Yep, it’s late again. I really do have Tuesdays in mind for
posting this blog when working on my projects. But right now my internet
connection is not great and most days I cannot get on the net at all. But here
is my latest project.
In the last couple of weeks I have made a couple of tote
bags, one for my Etsy shop and one as a gift. I had bought some fabric that
turned out to be stamped that it could not be used for commercial purposes. So
I used it to make a gift. But I found some great horse fabric that was perfect
for products for my Etsy shop. (living in Wickenburg ,
AZ
Today I am sharing a small bag I made that was inspired by
some nice little bags I saw in a gift shop last Saturday, while attending a
festival here in Wickenburg.
I started with a pair of old jeans, cutting off the top and
cutting them apart at the seams. Then I took the part of the back leg with the
pocket, folded it to get the bag size, then cut it off. I measured it to make
sure things were even all around.
I got crazy and made it wider at the bottom,
but you could just cut it square and longer or shorter, or even smaller without
the pocket.
I used the piece I had cut as the pattern to cut out my lining
fabric.
Then I cut a piece of fabric with horses on it and pinned it
to the bag on the opposite side from the pocket. This would be the front of the
bag. The pocket would be the back (and would be perfect for holding a phone or
business cards).
I cut some one inch brown grosgrain ribbon and put one piece
across the bottom of the fabric right where it would fold. The ribbon will show
on the side where the pocket is. I then framed the fabric on the sides with the
ribbon.
A pocket was created for inside by cutting a piece of fabric
and a lining and sewing them right sides together. The sides and bottom of the
pocket were sewn and then a strip of fabric was sewn to the top and folded over
for a nice clean finish. The top edge was sewn to a piece of ribbon. Then the
piece was sewn to the bag lining. The sides and bottom of the pocket were sewn
and then the ribbon ends were sewn down. The ribbon runs across the entire side
of the bag.
The lining was inserted into the outer bag and pinned
together with safety pins. This is a quilting tip. The safety pins are great in
place of regular straight pins, because you have no chance of getting stabbed
and they won’t slip when you are moving the fabric around.
Strips of fabric were sewn onto the top edges of the lining
and the denim bag to create a nice finish. The edges will be sewn together
after the strap is made.
A strap was made from a long strip of the fabric I used for
the top edge of the bag, and a strip of denim from one leg of the jeans. I had to sew two pieces together to get the length I wanted so I did it with the standard technique, on the bias.
I
pinned the front and back of the strap together, folding the edges. I decided not to do the normal right
sides together sewing and then turning it right side out. The denim is so stiff
that it would have been too hard to do it that way.
I wanted a bag that
could be worn across the body. The strap could be made from many things, even
braided fabrics. The strap was sewn onto the bag so that one end was on the
front and one on the back. 
To finish the bag on the outside I added a large button,
glass beads and a piece of lace to make it more decorative and fun.
Using old jeans to make little handbags is fun. You can make
them without lining if you want. The only thing to remember when using denim is
that is ravels easily. So it is always good to stitch closely along all cut
edges before sewing the bag together so it won’t start unraveling later. The
stitching doesn’t show when the bag is finished.
Denim is a thick fabric and is sometimes difficult to sew
along seams where the fabric is stacked. Try to flatten seams, trim and offset
seams when possible. Even my machine, which is supposed to sew up to seven
layers of denim, has a hard time sewing over a spot where I have two seams
matched up.
When considering what fabrics to use to make tote bags,
handbags and other things, look to old clothes. I have some really great bags
made from men’s western style dress shirts. Thrift stores are a great place to
find clothing to use for sewing projects, at a really great price. Look for
shirts, long skirts, robes, and of course old jeans in a variety of colors.
Think outside the box on this type of project.
This bag will be going into the Etsy shop this morning.
Til next time
Terri
1KrazyRtist
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