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A very handy bag

I imagined this bag to be big enough to contain a great cross stitch magazine and a pocket in front to carry my threads... An all terrain bag easy to wear in town, on the coast, or in the country. If you cross a bicycle on small roads with somebody carrying this bag, it might be little me!

Supplies:

- Thread color linen

- 2 rectangular rings (1.4'')

- 1 magnetic fastener, diameter 0.7''

- 1 linen 55'' x 24'' (140 x 60 cm)

- 1 red fabric with small patterns 63'' (160 cm) wide for the lining.

Preparation:

materiel pour fabriquer un sac - broderie au point compté rprésentant des insectes, une paire de ciseaux, du tissu rouge, des attaches...)

- Cut 1 square of linen 15.75'' x 17.75''(40 x 40 cm) and cross stitch it.

- Wash all the fabrics and iron them before assembly.

- Cut 1 rectangle of linen 13.4'' x 26'' (34 x 66 cm).

- Cut 1 rectangle of red fabric rouge 13.4'' x 26'' (34 x 66 cm).

- Cut 1 rectangle of red fabric rouge 11'' x 12.6'' ( 28 x 32 cm).

To emphasize the pattern you can:

- Cut 2 strips of red fabric 1.6'' x 33.86'' (4 x 86 cm)

- Cut 1 strip of red fabric 1.6'' x 47.25''(4 x 120 cm)

or simply:

- Replace all the previous strips by a bias.

For the strap you can:

- Cut 2 strips of linen 3.15'' x 33.86'' (8 x 86 cm).

- Cut 1 strip of linen 3.15'' x 47.25'' (8 x 120 cm).

or simply

- Cut some serge strap.

Making the straps:

You can simplify the step by using color serge strap (easiest) or serge strap color linen with a bias sewed over. You will avoid the ironing to mark the folds!

For the strap made with linen:

bande de linà broder écru sur planche à repasser

- Turn over 0.4'' (1 cm)on one side of the longest strip.

- Turn over 0.4'' (1 cm) on the two sides of the 2 others strips.

- Iron to mark the folds.

- Turn over 0.4'' (1 cm) on one side of the strip and do it for the all length.

- Iron to mark the fold.

- Turn over 0.8'' (2 cm) on the other side (the all length).

- Iron.

- Turn down the 0.4'' fold towards the 0.8'' so that both folds are touching.

- Iron to marks the folds.

For the red fabric:

- Turn down both sides of the strip towards the middle so you obtain 2 folds of 0.4'' (1 cm).

- Iron.

Assembly of the 3 strips (linen/red fabric)

- Open one end of the linen strip and slide inside the red strip over 0.4'' (all the folds are facing you)).

- Sew the end of the linen strip over the width to assemble the 2 fabric strips.

- Sew only the linen along the central fold and over almost all the length.

- Stop at about 0.6'' (1,5 cm) from the end.

- Turn the red strip (or bias) over the linen, pin onto the length well centered on the linen.

For the 2 straps sewed on the bag:

- AT the end, slide the red fabric into the linen strip.

- Tack the assembly taking care to give the same tension to the linen and the red fabric. Otherwise the assembly will warp.

For the two strips sewed on the bag:

- Sew the rd fabric at one end.

For the 3 strips:

- Sew the red fabric on both sides near the edge and always in the same direction so that the red fabric (or bias) does not wrap.

The longest strap that will go around your shoulder will need to be adjusted latter to the size of the person carrying the bag.

Fastener (optional)

- Cut 2 linen rectangles 2.6'' x 3.54'' (6,5 x 9 cm) and 1 red fabric rectangle 5.12'' x d1.57'' (13 x 4 cm).

- Make a bias with the red fabric and cut it in two.

- Fold the linen in two to obtain a rectangle 2.6'' x 1.77' (6,5 x 4,5 cm) and iron.

- Place the bias at 0.08'' (2mm) from the fold.

- Sew the bias on both sides near the edge (1mm).

- turn over the linen and sew the opposite sides at 0.4'' (1 cm) from the edge.

- Cut the angles.

-Turn inside out softly .

- Fold back the last lapel towards the inside over 0.4'' (1 cm).

- Pin and tack.

- Sew.

- You will get a rectangle 1.37'' x 1.77' (3,5 x 4,5 cm).

How to prepare the embroidery to make the pocket

- Adjust the size of cross stitched square to 11'' x 11'' (28 x 28cm)- (1.77'' or 4,5 cm margin around the pattern).

- Place the embroidery over the red fabric (see picture).

-Pin and sew at 0.31'' (8 mm) from the edge (left side of the picture).

- Turn over and position the pattern so you can have same width of red fabric (0.4'' or 1 cm).

- Iron to mark the folds.

- Sew near the linen.

- Oversew edges of the pattern.

Assembly of the different parts of the bag.

- Fold in two the remaining linen.

-Iron the fold.

- Place the pocket at 1.18'' (3 cm) the top and sides and at 0.8'' (2 cm) from the middle (bottom of the bag).

- Sew at 0.27'' from the edge.

- Sew on the linen near the edge of the red fabric for the bottom of the pocket (I made two seams one on top of the other to reinforce the pocket).

Sew the two straps:

- Place the straps at 0.78'' (2 cm)from the edges and living 2.56'' (6.5 cm) on the back and 4.9'' on the front.

- Sew the straps near the edge of the red fabric on both sides, living 1.57'' (4 cm ) without seam at each ends of the linen rectangle (top of the bag). Important; sew each side of a strap in the same direction.

Making the two pockets:

- Fold the linen on the wrong side and sew the sides at 0.4'' (1 cm) from the edge.

- Cut the angles and oversew the sides.

-Repeat with the red fabric.

- Mark the seams (oversewed edges and sewed) that you will turn towards the inside.

Assemble the two pockets:

- Turn inside out the linen pocket.

- Iron to squeeze the seams.

- Without turning inside out the red pocket, squeeze the seams with an iron.

- Slide the red pocket as is inside the linen pocket.

- Fold back 0.6'' (1.5cm) the linen and 0.71'' (1,8 cm) the red fabric to make a lapel.

- Pin and tack.

- Sew on the lining side the pocket at 0.08'' (2mm) from the edge in the red fabric. Be careful not to sew the straps.

- Strengthen the ends of the straps with 2 seams. Be careful to hold the lining in place while sewing. Do one seam at 0.24'' (6 mm) from the edge of the bag (back and forth 3 times) and one seam at 0.8'' (2 cm) also back and forth 3 times.