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!

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!

Christmas crafting round-up

I had great intentions of debuting all my crafting for the holidays slowly, but since it's practically mid-January, here ya go:

Item #1:
Here is the mysterious item I was hand felting. It is a big bag and it was a name-draw gift for Christmas. I was fairly pleased with the final product. I think it could have felted better in a machine but overall, I was able to keep the felting consistant. The handles were horrific to felt--I didn't think they would ever shrink! I will also confess to attaching the handles on wrong ends so I cut them and attached buttons for a cute little flair.






Item #2:
I decided that bags were going to be the gift of choice this year; they're always needed, super trendy, and customizable. So I made my mother and two sisters their own tote bags. I kind of winged it in terms of a pattern. I learned a lot about the process of adding a liner from the bags when I made the bags for my grandmothers, and I just adapted that pattern for new bags. I'm also starting to not forget to add pockets to the inside! I did, however, forget to make a bag for myself. I think they're so cute but I'm kind of burned out from sewing....maybe I'll make a couple when the outdoor farmer's market starts up again.


And for some non-present related Christmas crafting:

Guess the insanity!

Here's a picture of what I've been slowly working on this week:


Yes, I am hand felting! It is quite the chore but it's actually working. I couldn't do it all in one shot; my arms got a little tired (eep!). This is another Christmas present and I needed it felted and dried before then but I don't have easy access to a top-loading washer so I'm resorting to this old-fashioned work. Where's the Wonder Washer when I need it? I will most likely have another post when it's all finished so I'll save the details for then.

Good Grief!

I had high hopes of posting something every day of December this year. I seem to have plenty of projects, but not enough time I guess. To kind of catch up, here are three recently finished projects:


First, I made another green A-line skirt. This time, I added pockets, which was fun to think about and plan for. I didn't use a pattern again and I still like the skirt, but I think it flares out a little more than I wanted but I can never tell what it'll look like until I have it all sewed up and by then I'm not tearing it out again. Also, I added a liner but didn't take a picture of it.






Next, I had a request from a friend to knit a Charlie Brown sweater. I didn't think I had to time or desire to knit a whole yellow and black sweater so I compromised and knit a hat instead. I made the pattern all by myself (not too hard, thankfully!) I used my favorite Cascade 220 yarn and followed the Hats that Fit by Nancy Lindberg pattern.




And finally I started my holiday crafting. I feel fairly safe posting what I've worked on so far. I'm making bags for both my grandmas and here's one bag all finished up. I used the Curved Gusset Bag from U-handblog. It sewed up really fast and it was easy even for me. It turned out really well and it's huge! I think it's almost too big.




More tomorrow!