everyday use. The size and structure of this bag
make it easy to keep everything organized and the zippered top ensures that
nothing will fall out. The exterior media pocket is perfect for your iPod or
other mp3 player as well as additional pockets for stashing a cell phone and
other items. I even added a loop to the exterior along the top edge for
attaching your keys if you like! This bag lends itself well to choosing bold
fabrics with prominent motifs along with several coordinates.
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—Bag Exterior and Large Exterior Pocket: 11⁄8 yard
Fabric B—Exterior Side Pockets, Media Pocket and Exterior
Zipper Panel: ½ yard
Fabric C—Media Pocket ap, binding for all exterior pockets
and Interior pockets: ½ yard
Fabric D—Binding at top edge, Handle Tabs, Handle and key
ring loop: 1⁄3 yard
Fabric E—Lining and Interior Zipper Panel: 7⁄8 yard
All yardage based on 45- wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
15⁄8 yards Peltex one-sided fusible interfacing
3 yards fusible interfacing for light- to medium-weight fabrics
One 14 separating sport zipper
Two 2-wide square rings (handle)
One 1 swivel clasp (key ring loop)
One 3⁄8 metal grommet (media pocket)
1 piece of ¾-wide hook and loop tape (media pocket closure)
Zipper foot
Super glue
Needle-nose pliers
Finished Dimensions
12 × 14 wide × 5 deep, with a handle up to 40 in length
my initial sketch
By customizing the pockets, you could easily have the zippered exterior pocket featured in the diaper
bag version as part of a bag for scrapbooking or sewing to hold notions and other tools. Feel free to
customize the interior pockets, dividing them in any way that would
be of the greatest use to you. The sweet owers featured with these bags are a free tutorial on my blog at
blog.SewSerendipity.com.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The pattern piece for the Media Pocket Flap is provided (sheet 5). All other
pieces are cut according to measurements given in the instructions using a
rotary cutter, ruler and mat. All seam allowances are ½, unless otherwise
stated.
PREPARE THE EXTERIOR BAG PIECES
1 From Fabric A and Peltex, cut two 15 squares and two rectangles, 6
wide × 12½ tall. Fussy cut as desired. Keep in mind that you’ll
be adding pockets to both sides.
2 Apply the Peltex to the wrong side of each fabric piece.
3 On the 15 squares, measure 3 up from the lower edge and

mark a line across the piece. On the 6″×12½″
rectangles, measure ½ up from the lower edge and mark a line. ( gure 1)
LARGE EXTERIOR POCKET
If you are making the Diaper Bag variation, replace this section with
Exterior Pockets−Elastic and Zippered from pages 124-126.
1 For the large exterior pocket, cut one 12 tall × 15 wide rectangle
from Fabric A and one from fusible interfacing. Fussy cut as
needed. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.
2 Fold the pocket in half and press wrong-sides together, so that it

measures 6″×15. Press.
3 For pocket binding, cut a strip 3 × the width of fabric from Fabric
C. Trim o the selvedges, then fold the strip in half lengthwise
with wrong-sides together and press.
4 Pin the raw edges of the strip along the top 15-wide raw edge of
the pocket with right sides together and raw edges aligned. (This
will be the inside of the pocket so keep the fabric’s design motif in mind.)
Stitch with a ¼ seam allowance. Trim o excess, open out and press.
Open out the strip away from the pocket and press. ( gure 2)
5 Fold the strip over the seam to the other side of the pocket and
press. Edgestitch both edges of the strip to hold it in place.
( gure 3)
6 Add the pocket to one of the 15 squares, with the folded edge of
the pocket along the 3 marked line and side edges even. Pin in
place and edgestitch the lower edge, then stitch ¼ in from the sides.
( gure 4)
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
EXTERIOR SIDE POCKETS & HANDLE TABS

For the exterior side pockets, cut two rectangles each measuring 7 wide ×
12½ tall from Fabric B and two from fusible interfacing. Fuse the
1 interfacing to the wrong side of each pocket piece.
2 Fold the pocket pieces in half with wrong sides together and press,
so that they measure 7″× 6¼″.
3 Cut a strip 2¼ × the width of fabric from Fabric C for binding.
4 Pin the raw edges of the strip along the raw edge of the
6¼″ side of the pocket. (This side will be the inside of
the pocket.) Trim o excess. Stitch with a ¼ seam allowance. Open out
the strip away from the pocket and press. ( gure 5)
5 Fold the strip over the seam to the other side of the pocket and
press. Edgestitch both edges of the strip to hold it in place.
( gure 6)
6 Fold the pocket in half lengthwise with the exterior side facing out.
At the lower edge, measure in ½ from the fold, and stitch
vertically from that point, about ¾″ up. This will form a pleat so that the
pocket has depth. ( gure 7)
7 Unfold the pocket and open up the pleat so that its fold is centered
on the stitching. Press, then edgestitch the exterior pressed area
of the pleat in place. ( gure 8)
8 Repeat steps 4 through 7 for the remaining pocket.
9 Add the pockets to the bag end pieces, along the ½

marking on the lower edge. Align the side edges and pin
in place. Edgestitch the sides and lower edge of the pockets. ( gure 9)
There will be slack in the upper nished edge; this allows you enough
room to carry bulkier items.
10 For the handle tabs, cut two 3″×16 strips from Fabric D and two
from fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side
of the fabric strips, then follow the instructions for making handles in
Essential Techniques (pages 16-17).
11 Add some additional lines of stitching to the tabs, about ¼ apart

until there are six lines of stitching across the width of the
piece. ( gure 10) Cut the tab unit into two 8 lengths.
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
gure 15
12 Place one of the tabs through one of the square rings and fold in
half. Stitch together with a ¼ seam allowance. Rotate the seam
so that it is centered along the back of the tab loop. ( gure 11)
13 Place the tab onto the bag side piece, 1 down from the top edge
and centered side to side. Edgestitch along the bottom edge of
the tab, then stitch along the side of the tab up close to the hardware.
Pivot and stitch across the tab below the hardware, backstitching to
reinforce. Pivot and stitch down the remaining side. ( gure 12)
14 Repeat for the remaining tab piece.
MEDIA POCKET
1 For the media pocket, cut one 10½ square from Fabric B and one
from interfacing. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the
square.
2 Fold the square in half with right sides together. Stitch along the
sides and bottom with a ¼ seam allowance, leaving a 3 opening
along the bottom edge. Clip the corners diagonally and turn the pocket
right-side out. Press, turning in opening edges by ¼. Edgestitch the top
folded edge of the pocket. ( gure 13)
3 Cut one 1 square of hook and loop tape. Apply the loop side to the
center of the pocket, with the top edge of the tape ¼ down from
the top edge of the pocket. Stitch around all sides to hold in place. Mark a
line down the center of the pocket at 5. ( gure 14)
4 Place the pocket onto the remaining exterior bag piece, centered
from side to side along the 3 marked line at the bottom. Pin in
place and edgestitch the sides and bottom edge of the pocket, then stitch
down the center line over the hook and loop tape to divide the pocket.
( gure 15)
5 Cut two exterior Media Pocket aps from Fabric C as well as two
from interfacing. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of each
ap. Apply the remaining half of the hook and loop tape to one of the
ap pieces, centered and 1 from top and bottom edges of ap. Sew
around edges of tape.
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
gure 19
6 Sew the ap right-sides together with a ¼ seam allowance, leaving

a 2½ opening along the straight edge of the ap. Wedge-cut
notches into the curve to ease the seam in turning, and clip corners
diagonally. Turn the ap right-side out (fully turning out the corners and
curve), then turn in ¼ along the opening and press. ( gure 16)
7 Edgestitch the lower, curved edge of the ap. Place the grommet
(for the earphone wire) on the left side of the ap, centered and
1¾ from the side edge of the ap to the center of the grommet. Trace
around the inside of the grommet. ( gure 17) Apply the grommet
following the instructions in Essential Techniques
(page 20).
8 Use a ruler to place a mark ¼ above the nished edge of the
pocket. Align the top of the ap with this marking, centered
above the pocket. Use the hook and loop tape to help center the pocket
ap. Edgestitch the upper edge of the ap in place. ( gure 18)
SEWING THE BAG TOGETHER
1 Sew the exterior of the bag together alternating the large exterior
bag pieces with the narrower bag end pieces. Align the top edges
of the bag pieces, as the end pieces are shorter. Place pieces right-sides
together and sew, starting at the top edge and stopping ½ before the lower
edge of the shorter end pieces. ( gure 19)
gure 20
gure 21
gure 22
gure 23
2 Stitch each seam twice to reinforce the stitching. For the diaper bag
version, take care to follow the previous stitching where the zippers
are attached. Trim down the seams above the ½ marking to ¼ at the
lower edge and press the seams open.
3 Once all four seams have been stitched twice, fold the end pieces in h
that the two larger bag exterior pieces are aligned along the
lower edge of the bag exterior (but not bag ends). Stitch this lower edge
together with a ½ seam allowance. ( gure 20) Stitch again to reinforce.
Trim the seam allowance down to ¼, then press the seam open.
4 To make the bottom corners that form the shape of the bag, bring
the bag exterior bottom and bag end pieces together, centering
the bottom seam of the exterior on the narrow bag end pieces. Pin in
place. This will seem awkward, but resist the urge to do any clipping—
you’ll just end up creating a hole. These two pieces won’t lie ush against
one another, but will sew together with a good result. Before stitching,
refer to the illustration to make sure everything looks right. ( gure 21)
5 Stitch across the end twice and double-check the seam by peeking
inside the bag. When you’re certain that it is sewn together
securely, trim the seam. Brie y steam the bag to soften the Peltex, then
turn it right-side out and press following the instructions in the Essential
Techniques (page 22). Be sure to crease all seams at the corners as well as
the lower edges where the pockets meet the bottom of the bag. Test the
zippers on the diaper bag variation to be sure that they zip and unzip nicely.
6 To add the key loop to the bag, cut one 2½″×6 strip from Fabric D
and one from fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the
wrong side of the fabric. Fold the strip in half lengthwise wrong sides
together and press. Open out the strip and fold the long edges toward the
center by ¼ and press, then fold in half once more and press. Edgestitch
both long edges.
7 Place the strip through the loop end of the swivel clasp and fold the
strip in half. Add the loop to the exterior of the bag on the media
pocket side toward the right with the loop raw edges aligned with bag
raw edges. Stitch through all layers ¼ from the raw edge. ( gure 22)
8 For added reinforcement, an additional piece of Peltex can be

added to the interior of the bag. Cut a rectangle 5″×14 and place
inside the bag with the fusible side facing the bag interior. You may need
to trim o the corners to make it t nicely. Place your iron inside the bag
and press to activate the adhesive of the Peltex to secure it in place.
( gure 23)
gure 24
gure 25
gure 26
gure 27
gure 28
gure 29
BAG LINING & INTERIOR POCKETS
1 For the bag lining, cut two 15 tall × 20 wide rectangles each from
Fabric E and fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the
wrong side of the fabric. You can make the interior pockets two ways: at
(steps 2-5) or with an elasticized top (steps 6-10).
2 For the at interior pocket, cut one rectangle measuring 12½ tall
× 14½ wide from Fabric C and one from fusible interfacing.
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of fabric.
3 Fold the pocket in half with right sides together so that it measures
6¼″×14½. Stitch with a ¼ seam allowance around the three
sides, leaving an opening for turning along the lower edge. Clip the
corners. ( gure 24)
4 Turn right-side out and press. Edgestitch along the upper folded
edge. ( gure 25)
5 Place the pocket on one of the lining pieces, 3¼ above the lower
edge and centered from side to side. Edgestitch the side and
lower edges of the pocket in place. Mark a line down the center of the
pocket at 7, then 3½ to one side of that to divide the pocket into three
parts. Stitch down the marked lines. ( gure 26) For another at pocket
on the remaining lining piece, repeat steps 2 through 5.
6 For the elasticized interior pocket, cut one rectangle measuring

12½ tall ×18 wide from Fabric C and from fusible interfacing.
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric.
7 Fold the pocket in half right-sides together so that it measures

6¼″×18. Mark ½ down from the top folded edge on both
narrow sides (for the elastic casing). Beginning at the marking, stitch
around the pocket edges with a ¼″ seam allowance. Leave a 3 opening
along the bottom edge for turning right-side out. ( gure 27)
8 Clip the corners and turn right-side out. Press. Stitch across the top
½ down from and parallel to the folded edge to create the elastic
casing. Mark a line down the center of the pocket at 9, then again at 4½
from each end to divide into four equal parts. ( gure 28)
9 Cut a piece of elastic 11 long and insert into casing just until the
end of the elastic is barely inside the casing. Stitch at one end
across the casing and over the elastic, ¼ in from the side. Continue
pulling the elastic through casing until the remaining end is even with the
other end of the casing, then stitch in place. ( gure 29)
gure 30
gure 31
gure 32
gure 33
gure 34
10 Make gathers (page 13) along the bottom of the pocket.

Distribute the gathers evenly until the bottom of the pocket
measures 14. Press lightly. Mark in 3 on each side of the lining piece and
make a vertical line. Mark a horizontal line 3¼ up from the lower edge.
Place the pocket along the line that’s 3¼ from the bottom edge, with the
side edges of the pockets lined up on the 3 marked lines. Stretch the
elastic to accommodate, pin and edgestitch sides and lower edge of the
pocket in place. ( gure 30)
11 Sew the lining pieces right-sides together along the side and
bottom edges with a 5⁄8 seam allowance. Leave the seam
allowance intact and mark a 2½ square at both bottom corners. Include
the seam allowance in the measurement. ( gure 31)
12 Cut away the corners on the markings, then trim the seam
allowance to ¼. Bring the side seam to the bottom seam,
aligning the raw edges at each corner and matching seam lines. Sew
across with a 5⁄8 seam allowance ( gure 32) then trim down to ¼.
Repeat on other corner.
13 Place the lining inside the exterior of the bag with wrong sides
together. Ease the lining into the corners and really work with
your hands to smooth the layers together. If the lining extends beyond the
exterior by ¼ or so at the top, allow it. It’s more important that the two
layers t together nicely. If the lining needs to be trimmed, do that now.
Pin along the top edge, then stitch ¼ away from raw edges to secure all
layers together. ( gure 33)
ZIPPER PANELS, BINDING & HANDLES

1
For the zipper panels, cut two strips 3 wide × 15 long from Fabric B
(exterior zipper panel) and from Fabric E (interior zipper panel)
and four from fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side
of each strip.
2 Separate the zipper and work with one half at a time. Center the
right side of the zipper against the right side of a Fabric B piece
with the raw edge of the fabric against the edge of the zipper tape. Use a
zipper foot to stitch the two together ½ from the edge. Place the Fabric E
strip over zipper and Fabric B so that the fabrics are right-sides together
with zipper sandwiched between. Follow the previous stitching to join all
layers. ( gure 34)
gure 35
gure 36
gure 37
gure 38
gure 39
gure 40
gure 41
3 While the fabrics are still right sides together, stitch across the
short ends, ½ in from raw edge. Trim the corners diagonally.
( gure 35) Turn right-side out and press at, then edgestitch and
topstitch next to the zipper with the Fabric B side facing up. ( gure 36)
4 Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the remaining half of the zipper. Zip the
zipper together again and check to be sure that the ends of fabric
line up. If you have problems zipping (if you placed the teeth too close to
the fabric, for instance), you may need to remove it and start over.
5 Unzip once more. Place one half of the zipper on one side of the
bag with the lining side of the zipper panel against the lining side
of the bag. Center the zipper panel on the bag exterior between the side
seams with the raw edges together and pin. Stitch the zipper panel to the
bag, ¼ in from the raw edges. ( gure 37) Repeat for the other half of the
zipper panel. Zip up the zipper to be sure that it works properly.
6 To bind the top of the bag, cut a strip 3 by the width of fabric from
Fabric D. Trim o the selvedges, then fold the strip in half
lengthwise wrong-sides together and press.
7 Open out the strip and fold ½ to the wrong side along one of the
narrow ends and press. ( gure 38) Fold the strip lengthwise
again and press.
8 With the zipper unzipped, pin the raw edge of the binding to the
top of the bag along the lining, starting with the pressed-under
edge of binding. Pin all the way around until the beginning of the binding
is reached. Allow an extra 1 for overlap and trim away the rest. ( gure
39)
9 Open out the pressed-under end of binding and place the cut end
inside to conceal it. ( gure 40) Pin in place, then stitch around
the top of the bag with a 3⁄8 seam allowance. ( gure 41)
gure 42
gure 43
gure 44
10 Fold the binding over the seam to the outside of the bag and
press. The stitching along the top of the bag should be
completely concealed. If not, trim the seam down slightly and try again.
Pin the binding in place, then edgestitch both edges. ( gure 42)
11 Check the zipper once more to be sure that it is fully operational.

With needle and thread, hand-stitch the narrow ends of the
zipper panel in place onto the narrow ends of the lining. This will keep
the panel from dropping to the inside of the bag while unzipped. ( gure
43)
12 Once the stitching is complete, use some super glue to secure the
separating part of the zipper so that it does not come apart
during use.
13 For the handles, cut two strips 3½ × the width of fabric from
Fabric D and ve strips 3½ × the width of interfacing from
the fusible interfacing. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the
fabric, then follow the instructions for making the handles in Essential
Techniques (pages 16-17).
14 Once the handles have been completed, add lines of topstitching,

resulting in six rows of stitches. (See Step 11 from Exterior
Side Pockets and Handle Tabs, page 115).
15 Place the ends of the handle through the square rings and pin in
place. Slip the bag over your shoulder and adjust the length as
you like, cutting away any excess handle as desired. Turn under the ends
twice by ½, then edge and topstitch them in place. ( gure 44)
If you are creating the Diaper Bag Variation, move on to the Removable
Changing Pad Instructions on page 126 to complete the bag.
DIAPER BAG VARIATION

I have also included a variation for this bag that makes it into a very clever
diaper bag for the stylish mom on the go with a removable changing pad
built right into the bag’s exterior.
materials list
Fabric
Fabric B—Additional yardage for changing pad exterior: 5⁄8
yard
Fabric D—Additional yardage for bias trim on changing pad:
¼ yard
Fusible eece—changing pad and exterior zippered
pocket: 1⁄3 yard
Polyurethane laminate (PUL)—for changing pad: 5⁄8
yard
Additional Tools
Two 12 standard zippers
3⁄8 wide elastic—diaper and interior pockets: 1 yard
1½ wide hook and loop tape—changing pad: 9
Te on-coated foot—may be necessary if working with PUL
fabric
Walking foot—an alternative option for working with PUL
fabric
PUL
Polyurethane laminate (PUL) is a 56″-wide laminated knit
fabric that is wipeable and soft. It’s perfect for the
gathered pockets inside the exterior pocket as well as for
the changing pad. It might not be readily available, but
it’s worth searching out, especially for a diaper bag. Take
care when ironing; it can melt if you don’t use a pressing
cloth.
gure 1
gure 2
gure 3
gure 4
gure 5
EXTERIOR POCKETS—ELASTIC AND ZIPPERED
1 The elasticized pocket is concealed inside the zippered exterior

pocket on the outside of the bag. To make this pocket, cut a
12½″×20 rectangle from the PUL fabric. Fold the fabric in half with the
laminated sides together to measure 6¼″×20. Stitch the long edges
together with a ¼ seam allowance, then turn right-side out. Place the
seam along one side. Using a pressing cloth on top of the fabric, gently
press the piece at. ( gure 1)
2 Complete a line of stitching ½ from the folded edge to form the

casing for the elastic.
3 Mark down the center of the pocket unit at 10. Using a long
straight machine stitch, complete a line of stitching along the
seam line of the pocket unit. Leave long tails of thread at each end so that
the pocket can be gathered. ( gure 2)
Add the pocket unit onto one of the 15 exterior squares on the fabric side.
4 Place the bottom edge of the pocket 3½ up from the lower edge
with the sides even. Pull the gathering threads carefully until the
pocket unit matches in size with the side of the bag. Pin in place and
edgestitch the lower edge of the pocket. ( gure 3)
5 Cut a piece of elastic 12 long and insert into casing along the top of
the pocket. Stitch at both ends, ¼ in from the side.
6 Slightly pull the pocket until the sides line up with the bag side and
pin together. Stitch the sides of the pocket in place, ¼ in from
the side edges. Also stitch down the center of the pocket to divide it.
( gure 4)
7 Cut a 10″×15 rectangle each from Fabric A, PUL and fusible eece.
Apply the eece to the wrong side of Fabric A. Layer the PUL on
the other side of the eece with the laminated side facing up. Pin
together in a few places.
8 On the Fabric A side, mark quilting lines at every 3 along the 15

side and at every 2 along the 10 side. Use a walking foot with the
PUL fabric against the feed dogs to quilt. ( gure 5)
gure 6
gure 7
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
9 Trim the rectangle to 9″×14, trimming down ½ along each side to

keep the quilting lines centered.
10 Use an overlock stitch or serge the 9 edges. Mark ½ in along

these edges; you’ll use this as a fold line to fold back when
adding the zippers to each side. ( gure 6)
11 To add the zippers, position the top stop of the zipper ½ down
from the top edge of the zippered pocket unit along one of the
9 ends. Use a zipper foot to sew in place. Repeat for the remaining zipper
on the other side. The zipper will extend beyond the edge and will be
trimmed away in the next step. ( gure 7)
12 Once the zippers have been added, stitch back and forth several
times over each zipper even with the raw edge of the diaper
pad unit. Test the zipper to be sure it stops at the stitching, then cut away
the excess amount of zipper.
13 Bind the lower edge of the zippered pocket unit by cutting a strip
2¼ by the width of fabric from Fabric C. Trim o the
selvedges, then fold the strip in half lengthwise wrong-sides together and
press.
14 Pin the binding to the PUL side of the zippered pocket unit along
the lower edge, starting at the outer edge of the zipper tape.
Stitch together with a ¼ seam allowance. ( gure 8)
15 Open out the strip and fold over the seam to the fabric side of
the pocket unit. Pin in place after pressing. Edgestitch both
edges of the binding in place. ( gure 9)
16 Use the same method to bind the upper edge of the zippered
pocket unit, except open out the strip and fold ¼ to the wrong
side at each end of the binding so that the ends are neatly nished. Start
where the zipper is joined to the Pocket Unit and continue all the way
across to the other zipper. ( gure 10)
17 Fold the binding over the seam to the fabric side. Press and
edgestitch in place. ( gure 11)
gure 12
gure 13
gure 14
gure 15
18 Add the soft loop of the hook and loop tape piece to the PUL side
of the pocket unit along the upper edge, just below the
binding. ( gure 12)
19 On the exterior bag piece with the PUL pockets added, mark in
½ on each side. Pin the zippered pocket unit to the bag
exterior over the PUL elasticized pocket with the lower bound edge of the
zippered pocket along the 3 marking and the implied stitching lines for
the remaining zipper tapes lined up with the ½ marking. This will be
slightly inside the raw side edges. ( gure 13)
Stitch zipper in place using a zipper foot. Use a regular foot to edgestitch
20 the lower edge of the pocket in place, through the binding,
along the 3 marking.
Return to the General Instructions starting at Sewing the Bag Together
(page 117).
REMOVABLE CHANGING PAD
1 For the removable changing pad, cut one 14″×20 rectangle each
from Fabric B, PUL and fusible eece.
2 Add the fusible

place.
eece to the wrong side of the fabric and fuse in
3 Place the PUL on the eece side with the laminated side facing out.
Pin the layers together in a few places. Mark diagonal quilting
lines on the pad, 2¼ apart.
4 Using a walking foot with the PUL against the feed dogs of your
machine; quilt the layers together over the marked lines.
5 Once the quilting is complete, trim down the piece to 12″×18 and
slightly round the corners. ( gure 14)
6 Create the binding from the additional ¼ yard of Fabric D. Cut a

series of 2¼ wide bias strips and piece together according to the
instructions in Essential Techniques for Bias Strips (pages 14-15).
7 Pin the bias strip to the PUL side of the changing pad along one of
the narrow ends, beginning with the pressed-under edge of the
strip. Leave the rst couple of inches free and stitch around with a ¼
seam allowance. When you reach the starting point, trim the excess
binding, leaving an extra 1 for tucking inside the folded edge of the
binding. ( gure 15)
gure 17
gure 18
gure 16
8 Tuck the cut edge of the binding inside the pressed edge and nish
stitching. ( gure 16)
9 Fold the binding around to the fabric side of the pad, and press.
Edgestitch the folded edge of the binding in place. ( gure 17)
10 Add the remaining 9″ piece of hook and loop tape to one of the
narrow ends on the fabric side, just below the binding. Attach
it to the hook and loop tape on the zippered pocket. ( gure 18) Fold the
pad into thirds so that it ts just inside the pocket, and zip up the pocket.
laptop messenger bag
The Laptop Messenger Bag is the perfect way to express your personal style,
yet stay organized while carrying your computer, business correspondence
and all of your other electronic gadgets. There’s even a pocket with a
grommet—perfect for your media player and headphones. Everything is
held in place with the large ap featuring a metal switch lock closure, plus
the handles are long enough to accommodate carrying the bag comfortably
on your shoulder. The interior features a quilted removable pouch with a
zipper closure, suitable for computers with up to a 15 monitor. Because the
pouch is centered in the bag, it stands without tipping once the computer is
loaded. Other features of the interior include a front storage space for small
items and a larger pocket in the back section to keep les organized. With a
bag that does so much, you’ll be an instant success!
materials list
Fabric
Fabric A—bag exterior, lining, exterior media pocket and
exterior of computer pouch: 1¾ yards
Fabric B—handles, ap binding, bag binding, interior pockets,
lining for computer pouch and binding for computer pouch:
1¾ yards
Fabric C—media pocket ap, main bag ap, and zipper panel
for computer pouch: 1 yard
All yardage based on 45- wide cotton fabrics.
Other Materials
2 1⁄8 yards one-sided fusible stabilizer (Peltex 71)
23⁄8 yards fusible interfacing for light- to mid-weight fabrics
2½ yards ¾-wide hook and loop tape
One 18"–20 zipper (not sport weight)
One 1× 3⁄8 metal twist latch
Two 12×18 pieces high loft polyester batting (¾ thickness)
Mono lament or clear thread
One decorative zipper charm
One 3⁄8 metal grommet
Finished Dimensions
12½″×15″×5 deep at the base, 3 deep at the opening
The handles have a 9 or 12 drop.
The interior computer pouch measures 11″×15″×1¾ deep.
my initial sketch
To make this bag uniquely your own, try mixing the fabrics around more or adding more interior
pockets to t your individual needs. You can also use a di erent type of latch on the ap for a
di erent look. Use your imagination and think out of the box!
gure 1
gure 2
LAYOUT & CUTTING
The only pattern pieces provided for this bag are the Bag End (sheet 3),
Media Pocket Flap (sheet 5) and Main Bag Flap (sheet 5). The rest of the
pieces are cut by measurements given in the instructions with a rotary
cutter, ruler and mat.
MAIN BAG PREPARATION AND HANDLES
1 Cut four 16 squares from Fabric A. If the fabric has a particular

design motif you’d like to see centered on the bag, cut the
squares from the fabric accordingly. Also cut two 16 squares from Peltex.
2 Apply the fusible side of the Peltex to the wrong side of two of the
16 squares. Set the other two squares aside for the lining.
3 On the main bag piece (with Peltex attached) mark a vertical line 4
in from either side of bag. ( gure 1)
4 Using the Bag End pattern piece, cut four bag ends from Fabric A
and two from Peltex. Fuse the Peltex to the wrong side of two
Bag End pieces; these are your exterior bag ends. Set the other two aside
for lining.
Note: The following instructions for the handles are for the 9 drop. For the
12 drop, refer to the modi cations detailed in the sidebar below left.
5 For the handles, cut ve strips 2¼ × the width of fabric from

Fabric B. Trim the selvedges. Cut one of the strips into four equal
pieces and add one to each of the remaining four strips right-sides
together with a ¼ seam. Press seams open.
6 Cut eleven 2¼-wide strips from interfacing and apply to the wrong
side of each handle strip, overlapping by ¼ as necessary.
7 Follow the instructions in the Essential Techniques for making the

handles (pages 16–17).
8 Trim handles down to 52. Discard the leftovers.
9 Place handles on exterior bag pieces, centered on the 4

markings with the cut edge of the handle at the bottom
edge of the bag. Be careful not to twist the handle. Pin in place, then
mark 9 up from the bottom on either side of the handle on the bag itself.
This is where the stitching will pivot and go across the handle before the
top of the bag. ( gure 2)
10 Begin at the lower edge of the outer bag, following the previous
edgestitching on the handle. Pivot at the 9 mark, backstitch
across the handle, then pivot and continue down the other side. Repeat
for the three remaining handles. ( gure 2)
Making Handles for a 12 Drop

To make the handles with a 12 drop, the construction is
the same, but the number of strips changes. Cut an extra
strip by the width of fabric and trim o the selvedge
edges. Cut two of the strips in half, rather than quartering
them. Add the half strips to each of the four remaining
full-length strips. Cut two additional strips of interfacing
to accommodate the length, overlapping as needed. Trim
the nished length of the handles down to 57 instead of
52.
gure 3
gure 4
gure 5
gure 6
gure 7
11 To add the twist portion of the latch, choose the side you would
like for the front of the bag, then measure down 4¾ from the
top center of the bag. Center the prongs horizontally at this marking and
mark prong placement on either side. Snip through all layers at markings
and slip the prongs into the bag front. Slide the backing plate over the
prongs and use needle-nose pliers to bend the prongs to secure. Iron a
scrap of interfacing over the backing plate. ( gure 3)
EXTERIOR MEDIA POCKET
1 For the media pocket, cut one 10½ square each from Fabric A and
interfacing. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of the square.
Again, keep in mind the fabric’s design motif, and how you’d like to place
it, and cut accordingly. The pocket will be placed approximately 3 up
from the bottom edge and centered.
2 Fold the pocket in half horizontally, right-sides together, and stitch
along the sides and bottom with a ¼ seam allowance, leaving a 3
opening along the bottom edge for turning. Clip the corners diagonally
and turn the pocket right-side out. Press, turning in opening edges by ¼.
( gure 4)
3 Edgestitch the top folded edge of the pocket. Cut a 1 piece of hook
and loop tape. Apply the loop side to the center of the pocket,
with the top edge of the tape ¼ down from the top edge of the pocket.
Stitch around all sides to hold the tape in place. ( gure 5)
4 Mark a line down the center of the pocket, 5 in from either side
edge. Mark a horizontal line 3 up from the bottom edge on main
bag piece without latch. Place the pocket onto the main bag piece,
centered from side-to-side on top of handles and along the 3 marked line.
Pin in place and edge-stitch the sides and bottom edge. Stitch down the
center marked line through the hook and loop tape to divide the pocket.
( gure 6)
5 Cut two Media Pocket Flaps from Fabric C as well as two from
interfacing. Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of each ap.
Apply the remaining half of the hook and loop tape to one of the ap
pieces, centered and 1 from top and bottom edges of ap. Sew around
edges of tape. ( gure 7)
gure 8
gure 9
gure 10
gure 11
gure 12
gure 13
6 Sew the ap right-sides together with a ¼ seam allowance, leaving

a 2½ opening along the straight edge of the ap. Wedge-cut
notches from the curve to ease the seam in turning and clip corners
diagonally. Turn the ap right-side out, fully turning out the corners and
curve. Turn in ¼ along the opening and press the ap. ( gure 8)
7 Edgestitch the lower curved edge of the ap. Add the grommet for
the earphone wire to the left side of the ap, centered and 1¾
from the side edge of the ap to the center of the grommet. ( gure 9)
Apply the grommet following the instructions in Essential Techniques
(page 20).
8 Use a ruler to place a mark ¼ above the nished edge of the

pocket. Align the ap with this line, centered above the pocket.
Use the hook and loop tape on the pocket to help center the ap.
Edgestitch the upper edge of the ap in place. ( gure 10)
LINING AND INTERIOR POCKETS
1 For the smaller interior pockets, cut a rectangle 13½″×16 from

Fabric B, with the direction of the fabric running parallel to the
13½ length. Cut one rectangle the same size from interfacing and apply
to the wrong side of fabric.
2 Fold the pocket in half right-sides together so it measures 6¾″×16.

Stitch with a ¼ seam allowance along the raw-edge of the 16
side to form a tube. ( gure 11) Turn right-side out with seam along one
long edge and press. Edgestitch along the folded edge. ( gure 12)
Measure 5½″ in from each end, and mark with a vertical line to divide the
3 pocket into thirds.
4 Draw a horizontal line on the right side of both lining

pieces 3 from the bottom edge. On one lining piece,
place the shorter interior pocket along this marked line with sides of
pocket and lining even. Stitch along the side edges with a ¼ seam then
edgestitch along the bottom of the pocket. Stitch down each of the
marked vertical line on pocket to divide it into three parts. ( gure 13)
5 For the larger le pocket, cut a rectangle measuring 19½″×16

from Fabric B, with the direction of the fabric running parallel to
the 19½ length. Cut one rectangle from interfacing the same size and
apply to the wrong side of the fabric.
6 Fold the rectangle in half with right sides together so that it

measures 9¾″×16. Stitch with a ¼ seam allowance along the 16
side to form a tube. Turn right-side out with seam along one side and
press. Edgestitch along the folded edge.
gure 14
gure 15
gure 16
gure 17
gure 18
7 Apply the longer pocket to the remaining 16 lining square, along

the marked line 3 from the bottom with side edges of the pocket
and lining even. Stitch along the sides with a ¼ seam then edgestitch
along the bottom of the pocket. ( gure 14)
8 Sew the lining pieces together along the bottom edges, right-sides
together, with a ½ seam. Press seam allowance open. Cut two
pieces of hook and loop tape the same length as the bottom seam (about
15). On the right side of the lining, place the loop side of each tape length
along each side of the seam, with the inside edges of the tape touching
each other. Start and stop tape about ½ from raw edges of lining.
Edgestitch tape in place along all edges. ( gure 15)
9 To add hook and loop tape to the bag end lining pieces, fold the
lining pieces in half lengthwise and mark the top and bottom
edges for the center. Measure up 11 from the bottom edge and mark a
vertical line, then mark a horizontal line ½ up from the bottom edge. Cut
four pieces of hook and loop tape, 10½ long. Place the loop sides on
either side of center on each bag end piece. Edgestitch in place. ( gure
16)
ADD LINING AND SEW THE BAG TOGETHER
1 Sew the exterior main bag pieces right-sides together along the
bottom edge with a ½ seam allowance. Trim the seam and press
open. ( gure 17)
2 Add the main lining piece to the main bag piece, wrong-sides
together, with the small pocket section against the latch side of
the bag and the large pocket section against the media pocket side. Align
the bottom seams and use temporary adhesive spray to hold the layers
together. Sew the layers together ¼ in from all edges. ( gure 18)
3 Sew the bag end linings to the exterior bag end pieces ¼ from all
sides.
gure 19
gure 20
gure 21
gure 22
4 Change your upper thread to mono lament thread. To secure the

hook and loop tape, stitch through all layers from the exterior
side of all pieces (main bag and ends) about ½ from seams and the
centers. This also helps to reinforce the bag to bear the weight of a
laptop. ( gure 19)
5 Complete a series of snips (no more than 3⁄8 deep) approximately

5 to either side of the bottom seam on the main bag and all along
the bottom and curved edges of the bag ends. ( gure 19)
6 Pin the main bag and bag ends together with the lining-sides facing
out (right sides together). Start at the main bag’s bottom seam,
matching it with the center of the bag ends and working outward from
there. The top edges of the bag should be even. Make additional snips as
needed to ease the curves. ( gure 20)
7 Stitch the bag together (with the main bag portion facing up) with
a ½ seam allowance. Trim the seam to a scant ¼.
8 Cut bias strips from Fabric B, 2¼ wide. Refer to the Essential

Techniques (pages 14–15) for more information on cutting bias
strips. Piece enough strips right-sides together with a ¼ seam allowance
to get approximately two 1-yard lengths. Press the seams open, then fold
in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and press.
9 Cut the ends of the strips straight and pin to the interior seams of
the bag on the bag end pieces. Clip the curves to reduce
puckering and pleating in the seam. ( gure 21)
10 With the main bag portion facing up, stitch following the
previous seam stitching. Fold the binding over the seam and
pin in place. Edgestitch the binding into place over the seam. ( gure 22)
11 Brie y press the bag to soften the Peltex, then turn right-side out.
Continue pressing, referring to Pressing Tips on page 22 in
Essential Techniques.
gure 23
gure 24
gure 25
gure 26
gure 27
BAG FLAP & BINDING
1 Using the Main Bag Flap pattern piece, cut two pieces from Fabric
C for the bag ap, fussy cutting as needed. Cut one ap from
Peltex. Iron the Peltex to the wrong side of one of the fabric pieces (the
one that will face the outside of the bag). Apply the wrong side of the
remaining ap piece to the other side of the Peltex with temporary
adhesive spray. Stitch in ¼ from all edges.
2 Cut a series of bias strips from Fabric B, 3 × the width of the

fabric. Follow the instructions in Essential Techniques (page 15)
for making the strip. You’ll need approximately 30 of binding for the ap.
3 Place the right side of the binding strip against the interior side of
the ap, starting at one corner. Pin all the way around the curve
and stop at the other corner, matching the raw edges of the strip to the
raw edges of the ap. The straight edge of the ap will not have bias strip
sewn to it. Stitch together with a ½ seam. ( gure 23)
4 Open out the binding away from the ap and press. Fold the strip
over the seam to the front side of the ap and press in place. Pin,
then edgestitch the lower pressed edge as well as the outer nished edge.
( gure 24)
5 Add the outer open portion of the twist latch to the ap at the
lower center, with the lower outer edge of the latch 1 up from
the nished edge of the ap. Cut a small horizontal hole, snipping until
the latch ts nicely ( gure 25), then put the latch in place following the
manufacturer’s instructions.
6 Add the ap to the main bag on the media pocket side of the bag;
the interior side of the ap should face out (exterior side of the
ap should face the exterior of the bag). The side edges of the ap will
extend slightly beyond the main bag’s side seams. This is to make sure
that there is su cient coverage when the bag is closed. Pin in place with
raw edges even and stitch with a 3⁄8 seam allowance. ( gure 26)
7 Cut a 3″-wide strip × width of fabric from Fabric B. Press ½″ to the

wrong side along one of the narrow ends, then fold strip in half
lengthwise wrong sides together and press. Beginning with the pressed-
under edge, place the binding strip along the top edge inside the bag,
with raw edges even. Pin all the way around until the pressed-under edge
is reached. Overlap by 1, then cut away any excess strip. Tuck the cut end
inside the pressed-under end. Sew around the top of the bag with a 3⁄8
seam allowance. ( gure 27)
gure 28
gure 29
gure 30
gure 31
gure 32
8 Open out the binding away from the bag and press. Fold the
binding over the seam, press and pin in place. Edgestitch the
lower pressed edge, then edgestitch again along the upper nished edge.
( gure 28)
Open out the ap away from the bag and press. Slip the ap with the
9 exterior side facing up onto the machine and stitch about ½
away from the seam through all thicknesses. This will hold the
ap to the front side of the bag. ( gure 29) Fold the ap over to the front
and latch closed.
COMPUTER POUCH
1 To make the quilted computer pouch, cut two rectangles

17¼″×11½ each from Fabric A, Fabric B and Peltex, with the
direction of fabric running parallel to the 11½ length. Fuse the Peltex to
the wrong side of the Fabric A pieces.
2 On the Fabric A pieces, mark the ½ seam allowance on the sides

and bottom. Cut four pieces from the hook side of hook and loop
tape measuring 10½ long and two pieces measuring 16¼. Apply these
pieces just inside the marked seam allowance. ( gure 30).
3 Sew the tape in place along all edges, then pin the two rectangles
right-sides together and stitch along the two sides and bottom
with a ½ seam allowance. Mark a 5⁄8 square at each bottom corner,
including the width of the seam allowance in the measurement. ( gure
31) Cut away each square, then trim the seam allowances to ¼. ( gure
32)
Up-Sizing the Computer Pouch

To make the pouch larger to accommodate a laptop with
a 17 screen, make the following changes: Cut the
rectangles at 17½″×11½ and cut a ¾ square out at the
corners. The hook and loop tape strips will have to be
slightly longer along the bottom edge at 16½ instead of
16¼. Cut the zipper panel strip to be 17½″×3½. Follow
the rest of the instructions as written.
gure 33
gure 34
gure 35
4 To stitch the pouch corners, open out the pouch and bring the
bottom seam up to match the side seam. Stitch across with a ½
seam allowance. Trim down the seam allowances to ¼. ( gure 33)
5 Brie y press the pouch to soften the Peltex, then turn right-side out
and press the seams, being careful not to apply too much heat to
the hook and loop tape.
6 Using the two rectangles from Fabric B, mark a 3 grid across the
length and width of the fabric with a chalk pencil. The grid will
not be even all the way across, but that’s ne. The stitching serves to hold
the layers together and since this forms the interior of the pouch, it won’t
show. Lay each marked rectangle right-side up and centered on one piece
of the 12″×18 high loft polyester batting. Pin in place and stitch in ¼
from the edges, then stitch along the marked lines, both horizontally and
vertically. ( gure 34)
7 Trim away the excess batting to be even with the edge of the fabric.
Place the rectangles right sides together and stitch, following
Steps 3 and 4 to sew together, except with a 5⁄8 seam allowance. This
takes into account the amount of bulk that the Peltex adds and makes the
two t together better.
8 Once the corners have been formed and seam allowances trimmed,
place the quilted portion (still wrong-side out) inside of the
Peltex portion. This should place them wrong-sides together. Work with
the two pieces to align the side seams and layers. Pin along the top and
stitch at 3⁄8 from the edge. Set this portion aside. ( gure 35)
9 For the zipper panel, cut four strips measuring 17¼″×3 from Fabric
cut four strips from interfacing and apply to the wrong side of
the fabric.
gure 36
gure 37
gure 38
gure 39
gure 40
gure 41
gure 42
10 Mark in 5⁄8 from each narrow end on the right side of each
strip. Place the zipper right-sides together against one of the
zipper panel strips; keep the top stop of the zipper just inside the 5⁄8
marking. Use a zipper foot to stitch down one side of the zipper. The
zipper will extend beyond the length of the panel strip. ( gure 36)
11 Place another zipper panel strip on top of the zipper,

sandwiching it between the two panels, right-sides together
and ends even. Follow the previous stitching and stitch in place. ( gure
37) Repeat for the other side of the zipper with the two remaining panels.
12 Open out the zipper panels to each side of the zipper and press.
Edgestitch next to the zipper on either side with right side of
zipper facing up, starting and stopping within the 5⁄8 markings. ( gure
38)
13 Place the two exterior zipper panel pieces with right sides together
raw edges. Pin then sew the short ends with a 5⁄8 seam
allowance. Place the two interior/lining pieces with right sides together
and sew the same way. The stitched exterior panels will be on one side of
the zipper and the interior/lining pieces on the opposite side of the
zipper, as shown. ( gure 39)
14 Stitch across the teeth of the excess zipper at the seam allowance
several times and then cut away the excess zipper. Clip the 5⁄8
seams sewn in Step 13 at the junction of the two sides and trim the seam
allowances to ¼.
15 Turn the zipper panels right-side out with the exterior zipper
panel facing out. The interior/lining panel will nest inside the
exterior panel, with the wrong side of the exterior panel facing the wrong
side of the interior/lining panel. Align the bottom raw edges of the panels
and stitch them together, ¼ in from edges. ( gure 40)
16 Now unzip the zipper and invert the panel so that the stitched-
together raw edges are at the top and the zipper is at the
bottom. ( gure 41) Place this inverted panel inside the computer pouch,
aligning raw edges of panel with top raw edges of pouch, and matching
side seams. Pin in place and sew with a 3⁄8 seam allowance. Keep the
zipper unzipped for Steps 17–20. ( gure 42)
gure 43
gure 44
gure 45
17 Cut a 3-wide strip × width of fabric from Fabric B. Press ½ to

the wrong side along one of the narrow ends, then fold strip in
half lengthwise wrong sides together and press.
18 Starting with the pressed-under end, pin along the inside top
edge (the zipper pouch is still inverted). Overlap the binding
by 1 and trim excess binding. Tuck the cut end inside the pressed-under
end, and pin. Stitch around the top edge with a 3⁄8 seam allowance.
( gure 43)
19 Open out the binding away from the pouch and press. Fold the
strip over the seam to the exterior. Pin, then edgestitch the
lower pressed edge in place, through all layers. ( gure 44)
20 Pull up the zipper panel so the zipper is on top (the panel is

above the pouch) and press. Pin in place and stitch along the
top nished edge of the binding, through all layers, to hold the zipper
panel in place. ( gure 45)
Zip the zipper closed and add the zipper charm. Place the pouch inside the
computer bag, carefully positioning the hook and loop tape so
21 the pouch is centered inside the bag.
RESOURCES
I receive a lot of questions about where to nd the fabrics and
hardware I use. Fabrics change seasonally, so you can’t always
nd the exact fabrics, but I’ve listed some of my favorite
manufacturers below. Hardware can be even trickier to nd.
I’ve listed several retailers that carry my favorite products, but
check out your local fabric and craft shops, too!
fabric
WHOLESALE ONLY
Andover Fabrics
1384 Broadway, Suite 1500
New York, NY 10018
www.andover.com
Free Spirit/Westminster Fibers
3430 Toringdon Way, Suite 301
Charlotte, NC 28277
www.freespiritfabric.com
www.westminsterfabrics.com
Michael Miller Fabrics
118 West 22nd Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10011
www.michaelmillerfabrics.com
Moda Fabrics
13800 Hutton Drive
Dallas, TX 75234
www.unitednotions.com
Robert Kaufman Fabrics
129 West 132nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90061
www.robertkaufman.com
Timeless Treasures Fabrics
483 Broadway
New York, NY 10013
www.ttfabrics.com
buttons
Blumenthal Lansing
1929 Main Street
Lansing, IA 52151
www.blumenthallansing.com
JHB International
1955 South Quince Street
Denver, CO 80231
www.buttons.com
bag hardware
The Buckle Guy
www.buckleguy.com
This is my favorite resource for snaps and latches. He has top-
quality materials.
Atelier De Happa
http://atelierdehappa.com
Atelier De Happa carries the oh-so-perfect zipper charms from
Inazuma, as well as other bag hardware.
Purl Soho
www.purlsoho.com
Hanah Silk
www.artemisinc.com
Purse Supply Depot
4060 North Palm Street, Suite 601
Fullerton, CA 92835
www.pursesupplydepot.com
Prym Consumer USA Inc.
P.O. Box 5028
Spartanburg, SC 29304
www.dritz.com
INDEX
adhesive spray, temporary, 23
bias
cutting on, 14–15
ru es, 74–75
buckles, 10, 81
buttons, 11, 25, 47, 55, 140
casing, for elastic, 29, 119, 124
changing pad, removable, 126–127
clasps, 10
clipping, of seams, 21
computer pouch, 136–137
Convertible Backpack, 18, 99–111
cording
covered, 110
decorative, 101
Cross-Body Purse, 10, 18, 25, 48–53
cutting tools, 8
denim foot, 9
diaper bag, 123–127
double loop sliders, 10, 18–19, 53, 109
drawstrings, 38–40, 107, 110
D-rings, 10
edgestitching, 17
elastic, 29, 119, 120, 122, 124
embellishments, 11, 55, 57, 65
eyelets. See grommets
fabrics, 140. See also stabilizers
choice of, 27, 35
fabric rolls, pre-cut, 75
home decorating, 43, 65, 101
laminated cotton, 35, 41, 43, 57
linen, textured, 65
recycling, 27
sateen, 91
silk, 65, 70–71, 73, 83
wool, 65, 70–71
oral embellishments, 66, 70–71
Foldable Shoppers, 11, 25, 42–47
folding instructions for, 47
French seams, 32, 61
fusible eece, 23, 63
fusible interfacing, 22–23
fussy cutting, 59
gathers, 12–13, 28–29, 74–75, 120
Green Grocery Bags, 25–33
folding instructions for, 33
grommet pliers, 9
grommets, 69, 104, 107–108
installing, 20
handles, 130
adjustable, 10, 18–19, 49, 89
making, 16–17
hardware, 10–11, 140
working with, 18–20
hook and loop tape, 11
interfacing, fusible, 22–23
ironing boards, 8
irons, 8, 22
Laptop Messenger Bag, 11, 99,
128–139
latches, 10–11, 50-51, 53
Lunch Bucket Bag, 25, 34–41
magnetic snaps, 10, 68, 86, 91
marking tools, 8
messenger bags, 11, 99, 128–139
Multi-Tasker Bag, 11, 99, 112–122
needle-nose pliers, 9
open-toe embroidery foot, 9
pattern tracing cloth, 9
Peltex, 23
pins
decorative, 55, 65.
sewing, 9
pivoting, 17
pleats, 12–13, 50, 115. See also
gathers; ru es
pliers, needle-nose/grommet, 9
point turner, 8
polyurethane laminate (PUL), 123
presser feet, 9
pressing cloths, 8
pressing techniques, 22
Quilted Du el Bag, 9, 55–63
quilted fabric, double-faced, creating, 63
quilting, 55, 57, 66, 124-126
ribbons, 25, 47, 57
rings, for handles, 35–36, 40, 103, 116
ruched pockets, 92, 97
Ru e Hobo Bag, 55, 72–81
ru er attachment, 9, 12, 74
ru es, 13. See also gathers; pleats bias-strip, 74–75
scallop trim, 44
scissors, 8
seam rippers, 8
sewing machines, 9
silk owers, 11
snaps
installing, 68, 86, 93
magnetic, 10
Socialite Handbag, 11, 55, 90–97
stabilizers, 22–23
spray on, 23
straps, 89. See also handles
convertible, 111
swivel clasps, 10
Te on-coated foot, 9, 41
topstitching, 17
trimming, 21
Tulip Tote, 9, 11, 55, 64–71
twist latches, 10–11, 50, 53, 104, 140
installing, 131, 135
Velcro. See hook and loop tape
Versatile Handle Handbag, 55,
82–89
vinyl, iron-on, 41
vinyl-coated cotton, 35, 41, 43, 57
walking foot, 9, 63
zipper charms, 10, 55, 62, 107, 139, 140
zipper foot, 9
zipper tabs, 61
zippers, 10, 60–61, 76–77, 105-106, 120–121, 125–126, 138–
139
Sew Serendipity Bags. Copyright © 2011 by Kay Whitt. Manufactured in China. All rights
reserved. The patterns and drawings in this book are for the personal use of the reader. By
permission of the author and publisher, they may be either hand-traced or photocopied to
make single copies, but under no circumstances may they be resold or republished. No
other part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical
means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing
from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Published by Krause Publications, a division of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith
Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.
15 14 13 12 11 5 4 3 2 1
DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY FRASER DIRECT

100 Armstrong Avenue
Georgetown, ON, Canada L7G 5S4
Tel: (905) 877-4411
DISTRIBUTED IN THE U.K. AND EUROPE BY F&W MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

Brunel House, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4PU, England
Tel: (+44) 1626 323200, Fax: (+44) 1626 323319
E-mail: enquiries@fwmedia.com
DISTRIBUTED IN AUSTRALIA BY CAPRICORN LINK

P.O. Box 704, S. Windsor NSW, 2756 Australia
Tel: (02) 4577-3555
SRN: Z9866
ISBN-13: 978-1-4402-1415-8
ISBN-10: 1-4402-1415-8
EDITED BY Vanessa Lyman
COVER DESIGNED BY Michelle Thompson
INTERIOR DESIGNED BY Karla Baker
PRODUCTION COORDINATED BY Greg Nock
SEWN SAMPLES & ILLUSTRATIONS BY Kay Whitt
STYLING BY Jodi Kahn
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Scott Jones Photography, except for pages 11–23 by Christine Polomsky
Metric Conversion Chart

To convert to multiply by
Inches Centimeters 2.54
Centimeters Inches 0.4
Feet Centimeters 30.5
Centimeters Feet 0.03
Yards Meters 0.9
Meters Yards 1.1
The designs in this book were created using Imperial measurements. If you plan to use metric
measurements, the above conversion chart will help. Keep in mind that for best results, Imperial
measurements should be used.
about the author
“Love what you do, and you will never work a day in your life.”
In a nutshell, this quote describes exactly the way Kay
Whitt feels about her work as a pattern designer for clothing
and accessories. After spending nine years as an elementary
school teacher (sewing in her spare time), she resigned from
teaching and launched her pattern company. Since then, Kay
has earned a reputation for her innovative designs and clear
instructions, making her patterns some of the most popular in
the marketplace, and written the bestselling Sew Serendipity.
Kay resides in Texas with her husband, Keith, and their
bird, ET. She is always busy working on something new and
exciting and never tires of sharing her passion for design and
sewing.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my devoted customers. Your support

of my work has made it possible to do what I love and share it
with you for over ten years.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

acknowledgments
Whew! What a whirlwind this second book has been.

Fortunately, I have the support of some great people who
deserve much more than a simple thanks.
To my husband, Keith: thanks for seeing me through the
writing of this second book. I couldn’t have done it without
your support and ideas! You are a great sounding board.
To my editor, Vanessa: thanks for everything you did to
make Sew Serendipity such a great success and for carrying that
enthusiasm right into this book. You always know what I want
and work hard to get it “just right,” even when that may seem a
di cult task!
To Outlaw at Moda/United Notions: thanks again for so
generously sharing your great fabric. Your friendship means a
lot to me!
To Kathy at Michael Miller Fabrics: I love your creative eye
and the fabric your company creates. Thanks for sharing many
yards with me!
To my friends at Bernina USA: thanks so much for making
the wonderful machines I use practically every day in my work.
It means a lot to know that they are always ready to work when
I am!

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SEW SERENDIPITY Bags

Fresh + Pretty Projects to Sew and Love

Having a collection of versatile bags is such an essential part of

Dressmaker’s Measuring Tape: This tape is about 60 long and is

Quilting Ruler: I love my 24″ × 6″ quilting ruler! It is

Marking Pencils: There is a variety of tools out there, from chalk

IRONS & IRONING BOARDS

Ironing Board: I have a Rowenta Professional Ironing Board—I

Pressing Cloth: I use a plain white tea towel as a pressing cloth.

Scissors: I have three pairs of 6 Gingher scissors. I keep them

Thread Snips: I love having a pair of thread snips by the

Point Turner: I use a bamboo skewer or an acrylic point turner

Pins: I use a variety of di erent-sized safety pins to turn tubes of

Pattern Tracing Cloth: I use a nylon product that is translucent

Needle-Nose Pliers: This tool is perfect for bending the prongs of

Your Machine and Specialty Presser Feet

Zippers: Zippers scare a lot of people. If you merely mention

D-rings, Double Loop Sliders and Swivel Clasps: I use these

Magnetic Snaps: Magnetic snaps (8) are probably the most

Hook and Loop Tape: This is a great way to add an invisible

Buttons & Brooches: Never underestimate the power of a good

ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES: SEWING

2 Place the strip between the blades on the ru er

3 Adjust the ru es by hand, if needed, smoothing them out

1 Using a long, straight stitch, sew about ¼″ away from the

Cutting on the Bias

2 Fold the fabric along this newly cut edge.

3 Using a rotary cutter, cut the strips to a speci ed width

5 Trim o the points.

6 Press the seams open.

8 Trim the angled seam edges to straighten.

3 Repeat for the other outer raw edge.

6 Topstitch each side. To topstitch, begin again at the same end

1 When you are within 1⁄8″ of the edge, stop

2 Drop the presser foot, and continue sewing.

ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES: WORKING WITH HARDWARE

Installing a Double Loop Slider

3 Pull up some slack in the handle portion that feeds through

1 To install a grommet, place the front portion onto the piece,

3 Enlarge the opening with a sharp pair of scissors.

4 Place the front portion of the grommet in the opening with

ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES: WORKING WITH STABILIZERS

Trimming and Clipping

1 Use sharp scissors and begin at one end of the seam.

2 If the bag has curved corners (like here) or rounded sides,

4 You can use the iron to help manipulate unusual shapes.

a word about stabilizers

Finished dimensions of the bag:

LAYOUT & CUTTING

2 For the pocket, cut a rectangle measuring as follows for

3 Fold the pocket piece in half crosswise, right sides together

4 Stitch along both sides using a ¼″ seam allowance, leaving

6 Using a long stitch length on the machine, stitch two lines

8 Cut a piece of elastic for the casing as follows:

11 Starting at these new marks, align the horizontal line of a

12 To make the loop handle, fold the 2×14 strip in half

15 Place one lining piece on top of each exterior piece, right

16 Place the handles of the right-side out joined piece inside

19 To sew the sides of the bag: With right sides together