Dance Duffle Ruffle Bag Tutorial

Today I’m sharing a tutorial on how to make a dance duffle bag, or as I call it, the “Dance Duffle Ruffle Bag Tutorial.” My daughter’s current bag is cute, but its too small, has no closure, and is just meant for something else.
So shoes are constantly falling out and getting mixed up or lost. My main goal was to come up with something that has a zipper.

It is a lined bag, and my favorite part is the ruffle at the top of the pocket. You could adapt this bag to any type of sports or gym bag. It’s plenty roomy!

Let’s get started!

Supply List:
*a note about the fabric-
It should be something heavy duty or even water proof. I used a home decor fabric.
3/4 yard main fabric
3/4 yard accent fabric
3/4 yard fusible interfacing
14″ zipper
86 inches of webbing
embroidered embellishments (optional)
lighter
notions
iron

Step 1: Wash and Cut
Pre-wash and dry your fabric. Then cut 5 things- webbing straps, webbing pull tabs, pocket piece, ruffle piece, bag main fabric, bag accent fabric, and interfacing.
Here are the measurements.
Webbing Straps- 80 inches
Webbing Pull tabs- two pieces, 3 inches each
Pocket- one piece of fabric 6.5×16 inches
Ruffle- 2×13 inches

 

Bag Main Fabric, Accent Fabric, and Interfacing- Refer to the picture below for the shape and measurements (in inches). I would start with a rectangle 32 inches long, and 23 inches wide. Then subtract the portions out of your rectangle. Always make your marks with a fabric pencil (um, ok I used a pen, but technically that is a sewing faux pas!). Be sure to do all your markings on the wrong side of the fabric. The bag’s main and accent fabric, and the interfacing will all have the same measurements.

 

(accent piece will be the lining of the bag)

Step 2: Interfacing and Edge finishing

Iron your interfacing to the wrong side of the accent fabric (not pictured). Then, pin the main fabric and accent fabric together, wrong sides facing each other. Zig zag or serge all the way around.

Step 3: Pocket
Take your pocket piece, fold in half, and press. Then fold the top edges over 1/4 inch and press.

Now iron or sew any embellishments you want to have on the pocket.

Next, take your ruffle piece, fold in half so its 1×13, and press.

Now set your machine stitch length to the longest it will go, and sew 1/4 inch away from the raw edge. To create a ruffle, gather the fabric by pulling on the top thread, and pushing the fabric toward the center. You can work from both ends, but only on the top thread. Once it is about 7 inches wide, set your stitch length back to normal, roll the edges over twice and sew to finish the edges.

Now pin the ruffle to the back layer of the pocket, and sew.

Now sew the top layer of the pocket to the ruffle. Then zig zag stitch the 2 long edges.

Now pin the pocket to the bag. Center and place the bottom of the pocket in line with the two right angles of the fabric (about 4.5 inches away from those corners). The top edge of the pocket will be about 4 inches away from the edge of that part of the bag. Sew both sides, and bottom of pocket to bag. I reinforced the bottom of the pocket by sewing it twice, wish a small stitch length. Of course, make sure you don’t sew the top of the pocket shut!

Step 4: Webbing
It is time to melt all the edges of the webbing, to ensure they won’t fray. Because your webbing is (most likely) made a of a synthetic fiber, it will not catch fire, but will just melt. Create a flame, and run each end of the webbing through the flame. There are 3 pieces of webbing, so that’s 6 sides to melt. Then put your lighter in a safe place.

Now take the webbing straps, and pin to the bag. They will cover the raw edges of the pocket. I put my pins in the middle of the webbing so I could sew around them. Begin and end the webbing just under the pocket. Overlap the webbing by 2 inches. For the handles, I measured 4 inches from the edge of the bag, and placed pins parallel the the edge to remind me where to stop sewing. Create a box with an X at each end of the webbing, where the handles will be.

Since my thread is white like the webbing, you can’t see my box with an X. I placed pins in an X shape so you could see where I sewed the X. When creating the X, keep your needle down, and pivot at each turn, until there’s a 4 sided box with an X through the middle. (Look at most sports or back packs laying around your house, and you will see what I’m talking about)!

Step 5: Zipper
On the top edge of your bag, place the zipper wrong side down (so right sides are together). Pin one side of the zipper to the edge of the bag.

With the needle moved to the left, and the presser foot following the zipper’s edge, sew it to the bag.
Tip- what happens when you get to the zipper pull, and you can’t sew a straight line around it? Put your needle down, lift the presser foot, and zip the pull up and out of the way. Continue sewing.

The zipper is now attached to one side of the bag, but now it needs to be turned right side out and topstitched.

So line up the presser foot to the edge of the zipper, put the needle to the left, and topstitch. Use the same trick once the zipper pull gets in the way.

The first row of top-stitching is complete. Now add a second row, by following the first row with your presser foot edge.

Now it’s time to attach the zipper to the opposite side of the bag. Place right sides of the bag together. Pin the unsewn zipper to the edge, and sew like you did the first time.

Now turn right side out and top-stitch twice like you did the other side.

Here’s how everything looks at this point!

Step 6: Pull Tabs
Fold the pull tab in half, and place the raw edge along the raw edge where the zipper ends. Sew across, perpendicular to the zipper. Make sure you don’t break your needle on the zipper or metal! If the metal is in your way, you can sew a small stitch parallel to the zipper instead, on both sides of the pull tab. Repeat for the other pull tab.

Step 7: Sewing it together!
Put the sides that measure 8.5 inches right sides together. Sew at 1/4 inch. I sewed this seam twice for reinforcement. Then I zig zagged the raw edge again for extra security. Do this to both sides of the bag.

This is the last part! Where the two right angles meet up, you are going to pull them away from each other to make a straight seam. So, where my finger is, that corner will become the top of the seam, and the other right angle will be the bottom of the seam.

Here’s what I mean. I pulled it away, and the sides line up. You will sew a straight line at 1/4 inch to connect the bottom of the bag, and do the same thing to the top of the bag. Make sure the side seam lays the same way at the top and bottom. Repeat this process on the other side of the bag.

And now you are almost done! Trim all your threads, then unzip the bag to turn it right side out.

Ta da!
A fun lined bag with a ruffle pocket.