In yesterday's blog we started a variation on the round vanity bag we did before. We will continue on this bag today and finish it in the next blog. The pattern can be downloaded from APrettyTalent.com by clicking here.
Construction – the outside pockets
Construction – the outside pockets
Lay the fabric and the
lining for the pocket face to face and pin in place. Sew with 1 cm seam
allowance all along the top of the long edge.
Fold the seam open.
Stay-stitch the seam to the fabric. That means that you stitch right next to
the seam stitching , catching the seam allowance in the process and sewing it
to the fabric. When you turn the seam over, you will find that it barely needs
ironing but will ‘want’ to lie flat. Iron it flat anyway.
Sew approximately 1,5
cm from the top, through the fabric and lining, to form a ‘tube’ that we will
pull an elastic through a little later on.
Find and mark the
centre of the side panel at the bottom and top (just below the zipper). Place
pins as markers.
Mark the seam
allowance with pins, on both sides.
Find the centre
between the seam allowance pin and the centre pin. Do this on both sides.
Find the centres
between each of the pins already pinned.
I pinned the lining
with the fabric since it made it easier to work accurately. Now the measuring
was done and it was time to unpin the lining, making sure my pins kept their
marks on the fabric.
I folded the lining
away and over the top of the bag, pinning it there so it would not get caught
in the sewing at the bottom.
I then proceeded to
measure and mark the pocket in the same manner as the side panel. This time the
gaps would be bigger, since the pockets consisted of a longer panel. I marked
the seam allowance and the centre. I marked the centres on both sides between
the seam allowance and the centre. I then marked the centres between each of the
marked sections.
I then pinned the
sides of the pocket to the sides of the side.
Then I lined up the
pins with each other and pinned the pocket to the side. This caused the pocket
to make loops as I pinned it.
I caught each loop
together at the bottom with a pin.
I then pushed the loop
flat, allowing equal amounts of fabric both sides of the centre of the pleat. I
pinned the pleat in place. I repeated this with all of the loops, turning them
into pleats.
I then gave the pleats
a stay stitch so that I could get rid of some of the pins. Take note, I still
need the original marker pins in place and can only remove the pins that kept
the pleats in place.
I then measured a
narrow piece of elastic to the same length as the side panel.
I’m sure everyone has
a tip for pulling elastic through, but I use an old leather worker’s tool I
inherited from my grandmother. These are still available on the market if you
search for them.
I pulled the elastic
through the ‘tunnel’ I had sewn for it.
I made little
stay-stitches on the sides of the tunnel, making sure I fixed the elastic in
place securely.
I then pulled and
pushed and maneuvered the fabric until I had equal fabric distribution (or at
least seemingly equal distribution). I then used the marker pins to guide me
and cut straight up from the bottom to the elastic, forming little pockets from
the one large pocket. This was also when I removed the last of the pins at the
bottom of the bag and any others that were still marking the top for me.
Construction - closing the panels
Fold the panel to form
a circle with the right sides facing. Pin the ends of the fabric together,
right sides facing. Make sure to fold the lining away so it doesn’t get caught
in the stitching.
Sew the seam.
Fold the fabric away
and pin the lining right sides facing. Sew the seam.
In tomorrow's blog we will be putting the finishing touches on the vanity bag.
For more
crafty ideas and great products, visit APrettyTalent.com.
Remember to
keep nurturing your TALENT for making PRETTY things.
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