Wednesday 11 May 2016

Barrel Bag Sew Along Instructions: Week 2

How to make a Barrel Bag
How to make a Barrel Bag

Step 3:


Welcome back to the sew-along! 


Our next task is to make the pocket. You will remember that we have cut out two matching squares for this, one from the main fabric and one from the contrast fabric, so you'll need these. You will also need a piece of your piped cord: cut a length of about 20cm.

Decide which is to be the top edge of the pocket. If you have plain fabric this won't really matter and any edge will be just fine. 

Place your pocket squares so that they are RS facing (meaning that the fronts, or Right Sides of the fabrics are facing each other, and you can only see the backs whichever way you look). 

Quick linen from Merchant & Mills
Some fabrics are very different on the front and back,
 like the Quink linen I used from Merchant & Mills


Line the edges up carefully, then place your piece of piped cord so that the raw edges of the bias binding run along the raw edges of the fabric, as pictured below. 

Using your one-sided foot again, sew all of these layers together keeping your stitches close to the piping cord (just as you did before when sewing the cord into the binding). You will be taking roughly 1cm seam allowance. 


Piping & Pocket Pieces
Piping & Pocket Pieces

Replace your normal sewing machine foot, and taking a 1cm seam allowance again, sew along the bottom edges of your pocket pieces, so that your pocket piece is a bit like a tunnel. 

Turn the pocket through, so that it is the correct way out, and press both seams so that the pocket lays nice and flat (never skimp on the pressing, it makes all the difference!)


sew a piped pocket
Completed Pocket


The pocket should now look like this one below. Trim off the extra piping cord which hangs out of the sides. 

pocket with piping cord
Pocket Ready to Attach




Bag Handles: 


Cut a piece of your webbing: it needs to be 230cm in length. 

Ensuring that it is not twisted, sew the ends together (RS together if there is a front and back) taking an allowance of 1cm, and press well so that the seam lays flat. 


Marking Out:


This next step is really important. You will need your straight edges, measuring tools and fabric markers/tailors chalk. 

Mark out your fabric (the large piece that you cut out as directed in the previous instructions) as shown in the diagram below. The drawing is not to scale. All angles are right angles, and the diagram is symmetrical. 

The long rectangles running up and down the diagram represent where you attach your webbing, and the smaller square which connects them is where you will put the pocket. The long rectangles are the same distance from both the top and the bottom of the fabric.





barrel bag diagram
Markings for Main Pattern Piece

Assembly:


Once you have made all of the markings, put your pocket piece into the correct place. Topstitch closely and carefully along the bottom edge of your pocket only. 


fabric marked with tailors chalk
fabric marked with tailors chalk


Now, take the loop of webbing that you have joined, and place it onto the bag outer as shown. Make sure that the webbing seam is in the centre of your main fabric so that it will be on the bottom of the bag. 

Your handles will be the loops of fabric which hang over the body of the bag. You will only be stitching them within the long rectangular markings- not all the way to the edge of the fabric- so if you can no longer see where the stitching should end, be sure to extend your markings (take a look at the picture above to see where I've done this). 

It is critical to make sure that both of your handles are the same length: roughly 50cm. Check this now, then pin the webbing on. When the webbing is on top of the pocket piece, pin through all layers and make sure the pocket will be securely held in place. 




Webbing Ready to Sew
Webbing Ready to Sew

Top-stitch the webbing onto the bag fabric by sewing the two long rectangles that you marked. Sew close to the edge of the webbing for a really neat finish.


how to sew a barrel bag
Barrel Bag Handles Pinned On



Lesson Complete!


And that's the end of this lesson- good luck and don't forget to tag me on social media with your makes, here or here

Please use the contact form if you have any queries, and enjoy! 


Haberdashery & Tools
Haberdashery & Tools








1 comment:

  1. Hi Sophie, thank you for the sew along. I am jumping in today. One question please, how is the bag closed? Is there a zip? Thank you. Céline

    ReplyDelete