Free, Bicycle Pouch Tutorial/Gift For Heather

Bike Bags

 I was tooling around the net one "very early" morning

and found this post showing how to make a pub bag.

I liked the idea as a bicycle bag, to loop over the handle bars.

My daughter Heather does a lot of riding so I decided to make one for her.

 

I couldn't make the original instructions work for me,

 so I had to rework the idea.

I didn't like the first one I made, it seemed to long and not wide enough,

so I re-did the measurements to get a shorter, wider bag.

I think this bag would also be super for the farmer's market or thrifting.

 

Here's the re-worked version if you would like to make your own.

So here goes, my take on the pub "bike" bag.

 

Materials

 

 

2 ~ 5” x 8 ½” rectangles for main body (fashion fabric)

2 ~ 5” x 8 ½” rectangles for lining

1 ~ 10” x 5” rectangle for strap (fashion fabric)

2 ~ 4” x 7 ½” rectangles fusible interfacing

1 ~ 12” zipper

 

Method      
(¼” seams unless otherwise stated) Finished size is 4” x 7”
 
Strap
With wrong sides together, fold strap in half long ways, press on fold.
Open out and press each long side in to meet the fold, press. Fold in half and press.

You will now have a piece that is 10” long x 1 ¼” wide. Stitch along all the edges.

Fold in half so you have a piece that is 5” long x 1 ¼” wide. Set aside.

 

 

Body
Press interfacings to wrong side of fashion fabrics, centering it in the middle.

 

Zipper
Lay fashion fabric right side up, lay zipper tape face down with teeth to the inside and "zipper butt end" to the right and pull to the left. (right side of pull will be facing the fashion fabric).
Lay the lining fabric right side facing down over the zipper tape,

align edges and pin in place making a sandwich.

 

Sew in place using the zipper foot.

Open fabrics to right side, exposing other half of zipper tape.
Flip fabric to lining fabric side.

 

 

Place fashion fabric right side up, under exposed zipper tape, place lining fabric right side facing down on top of zipper tape, align edges and pin in place making another sandwich.

(This time the "zipper butt end" will be on the left and the pull tab on the right).
Sew in place making sure you keep the first two sides out of the way.

Trimming
Open out and press fabric away from the zipper. Open zipper halfway.

On your cutting table, line up one fashion fabric and one lining fabric to the left, wrong sides facing and the other two pieces to the right, with wrong sides facing

With your rotary cutter, trim off the excess zipper and true up your fabrics.

 

 

Sides
Lay the two fashion fabrics, right sides together on the left and the two lining fabrics, right sides together, on the right, with the zipper in the center. Sew down each side, parallel to the zipper, leaving a small opening for turning, on the lining side.

Top and strap
Open out your lining fabric so that the seam is in the center, do the same with the fashion fabric.

Center the strap under zipper top edge, between the two fashion fabrics, with the loop to the inside and raw edges even with the edge. Pin all layers in place. You will have a sandwich, two lining pieces and two fashion fabrics on either side of the zipper, ( four layers on either side) seams to the center, with the strap centered in the middle.
The strap should be mounted on the top of the pouch where the zipper pull tab is. That way, when you’re carrying it, the zipper opening will always face up.
Sew through all layers, sew again in a 3/8” seam.

Bottom
On the bottom end of the pouch, line up the fashion fabric on one side, and lining fabric on the other, so seams are in the middle.

Pin and then sew across bottom edge.

 

Finishing

Trim corners and turn right side out through opening in lining.
Push out corners through lining opening with a chop stick. Open zipper all the way out and give each piece a good press, tucking the raw edges of the lining opening to the inside. Stitch opening in lining closed.
Push lining to the inside.

Fill with essentials, hook onto your bike handle and you’re good to go!
No need for that shoulder bag, and where is her helmet? Wait I think I see it....







Thank you to Paula Storm for the great idea.

What have you been sewing?

Till next time,

Bonjour