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



Mini, Christmas Stocking Gift Bags And Tutorial

So....

We had a great day at the festival on Saturday which means I've been busy

making more products for our show this weekend.

I sold a few aprons, lots of soap and related bath products

and all but four of my cuff bracelets.

Needless to say, I'm a happy camper.

I put a lot of time and effort into the things I create so it

feels wonderful when a customer likes my handmade items.

Yesterday, in between canning and cooking

I found time to do some sewing.

These are little Christmas stockings that I market

as gift bags, big enough to accommodate a soap bar or two,

bath oil, body butter ETC.

They're a unique alternative to the standard gift bag.

I free-handed the pattern, pinned it to my fabric,

cut it out and got to work.

I do these in an assembly line fashion, grouping

like colors together to minimize thread change outs.

If you would like to make some of these for gift giving

here are the directions.

Supplies:

2 - 9 ¾” length x 8 ½” width pieces of fabric

2 - 6” wide x 5” long contrast for cuff

1 - 11” x 1” grosgrain ribbon for handle

My finished stocking measures more or less, 8 ¾” long x 7 ½” wide at the bottom and 5 ¼” wide at the top.
I drew the pattern freehand so yours might vary.
All seams are ¼”

Draw your patterns, one for the stocking, one for the cuff. Pin pattern to fabric and cut.
The top width of my stocking is 6” so I cut my cuff 6” wide x 5” long.

Directions:

1. With right sides together, pin and sew each cuff to top edge of stocking front and  back.

2. Press seam towards cuff.

Attach cuff to stocking.

(If you’re going to embellish the stocking with ribbon, buttons ETC, do it now).



Sew on ribbons, buttons, beads ETC.

3. Press under ¼” on the cuff top edge. (It’s easier to create your hem line at this point).

4.Open out the pressed hem line and with right sides together, pin and stitch stocking front and cuff to stocking back and cuff  (I zigzagged the seam also).

5. Clip seams almost to stitching line at curves.

6. Fold cuff in half towards the seam where you joined it to the stocking body

Attach handle.

7. Position your ribbon in the center of the cuff sandwich, with the raw edge

overlapping the seam about ½ ”.

8. Pin in place.

9. Fold the stocking toe towards the top, out of the way, bring the other ribbon end down and over the bottom and up to meet the other end of the stocking cuff sandwich .

10. Pin in place like you did with the other end of the ribbon.

11. Pin the rest of the pressed cuff edge over the seam.

12. Turn the stocking right side out and stitch the hem in place. (It was easier to sew this way).
At this point it looks like you attached the ribbon upside down, you didn’t.

13. Turn stocking right side out and fold the cuff down which makes the handle on top.

14. Press.



Handle at the top.



More stockings



As to the canning.....

My Hubby does not like me to blog about our food!

BUT...

My grandson Brian came over to help/learn to pressure can food.

He learned the basics of canning meat and stock/ broth

and helped/ learned how to make a chicken pot pie from scratch.

I sent him home with the pie and a few other goodies.

(I forgot to photo the pie).

Don't tell the Hubby!

I'm off to do more sewing,

till next time, teach the kids some skills.

Bonjour

Cutwork Curtain Panel Up-cycle/Re-cycle Apron



Wanna-be apron



Sew...



I found this cutwork curtain panel, plus it's two side mates

 at my local thrifty shop for .75 each.

I just had to have them even though I didn't need them!

I take that back, I did need them!

I sold the shawl that was the curtain for my bathroom window.

I just didn't need all three of them.

I used the two side panels on the bathroom window

and decided to make an apron from the center panel.



This is how it started out.

First I took out the hem/rod pocket stitching at the top.

Then, I thought to self....

A white apron just seems wrong.

So I got out my dyes.

Finally decided on red, but I wanted a vintage feel to it.

Maybe only use a small amount of the dye to a large amount of water?

I was hoping for a kind of washed red.

Well, it worked, I used about a third of the dye to a large dishpan of water.

Although,

 it took a lot of rinsing to finally get the water to run clear.

(Big water waster).

I cut off the excess fabric on either side of the panel,

(saving the excess for who knows what)

and searched my fabric stash for a suitable pocket material.

I found a small piece left over from the skirt/purse refashion

that added to the vintage vibe I was going for.

I added a piece of off white lace,

light pink ribbon and little fabric roses,

horizontally across the apron front and the pocket.

The lace and ribbon across the apron front concealed

the hem/rod pocket stitching lines.

I decided to line it with an off white piece of lace

that I attached to the sides and the top,

using french seams. I left the bottom  un-sewn.

I folded the lining at the top of the apron,

 to the front side 1 ½”,

 and sewed it down, creating a waistband.

The ties are a 1 ½” off white, grosgrain ribbon

that I attached to each side of the waist.

Wish I had someone to take my pic wearing it!

I found a pillowcase to grocery tote tutorial that I plan on trying tomorrow.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Till next time,

happy sewing!

Bonjour



DIY Cuff Bracelet Tutorial

SO....



Marie Claire Photo



I was flipping through last months Marie Claire and saw this

bracelet, (the one in the middle).

I'm thinking to myself, that looks a lot like a miniature crazy quilt block.

The idea has been stewing in the back of my mind so today

I decided to see what I could come up with.

I went to my fabric scrap stash for the little bits and pieces

I've been saving and got to work.



Scraps



Starting piece

I started out with a 18" x 10" foundation fabric and placed my

first scrap in the center. (This piece was already stitched together).



Adding bits of fabric scraps

I aligned my second scrap, raw edge

even with one of the raw edges of the first scrap, right sides together
and stitched a 1/4" seam.

Close up

 Pressed the scrap over the raw edge,

trimmed off the excess and continued adding scraps around the starting piece.

More scraps being added

As I continued adding the scraps I angled some and

pieced smaller scraps together until the whole foundation was covered.

I trimmed the finished block to 17" x 9",

then cut it up into various width strips all 9" long.

I ended up with seven strips.

Next I chose backing fabrics and buttons for each strip .

I cut lightweight fusible interfacing 1/4" smaller

all around than the finished piece and

pressed it to the pieced strip.



 I sewed the buttons onto the pieced strips first because I didn't want

the thread to show on my backing fabric.

(I used the sewing machine to attach the buttons cause that's how I roll).

I used ponytail bands for the loops over the buttons.

That done, it was time to attach the ponytail loops and the backing fabric.

I placed the backing and the strip right sides together,

sandwiched the ponytail loop between the two, pinned, stitched

and left a small section on one long edge open for turning right side out.

Wrapped loop

I found that if you wrap the ponytail loop with thread a few times

it's much easier to control/insert.



Insert long piece between the sandwich with
the short wrapped piece extending beyond your seam.

I also found out that if you use a large button it's not so easy

to stitch past....  Zipper foot to the rescue!

When you're making things up as you go stuff happens!

I turned it right side out and slip-stitched the opening closed.



Finished

Feel free to add lace, beads, ribbon, flowers, yarn, charms......smaller buttons....

What do you think?

 What creative things have you been up to?

Till next time,

Bonjour