Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags (4 page)

a. Place one inside pocket panel with interfacing attached and one without interfacing
Right
sides together. Pin along the top edges. Stitch a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam across the pinned edge. Backstitch at each end.

b. Turn the pocket panels
Right
side out and press along the top edge.

c. Topstitch ½″ (1.3 cm) from the top edge. Backstitch at each end.

d. Match the sides and bottom edges. Pin and then machine baste a ¼″ (0.6 cm) seam down both sides and across the bottom to hold them in place.

e. Place the pocket onto the
Right
side of the first lining panel, matching the side and bottom edges. Pin and then machine baste a ¼″ (0.6 cm) seam down both sides and across the bottom.

f. Fold the pocket and lining in half lengthwise and gently press a crease. Starting at the bottom of the pocket, stitch up along the crease to divide the pocket into two sections. Backstitch at each end.

g. Repeat steps 10a through 10f to make and attach the other inside pocket to the second lining panel.

a. Repeat steps 6a through 6j to attach the handles to each side of the lining panels.

b. Repeat steps 8a through 8e and 9a through 9e to attach the side and bottom panels to the lining panels.

a. Fold the button loop piece in half lengthwise,
Wrong
sides together, and press a crease along the folded edge.

b. Open the loop. Fold each long edge in to meet the center crease, and press.

c. Fold the loop in half again at the center crease to enclose the raw edges. Press.

d. Edge stitch* down each long edge. Backstitch at each end.

e. Fold the loop in half, matching the short ends. Then, flip the end lying on top over to the side, placing the finished edges side-by-side. Overlap the side edges by ⅛″ (0.3 cm) and pin them together (see
figure 4
on
page 29
).

f. Measure and make a mark 2¾″ (7 cm) up from the raw ends along the overlapped edges of the loop. Then, edge stitch up the overlapped edges from the raw end to the mark. Backstitch at each end.

g. Fold the top of the loop to form a triangle and press the loop flat. Edge stitch across the bottom of the triangle. Backstitch at each end.

h. Sew a gathering stitch*, ½″ (1.3 cm) from the edge, across the raw ends of the loop. Pull the bobbin thread to gather the ends in to measure 1½″ (3.8 cm). Insert a straight pin at each end of the stitching line and wrap the bobbin threads around the pin in a figure 8 to hold the gathers in place.

i. Center the gathered end of the loop on the top edge on one of the bands,
Right
sides together. Pin and then machine baste the loop in place.

Figure 4

a. With the exterior
Right
side out and the lining
Wrong
side out, slide the lining over the exterior, matching the side seams. Pin them together around the outside of the handles and across the top of the side panels. Stitch a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam completely around the pinned edges. Backstitch at each end.

b. Clip into the seam allowance every ½″ to ¾″ (1.3 cm to 1.9 cm) along each curved edge. Be careful not to clip the stitching.

c. Turn the bag
Right
side out through the opening on the inside of one of the handles, pushing the lining down inside the exterior of the bag, and press.

d. Match the exterior and lining folded edges on the inside of the first handle and pin them together. Edge stitch along the matched edges. Backstitch at each end. Repeat this step to finish the inside edges of the second handle on the back of the bag, after first pulling out the button loop.

e. Then edge stitch along the outside edges around both side panels. Backstitch at each end.

a. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to cover the button.

b. Measure and mark 2½″ (6.4 cm) down from the top edge along the center on the front of the bag. Place the button on the mark and hand stitch it in place.

Your bag is complete! Take your Cosmo Bag to the beach, to the market, or out on the town.

16″ (40.6 cm) wide at bottom, 13″ (33 cm) wide at top × 19″ (48.3 cm) tall (not including handles) × 5½″ (14 cm) deep

• ¾ yd (0.69 m) of one print for the exterior

• 1⅝ yd (1.49 m) of a coordinating print for the reversible side, pockets, and handles

• 5½ yd (5.03 m) of 20″ (50.8 cm) wide fusible woven interfacing (I use Shape Flex SF-101 by Pellon)

• ¼ yd (0.23 m) of 44″ (112 cm) wide fusible fleece (I use fusible Thermolam Plus by Pellon)

• 1 spool coordinating all-purpose thread (I use Coats Dual Duty XP)

See Basic Tools Needed for Each Project
(page 14)
.

• Main/pocket panel

• Side panel

a. Lay the fabric in a single layer with the
Right
side down. Fold each selvage edge* 9″ (22.9 cm) in toward the
Wrong
side and gently press a crease along the folded edges.

• Cut 2 main panels on the fold*

Fold each edge of the fabric in again 4″ (10.2 cm) and press a crease.

• Cut 2 side panels on the fold

b. Open the fabric. Using a ruler and fabric marker, measure and mark the dimensions for the bottom panel directly onto the
Right
side of the single layer of fabric. Then, cut along the marked lines.

• Cut 1 bottom panel: 6½″ (16.5 cm) wide × 17″ (43.2 cm) long

c. Lay the fabric in a single layer with the
Right
side down. Fold each selvage edge 9″ (22.9 cm) in toward the
Wrong
side and gently press a crease along the folded edges.

• Cut 2 main panels on the fold

• Cut 4 pocket panels on the fold (fold the pattern piece back on the dashed line)

Fold each edge of the fabric again 4″ (10.2 cm) in and press a crease.

• Cut 2 side panels on the fold

d. Open the fabric. Measure and mark the following dimensions directly onto the
Right
side of the single layer of fabric. Then, cut along the marked lines.

• Cut 2 handles: 7″ (17.9 cm) wide × 23″ (58.4 cm) long

• Cut 1 bottom panel: 6½″ (16.5 cm) wide × 17″ (43.2 cm) long

e. Use the panels you have cut as full-size pattern pieces to cut out the fusible interfacing.

• Cut 4 main panels

• Cut 4 side panels

• Cut 4 pocket panels

• Cut 2 bottom panels

• Cut 2 handles

f. Measure and mark the following dimensions directly onto the
Right
side of a single layer of fleece. Then, cut along the marked lines.

• Cut 1 bottom panel insert: 5½″ (14 cm) wide × 16″ (40.6 cm) long

• Cut 2 handle inserts: 1⅝″ (4.1 cm) wide × 23″ (58.4 cm) long

a. Place the
Wrong
side of the first exterior main panel onto the fusible side of the corresponding interfacing. Using a damp pressing cloth*, fuse the interfacing in place. Turn the panel over and press it again, making sure there are no puckers.

b. Repeat step 3a to apply the corresponding interfacing pieces to the second main panel, both reversible main panels, all side panels, all pocket panels, both handles, and the reversible bottom panel.

c. Center the fusible side of the fleece bottom panel insert on the
Wrong
side of the exterior bottom panel. There will be ½″ (1.3 cm) of the fabric showing around the outside edges. Place the fusible side of the interfacing over the fleece and fuse it to the
Wrong
side of the bottom panel, sealing the edges and enclosing the fleece. Turn the panel over and press it again, making sure there are no puckers.

a. Place two pocket panels
Right
sides together, matching all the edges. Pin along the top edges. Stitch a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam across the pinned edge. Backstitch* at each end.

b. Turn the pocket panels
Right
side out and press along the top edge.

c. Topstitch* ¼″ (0.6 cm) from the top edge. Backstitch at each end.

d. Match the sides and bottom edges. Pin and then machine baste* a ¼″ (0.6 cm) seam down both sides and across the bottom of the pocket panels to hold them in place.