Laptop bag tutorial

I've been accused of not loving my new macbook enough. It's true. I kind of hate it. My loathing for my new computer (who I should not talk bad about as I type on it!) didn't stop me from making it a fun new bag. I didn't feel like buying a bag for it, so I decided to make one. I also figured, since I'm making the bag, I might as well share the process. If there are any errors, please let me know!

Here we go!

Materials:
bag fabric
liner fabric
buttons/snaps/buckle
matching thread

So, I do this every time I buy fabric. I didn't keep track. I don't know how much I bought. I had some leftover green corduroy that I used for the outside of my bag. I bought maybe 1 yd or 1.5 yds for the liner. I had plenty left over so I think a safe amount would be 1 yd.
I also bought some buttons to cover with the liner fabric but seem to have misplaced them so they're not a part of the tutorial, but hopefully I'll find them one day and add them.
Finally, I really wanted to add a buckle that would let me lengthen or shorten the strap but I couldn't find a buckle of what I wanted, and I ran out of steam making the bag.

*All seam allowances are 1/2", unless stated otherwise*

Cut these pieces (all these dimensions are allowing for the 1/2" seam)

Outside fabric pieces:
Front/Back piece x2: 15"x10.5"
Side piece x2: 15"x3.5"
Bottom piece x1: 3.5"x10.5"
Top flap piece x1: 7.5"x10.5"
Bottom pocket piece x1: 8"x10.5" (split into two pieces: 5", 3")
Strap piece x1: 37"x2"

Liner fabric pieces:
Front Back piece x2: 15"x10.5"
Inside panel x2: 14.5"x10.5"
Side piece x4: 15"x2.25"
Bottom piece x2: 10"x2.25"
Top flap piece x1: 7.5"x10.5"
Bottom decorative piece x1: 4"x10.5"
Bottom pocket piece (liner) x1: 11"x10.5"
Strap piece x1: 37"x2"
Inside pockets
-itouch size x2: 5.75"x3.75"
-ipod nano x2: 4.25x3.5"

Interfacing:
I put a fleece interfacing on all the front/back/sides/bottom/middle panels to give the laptop a little protection. I added it to the outer sides and the inner panels just so the sewing would be easier.

Final dimensions:
14" tall
9.5" wide
2.5" deep

Sewing the outside of the bag:

*iron interfacing on before starting*

1. Sew side pieces to bottom piece. Trim seams.






2. Sew outer pocket together
a) sew bottom decorative piece to bottom pocket piece. I split the pocket into three pieces, from top to bottom: 5", 4", 3". Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew together to form one 11"x10.5" piece that will match the liner piece. Press seams to the outside. Top stitch along the decorative piece to create a nice finish.
b) Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew liner top to outside top. Leave sides and bottom unfinished because they will be sewn into the sides at a later time.






3. Using a 1/4" seam allowance, baste pocket to outer front piece.







4. Sew Top flap liner to outside on three sides. Trim seams, clip corners, turn out, press, and top stitch around three edges, leaving one edge rough.

5. Sew strap together.

*add interfacing if you want a thicker/softer strap*

a)With right sides together, sew one piece of the outside fabric and one piece of the liner together.
b) Stitch along the long edge of each side, forming a tube.
c)Turn the right side of the strap out, and press.
d)Top stitch the strap for a nice finish.

See this tutorial for a visual

6. Sew Side/Bottom pieces to Front/Back to form the bag. Trim all corners and edges. The fleece adds bulk that can be trimmed away.









7. Baste Top Flap and Strap pieces to bag.













The Outer part of the bag should be complete.








Sewing the Liner:



1. Sew the inner panel together.
a) With right sides together, stitch the top of the panel. Trim the seam, turn so right sides are out and top stitch across the top.





2. Sew the sides and bottoms to the inner panel.
a) I attached the sides to the inner panel and sewed the sides at the same time.
b) I lined the bottom of the sides up with the inner panel. The sides should extend beyond the inner panel. The inner panel is shorter than the outer part of the bag.






c)Then attach each half of the bottom one at a time. This is a little tricky. Don't sew the other sides into the side.









Lining up the corners isn't pretty. Just go slow and it's ok if things don't match up exactly--just make sure there aren't any holes when you're done sewing.






It may get ugly. Just keep going!










3. Sew inner pockets together and attach to Front/Back liner piece.
a) Using a 1/4" seam allowance, sew pockets with right sides together, like a pillow. Leave an opening for turning. Trim corners and turn.
b) Attach pockets where you want them on the Front/Back liner piece, making sure opening in facing down so it will be sewn closed when the pocket is attached. Sew three sides to form a pocket, closing the opening as you sew.








4. Attach Front/Back pieces to inner part of the liner. Trim all the seams so there is less bulk.











The liner should be complete now.







Finishing the bag:


1. Stuff the outside of the bag inside of the liner, right sides together. This is a little tricky. Put the outer bag in just one part of the liner. Match up the corners and pin all around. Be careful with where the back flap and straps are.








2. Sew all around, leaving an opening to turn the bag. Be sure to have the opening where the back flap is not. It's easier to top stitch it closed. I did not do this and it didn't work as well as I wanted it to.









3. Turn and top stitch all around, closing the opening.




4. Add buttons or snaps to the flap so the bag stays closed.

It's done!










Perfect timing...Michael Phelps just won his 8th Gold medal! yeah!

What I'm up to

Here's the Baby Surprise Jacket, finally all done. There's not much I can say about this amazing pattern that hasn't already been said - it was fun to knit, and a blast to see it come together in the end. I was pleased to find these little purple buttons in my stash, which I think go very well with the pretty yarn.












Above left are the Cage Comforters I'm making out of recycled clothing. They are close to done; I'll post in more detail when they are. On the right are some little dog toys I made for a friend's dogs, using the scraps from the cage comforters. I saw something like them online somewhere, but couldn't remember where, so I just improvised these.

Too hot to knit

...but I've managed to make a little progress in spite of the ungodly heat. There was a slight change of plans in the BSJ; I decided I didn't like the scratchiness or color pooling of the original yarn, so I switched to this stuff (Gedifra something-or-other) which is not only softer and beautifully stripey, but it's machine washable as well, which I know the baby's mom will appreciate. And on the right, the brown vest continues. I'm almost done with the body of the Tree of Life afghan - I hope to have a ta-da photo of that by August!

A blanket

I thought I'd stop by and show off a small project that I've been doing this summer. I knew I'd slow down with my crafting, but I feel like I'm almost going backwards! 

In the spring I had an idea to make a new "lunch-time laying out on the Capitol lawn" blanket and I read about a fun quilt block and thought I'd try a Disappearing 9 Patch quilt. I haven't quilted in many years and the lack of space in my apartment basically set this up as 

a suicide mission. I slowly pieced, ironed, sewed, and trimmed to finally finish the quilt top this weekend. I also bought the backing this weekend. I have to quilt it next, which probably won't happen for a couple weeks. I just might have this quilt done before summer is over. (My cat seems to like it already!)

Christmas in July

I've started on the Christmas gifts! From left to right: Baby Surprise Jacket; button-up wool vest; fabric for animal cushions (my charity project). I went over my Christmas list and came up with a few good, do-able (I hope!) gift goals. From the looks of it right now, I probably won't have to buy any new yarn to complete my planned holiday gifts!

Been a while since I rapped at ya

As always, I have not been crafting as much as I'd like to be, but I haven't been a total slacker. The Tree of Life blankie is coming along; above left you can see I've started the second (& final!) Flower Garden section. It's coming out bigger than I'd anticipated but that's OK; I still think it's about right for a crib or for laying on the floor for the baby to squirm on.

On the right are some napkins I made yesterday, finally breaking in my new sewing machine (frakking awesome!). The fabric actually used to be a light cotton twin bedspread from Urban Outfitters which I bought a few years ago. When I got a bigger bed and I cut it down to be a tablecloth, but when I got a new table I put the fabric away for whatever. I used a blue thread to match the little blue accents in the print.

A couple requests

I'm finally getting around to showing off a couple of things I recently finished. I was asked to make both of these items. The first is a simple scarf. The yarn was not so simple. I'm a bad knitter and didn't even keep the label so I could mark what yarn it was. It was a pain to knit with though. I couldn't decide on a pattern for the scarf. I wanted something that had a little more style than a simple garter stitch, but I also felt like the yarn was the important part, not the design. I eventually decided on this pattern. Once I got into the pattern, it was quick to knit. And this picture doesn't do the yarn justice--it's actually quite colorful and sparkly.


The next item is a baby blanket/quilt. I was given all the supplies and the task to sew together a blanket with batting. I put it together like a pillow and followed the instructions I used for my knitted blanket backing. It worked out ok, with very little shifting. I then decided to practice a little hand-stitching and blanket stitched the caterpillar on and used a chain stitch for the legs and antennae. The hand-stitching went quicker than I imagined, and there was enough there for me to practice precision, something I'm not very patient at.


You may also notice a little (or not so little) knitted caterpillar toy with the blanket...I had this pattern I wanted to try, and thought that it was the perfect opportunity to do so! I actually doubled the pattern size, mainly because I have a TON of stuffing that I want to use up....I'm tired of it sitting around my apartment. Also, big toys are fun. I used a Caron acrylic yarn so the toy can be washed easily.


Finally, this isn't a request by anyone, but I was inspired by the erstwhile Tippi to start a scrap blanket. I have a ton of green yarn and thought I'd start by using some of that up. I also have brown in abundance so I might throw in brown and off-white. I can't wait to start it. Unfortunately, I'm starting a summer internship on top of my full-time job so knitting, sewing and all around crafting is probably going to be on the back burner this summer. Hopefully I'll have something to post though!

Tree of Life update

Yes, that's my couch upholstery - don't be jealous. Today I had jury duty, and while waiting all day (didn't get called to serve) I worked on the Tree of Life blanket. I got through 3/4 of the Flower Garden section, and finished the first of the three balls of Wool-Ease Sportweight I have to use for this project. I don't think I'll have enough to finish, since there are 4 repeats of trees in all and 3 Flower Gardens! Might have to leave out 1 repeat of each, or if that doesn't make a big enough blanket, I can hunt down an extra ball or two after my yarn diet ends in mid-July.

Edited to add: I double-checked and it's only 2 Flower Gardens & 3 Tree repeats! I should be OK for the body of the blanket but might have to simplify the border, which I'd rather do than buy more yarn. Also, I had jury duty again (and still didn't get called - civic duty = done for the next four years!) and finished the first Flower Garden, the next dividing section, and started the next Trees!

Current status

Here's a update on the ongoing scrap blanket; I've been working on it a lot lately as a nice break from garment knitting. It's the perfect mindless project to work on while indulging in TV on DVD. It's about 3 1/2 feet square now. I just really love scrap projects - I love the ugliness of them, how colors unexpectedly work with each other, and I especially love getting to handle all the leftover yarns again.

On the right is the beginning of a baby-sized version of the Tree of Life Afghan by Lion Brand. I'm using Wool-Ease Sportweight from Smiley's. It's slow going now that I've gotten to the interwoven tree branch motif - definitely not a suitable TV knitting project, I have to really focus on this one.

A baby shower gift

Back in March, I co-hosted a baby shower. The invitations asked all guests to knit up a square that would eventually be sewn together by yours truly. I finally finished it a couple of weeks ago. I'm now finally getting around to sharing it.

Some slight oversights (no specified yarn type or square size) created quite the hodgepodge of knitted squares. I had the job of making all the squares the same size, by adding an off-white border around the squares. I then had the joy of sewing cast-off edges together. I think my least favorite knitting chores are picking up stitches and sewing seams, but I got it all together.
I didn't want the back exposed so I thought I'd sew a flannel back on the blanket. It worked out, for the most part. I blocked the squares and then I blocked the whole blanket; it was still slightly wonky, but I got it to work.
In the end, this was a rather fun project. I haven't really worked with yarn and fabric before. It was slightly tricky to use my sewing machine with yarn. This was great practice. And what it lacks in beauty, I'm sure it'll make up for in memories.

A belated birthday present

I made this skirt for my sister for her birthday.

It's a wrap skirt from here. I wanted to embellish it a little though. I was inspired by the Kimono House Wrap Skirt, but my final product was quite different. Eh, maybe I'll actually look at the inspiration before diving into my own craft next time! This skirt sewed up super fast. I used a linen fabric for the main part of the skirt and I think I'll have to make another one for myself for the summer.

Bag tutorial

I realize there are roughly a million bag tutorials out on the internet, but I'm adding one more to the mix. I made some bags as gifts for Christmas and didn't write down a single thing. I decided to make some more and thought I should keep track of the process this time if I ever wanted to do it again. I apologize for my horrible pictures; one day I'll buy a better camera. So, here's my first tutorial. Hopefully it will make sense!

Materials:
You will need fabric for the bag and a liner. I bought a yard of each fabric and had plenty to spare.

scrap fabric for pocket (optional)
matching thread
interfacing (optional)

Cut:
2 pieces of 15x17 for the front and back panel
2 pieces of 6x17 for the side panels
1 piece of 6x15 for the bottom panel
2 pieces of 2x24 for the handles

Finished measurements are: 14(w)x16(h)x5(d) with 1.5"x 23" handles

All seams are 1/2", except for handles, which are 1/4"

Iron interfacing onto pieces before starting.

Handles:

1. With right sides together, sew one piece of the bag fabric and one piece of the liner together.
2. Stitch along the long edge of each side, forming a tube.
3. Turn the right side of the handle out, and press.
4. Top stitch the handle for a nice finish.

The short edges will still be unfinished. That's ok since they will be sewn into the bag later.

Bag:
1. Pin and sew the sides to the bottom, forming one long strip of fabric.
2. Press seams out.
3. With right sides together, pin the front panel to the strip, being careful to match corners.



The corners are a bit hard to navigate. I like to line up the bottom of the front/back panel with the bottom of the bag first. Then I pin the two sides, leaving the corners loose for turning while I sew.








4. Start sewing the front panel to the side.



5. About a 1/2" before the edge, with the needle in the down position, lift footer and turn the fabric so the bottom is ready to sew, making sure there's still a 1/2" seam allowance.
6. Do the same for the other corner.
7. Press all seams out and trim the corner so there's less bulk once it's turned in again.





8. Repeat all these steps for the liner.

Before sewing the liner, add a pocket of any size.

Optional pocket:
1.Take two pieces of fabric, equal size.
2. With right sides together, sew around the edge, leaving an opening suitable for turning the fabric out.
3. Turn so the right sides are out. Press.
4. Attach pocket to one front/back panel. Sew three sides, forming a pocket. At the same time, make sure you position the opening so it is also sewn shut.




Sewing the bag together:
1. Place the bag, right side out, inside the liner, which is wrong side out. Essentially, you're putting right sides together.


2. Before pinning the two pieces together, stick the handles inside.
3. Sandwich the handles inside the layers with matching fabrics touching each other.

I placed the handles about 3" in from the edges. Be sure not to twist the handles.











4. Line up the corners of the bag and pin.













5. Sew around the top of the bag, going over the handles a couple of times to reinforce them.

Be sure to leave an opening to turn the bag.







6. Turn the bag so the right sides are out.




7. Then stick the liner inside the bag.
8. Press the top to form a nice edge.
9. Top-stitch the top of the bag.

You're done!

Leilani

Here is the Leilani sweater from Berroco booklet #270. I used Cascade Sierra, a yarn that I really love & it's perfect for a summer sweater, although maybe not quite as drape-y as the linen-blend yarn the pattern is written for. Incredibly easy to knit, super simple seaming, and easy to throw on in a frigidly air-conditioned subway car! I made one modification - the pattern calls for the two fronts to be different sizes, but I made them both in the larger size specified for the right front, and I don't think the resulting symmetry takes away from my enjoyment of the unstructured simplicity of this sweater.

I finished something!

Ah...it's been so long. Right now, I have about 10 things I'm working on, which is why I can't seem to finish anything in the crafty department. I did manage to finish this little guy:

for my nephew, who will be celebrating his first Syttende Mai this year, and while there are traditional clothes children often wear to this event, he's still a little young. I thought he needed something special to show off his Norwegian roots though. The weekend is usually frigid or unbearably hot...here's hoping for a nice weekend, with enough chill for a baby to wear a hat.

I used scrap Patons wool for the yarn and found the pattern on Ravelry.

Seamless hybrid

I finally finished the sweater for husband. On the left is a shot of him trying it on before hemming; I ended up adding about an inch and a half to the hem, but the rest fit really well. The photo below is the wrong side before weaving in ends. I put a message into the hem facing - sorry for the naughty language, we somehow gave each other these nicknames a long time ago and they just stuck. He thought that was a nice touch. The top right-hand photo is the finished sweater after its first washing.
I really enjoyed knitting this pattern, the Seamless Hybrid from Knitting Without Tears. The shoulder construction is ingenious! I learned a lot from this project and tried a few things for the first time with an acceptable level of success, enough to give me the confidence to keep trying new stuff. This was the first time I made a swatch and laundered it to check for shrinkage; the first time I ripped a cast-on edge and knit down from it; the first time I used a "percentages" pattern; and the first time I successfully grafted (thanks to the amazing TechKnitter's non-Kitchener tutorial). All in all, I'm happy with this sweater and so is the man.

The big reveal!

I finished my Tangled Yolk Cardigan! I've been waiting for a good time to take an action shot though. Despite it being April on the calendar, Wisconsin still is in the midst of winter; yes, we had snow and a high of 38 this weekend. Yeah....needless to say, the lighting has been less than spectacular for taking detailed shots of tangled yolks. I don't think this picture does it justice, but I can't wait any longer!


This sweater is everything I started knitting for. It is SO amazing. I blocked it to the right size and it fits me so well. It is such a wonderful color!

One small story to go along with this post:
I was showing my non-knitting mother my sweater and I mentioned what a pain the pattern was. I had a hard time keeping track of 200+ stitches, where I was in the pattern, etc. She responded with "Don't you use markers when you knit?" DUH! As much as this sweater really shows off all that I've learned, I still think the knitting police should take away my needles. It never even crossed my mind to mark the repeating sections of the pattern. Oh, the nights of ripped out knitting....I guess I learned another valuable lesson!

Yeah! And since it's still so cold out, I can wear it before summer. I think my co-workers will think I'm crazy for wearing it everyday!

A very mild (thoroughly polite?) finished project

Here are the socks for my Dad - a nice neutral, practical gift for the man who, if pressed, will request only white handkerchiefs for his Christmas present. He's someone who appreciates both the little things and the handmade, so I think these will be just the thing. I started them a little over two weeks ago but only had a few inches knit, until I took a trip this weekend and had to wait for 5 hours in an airport for a delayed flight, during which time I finished the pair (well, I did a little work on them on the buses to/from airports, too).