Diaper Bag Process

  • August 17, 2010 11:51 pm

Here is a bit of a process post. I was asked to make a diaper bag as a gift for a new mother. The only requirements were that it be massive, use the Michael Miller “Yippee” fabric that the mother was sure to love and have inside and outside pockets. Fortunately the awesome Stitch Lab here in Austin came through with a random acquirement of said Michael Miller print! So I bought a yard and brainstormed.

At first I thought of how much I like those elastic pockets that hold bottles and that I should definitely include those. How to stitch those onto my normal messenger bag style though? I had no idea, more brainstorming. The pockets would be much easier if the sides were flat, making the bag have 4 sides and be more of a rectangle box shape. I had never actually done a bag in that style, but was confident I could pull it off. Anytime I am cutting fabric for a new design though it requires much pre-planning so that I cut the right size and don’t waste any fabric. Measure twice, cut once!

Here are some sketches I did to figure out the finished size + seam allowance pattern. I always write notes for anything that I make not only to help figure it out, but also so that if I have to go back and re-make it I remember what I did.  At first I was planning to patchwork a stripe onto the bottom 3rd of the bag, thinking that it would maybe help the bottle pockets not stand out as much. The more I looked at the Yippee print though the more I thought I should leave that as large as possible. I ended up cutting out 2 fat quarter yard panels, layering them with quilt batting and a thin cotton and doing some ‘stitch in the ditch’ quilting on the cheater print. This left me with 2 tiny baby quilt looking panels which I cut to the exact size I needed for the whole side of the bag, 13.5″ x 16 and then stitching on stiff sides and bottom.

I LOVE that it came out so quilty and soft on the sides. I think the open top design will be handy for easy access. Fortunately the stiff sides and bottom along with the dec weight lining being interfaced still gives it enough body to stand on its own. The Denyse Schmidt county fair ginger dizzy dots & scallops fabric was a pretty perfect fabric match too! I used that as the sides, lining, inside pockets and straps. I also made a little covered button and loop with it. Another feature I added to this bag that I normally don’t is that I padded the sleeves with some fleece. They are puffy soft and awesome! I only wish I would have gotten better after shots. I have a bad habit of not doing that for my best most time intensive items and always feel like an iphone snap is enough (most of my sewing gallery photos here are iphone shots quickly snapped after completion). I was especially happy with the elastic inside pockets. I had never made them either and kind of winged it, but they turned out great. You will just have to take my word for it or study the shot above with my sketchbook because it is sitting on one of them prior to being stitched into the lining.

I always compare sewing to cooking and say it is kind of like a stir fry- tons of chopping and prep work, but once you heat up the wok and throw everything in it comes together fast. Once I had a pattern sketched out and got into cutting the whole thing came together relatively quickly. Well I say quickly, but I spent the better part of 2 days on this thing! Phew! Making a new bag pattern for the first time always takes much longer than making a repeat would. Fortunately my own mum made the trip to Austin and spent the weekend sewing with me, which was nice. It helps to have a cheerleader in your sewing room. She enjoys hanging out in my sewing room while I work and we always wish we had more time to do that when they come down for the weekend. In fact I was done and we were still hanging around so I decided to throw together a little changing blanket made out of some left over Yippee and some blue flannel. I also threw in a nice big oilcloth pouch thinking that would be handy to keep any messy diapers or clothes in the bag. I think the next diaper bag I make will probably be all laminated cotton for super easy cleaning!

Zipper Pouch tutorial – Image Heavy

  • August 16, 2010 11:57 am

Here are some instructions for how to sew in a zipper and make a pouch. Little zipper pouches come in so handy for holding any and everything and they make great gifts. Trust me- you can sew this! You can customize these instructions for making any size that you need. Just take the zipper size you have (metal stop to metal stop) +1” total seam allowance on the sides. It is also good to personalize or show off a nice patchwork design. I like to use the exact size zipper that I need because I like the little metal stops that are included.

Ingredients: 1 zipper, 2 outside pieces, 2 lining pieces & 2 Bones ( sew-in interfacing for structure) all the same size

This is a 6” zipper and these pieces are about 7”x4”. I will sew a half inch in all around so that extra inch is necessary seam allowance. I like to order zippers in bulk online from Zipper Stop, but for a one-off project you can get zippers from any sewing/craft store or out of some old jeans, etc. If you buy the kind that are annoyingly folded and stapled to fit into a small envelope than you will more than likely want to iron the tape flat first while being careful not to iron over the teeth.

FIRST- get the 1st lining piece and 1 piece interfacing. Place the zipper right side up along the top edge, I like to pin parallel to the zipper under the teeth to keep the zipper from shifting away. I am mostly concerned with keeping the metal stoppers a half inch away from the sides and don’t pay attention to the amount of tape hanging off the side.

I have the interfacing bones under this lining piece since my outside fabric is a heavier linen already, but you can put the bones under either piece or both if you want a really sturdy pouch. Duck Canvas works really well too and for a soft touch try adding quilt batting or a layer of flannel too. Bones make a big difference.

The bunnies go face down and make sure they are looking up at the zipper and not down. The big secret to sewing is that everything is made inside out!

Sew along the top line as close as you can to the zipper, backstich a half inch in where the metal stoppers are since you might be trimming off the ends later.

Stop and straighten the zipper tape with your fingers towards the end

Fold back the fabric and finger press it away. I like to really smooth this down. It can help to give the fabric a tug from the left

Take the pins out and fold back the interfacing and the lining and finger press some more. You can use an iron if the fabric is being too difficult.

Topstitch through all layers along the edge of the fabric near the zipper. This will keep the lining from getting stuck in the zipper, secure the seams and stitch the layers together and looks nice. I like to stay near the edge, but be careful not to jump off onto the zipper tape.

Here is one side all stitched together. That bunny looks proud!

Now you are repeating the same steps, but this time the zipper has one side sewn on.

Interfacing, lining right side up, zipper right side up, new bunnies face down.

Pin again parallel with the zipper

The zipper pull can sometimes be in the way, if it is too bulky for you start sewing below it and come back to that point from a different angle. Another option is to unzip it and sew half, stopping to zip it up and sew the last half. Your pinning might need to change to do it that way, pin on the tape you are sewing, perpendicular to your stitch.

Here I sewed the line starting after the zipper pull

Then I flipped it over to sew only the end from the other side

Get a few stitches and leave your needle down and straighten up the zipper tape and all layers

Finger press away from the zipper again. Front & lining.

Top stitch the edge as before and unzip the zipper half way, you are about to fold these two sides together like a taco.

Now flip the bunnies up to face each and then also the lining and pin together. I am more interested in matching up the seams from the zipper rather than the bottom so that is where I pin.

Here is how I add my tag which is folded in half. This is also how you would add a strap if you wanted one. You can also add an inside pocket to your lining up until this point. You can see my tag is a little too short, but I have it lined up under the tiny metal stop that will eventually be the edge of the pouch.

Stitch around all sides with a 1/4” seam allowance leaving a few inches gap at the bottom of the lining pieces. Backstitch on all corners and at the ends of the gaps to lock the stitch.

Stitch another 1/4” in from the first line, getting closer to the metal stops in the zipper. You want to be as close as you can to these stops, but do not sew directly over one because that will break a needle! You can mark the zipper stops on this wrong side before you have it all pinned up or you can feel the bump with your fingers. I reinforced the bottom, but did not take it in another 1/4” as I did with the sides.

Trim around the whole thing getting close to the outside stitch line and clipping off extra around the corners so that you can flip it inside out and poke out the corners. Do not cut off any backstitches! Those will keep the stitches sturdy. I like to seal the part of the zipper tape that I cut with a lighter to keep fray away, but that is not completely necessary.

Fold back the edge of the lining pieces in the gap that you left and finger press both sides, this will make it easier later. Reach in and unzip the zipper all the way. Turn the whole thing inside out through that gap. However generous you were with your gap will mean how easy it is to cram everything through.

Halfway out! Such a shame to wrinkle it so, but you can iron it when you’re done. Get a chopstitck and push out every corner, even the lining pieces. Poke the corners and side hard to make sure it is sturdy, if not turn it back inside out and re-stitch a little bit further in.

Here are the pieces you pressed back earlier. Now they are neatly folded in and ready for the last stitch!

Inspect all outside seams well! Up until this point you can turn it back inside out and fix anything that might need fixing.

If all is well topstitch the edge of the lining piece sealing off all raw edges inside. Again get as close to the edge as you can without going over the side. Shove the lining inside, poke at the corners and smooth it all out.

All done!

A small moment of silence for the bunnies that were harmed in the making of this pouch.

I hope this tutorial is helpful for you! If something doesn’t make sense or if you have any questions let me know! Happy stitching.

Singer 201 – foot & bobbin

  • August 12, 2010 10:33 am

I thought it would be a good idea to show some shots of my machine in action and highlight some of its features that I like so much. I have been using this machine for about 5 years now and only had to have it tuned up when I got it.  I probably have about 10 sewing machines at this point and a serger, in various conditions- THIS Singer 201 is the one I use every day! Thanks to Singer’s awesome record keeping and online serial number database I know that this machine was made in April 1947 in New Jersey. The previous owners had been using it as a table basically and Mum scored it for me for something like $25!! It is a rather smart design to have the machine fold down in the cabinet while not in use so that even if it is neglected it is more than likely inside, off the floor and protected from dust! You can find these cabinets/machines a lot and the wood may be beat up, but the machines are very sturdy and built to last and quite easy to keep tuned up with a little bit of oil. Actually the thing most likely to degrade on these machines is the old electrical cords, which fortunately are also easy to replace.

This is the foot that I use for everything; bag construction, zippers, top stitching, piecing, quilting, everything! There are different sewing machine feet for different jobs, but this one seems to work for me. I am curious to try a ‘walking foot’ that a lot of quilters use for quilting that bounces up and down a lot as you sew so as to not shift and push the fabric around too much. I also have various Singer feet that came with the machine, but that I never really use them. I spent a lot of time messing with them, but never felt like I was using them right. I need to get ahold of this book; The Sewing Machine Attachment book! The book focuses on vintage machine feet and their function.

I love this horizontal drop in bobbin style. It makes putting in a new bobbin so quick! You really just drop it in and pull the thread to the left through that little notch at 10 o’clock and then towards you. No extra bobbin case or anything. In fact threading the machine is a quick matter and I sometimes wish there were sewing machine competitions for fastest needle threader because I bet I could beat an automatic-threader any day!  Well maybe most days. It also makes a full revolution, which I say because apparently not all bobbins do this in new machines and it can cause the bobbin to lock up a lot. ugh!

This horizontal bobbin style is especially handy with the clear plastic bobbins because I can slide open the door and see immediately if I still have enough wound up to continue stitching. Nothing is worse than running out of bobbin thread in the middle of a nice topstitch. That is when you will hear me cursing. The bobbin thread ending after a seam when you’re pulling away to snip the thread is the best timing. I guess I don’t always keep a close eye on it, but sometimes I get lucky and that is always a nice surprise.

Search your local Craigslist for old Singers and marvel in the cheap bounty! Why would anybody buy a new (plastic) machine?? I am here to talk you out of it. I say all the time those machines ruin more future seamsters than they create! Jump on the green bandwagon and restore one of these old beauties for yourself.

Stay tuned fine readers because I am working on some tutorials to post soon so that YOU CAN SEW! Up first are zipper pouches & easy composition notebook covers! I suppose some tips on what to look for when checking over an old machine would be good too. If there is anything specific you would like to see or know about sewing feel free to make requests!