Shoulder Bag Tutorial

A large-scale print adds impact to this stylish shoulder bag. This shoulder bag is nice and deep with plenty of room for all your essentials for a trip into town. 

Finished size
Approx 37cm (14 1⁄2in) high x 23cm (9 1⁄4in) wide x 9cm (3 1⁄2in) deep, excluding handles

Materials
✦  40cm (1⁄2yd) fabric A for lower outer bag sections and inner pocket
✦  25cm (3⁄8yd) fabric B for upper outer bag sections and handles
✦  50cm (1⁄2yd) fabric C for lining and handles
✦  50cm (5⁄8yd) H630 Vilene
✦  One 3.5cm (1 3⁄8in) button
✦  Neutral piecing thread
✦  Quilting thread

Preparation
All measurements include 1⁄4in seam allowances, unless otherwise stated.

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

1  From fabric A, carefully cut the following pieces:
✦  Two 13in high x 13 1⁄2in wide rectangles for the lower outer bag sections
✦  One 8 1⁄2in square for the inner pocket

2  From fabric B, carefully cut the following pieces:
✦  Two 5in high x 13 1⁄2in wide rectangles for the upper outer bag sections

✦  Two 2 x 27in strips for the handles
✦  One 1 1⁄2 x 7in strip for the button loop 

3  From fabric C, carefully cut the following pieces:
✦  Two 17 1⁄2in high x 13 1⁄2in wide rectangles for the bag lining
✦  Four 2 x 13 3⁄4in strips for the handles
 
4  From the H630 Vilene, carefully cut the following pieces:
✦  Two 17 1⁄2in high x 13 1⁄2in wide rectangles for the bag front and back
✦  Two 2 x 27in strips for the handles

INNER POCKET

1  Right sides together and matching up the raw edges, fold the 8 1⁄2in fabric A square in half. If you use a directional print, take care with how you fold it – the folded edge will be the top of the pocket.
Stitch around the three open sides, leaving a 3in gap along the bottom edge to turn through. Clip the corners and then turn right side out through the gap; slipstitch the gap closed. ‘Roll’ the seams so that they are on the edges of the pocket and press. Topstitch along the folded edge approx  1⁄8in from the edge and then 1⁄2in below the first line of topstitching.

HANDLES
 
1 Fuse a 2 x 27in H630 Vilene strip to the wrong side of each of the 2 x 27in  fabric B handle strips. 

2  Take two of the 2 x 13 3⁄4in fabric C handle strips and join to make a 2 x 27in length. Repeat with the two remaining fabric C handle strips.

3  Place a fabric B handle strip and fabric C handle strip right sides together.
Stitch along both long edges and one short edge. Clip the corners and turn through to the right side. The easiest way to do this is to create a little ‘pocket’ at the closed short end, insert a chopstick (or the blunt end of a knitting needle or pencil) and then roll the handle back over the chopstick; see Fig 1. Trim away the seam at the short end so that your handle is 26in long.

4  ‘Roll’ the seams so that they are on the edges of the handle and press. Topstitch down both long sides approx 1⁄8in from the edge. See Fig 2.

5  Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to make a second handle.

Fig 1 Turning a handle right side out

Fig 2 Detail of topstitched handle

Fig 3 Button loop

 BUTTON LOOP
 

1  Wrong sides together and matching up the raw edges, fold the 1 1⁄2 x 7in fabric B button loop strip in half lengthways, press and then open out. Wrong sides together, fold each long edge over to the centre crease and then fold it over onto itself to enclose the raw edges. Topstitch down both long edges approx
1⁄8in from the edge. See Fig 3.

BAG FRONT AND BACK
 
1  To make the bag front, wrong sides together and matching up the raw  edges, place a 5in high x 13 1⁄2in wide fabric B rectangle at the top of a 13in high x 13 1⁄2in wide fabric A rectangle. If your
fabric A is a directional print, make sure that you have it orientated correctly. Pin to secure and then stitch in place; press the seam towards the darker fabric.

2  Fuse a 17 1⁄2in high x 13 1⁄2in wide H630 Vilene rectangle to the wrong side of the bag front and quilt as desired. Sadie used a pre-programmed wavy stitch and stitched vertically down the centre of the
bag and then parallel lines 2 1⁄4in apart. See Fig 4.

3  In both the left- and right-hand  bottom corners, mark and then cut away a 1 3⁄4in square. See Fig 4.

4  Repeat Steps 1–3 to make the bag back.

Fig 4 Bag front

ASSEMBLING THE OUTER BAG

1  Matching up the raw edges, place the bag front and bag back right sides together. Join on the side and bottom seams – do not stitch around the cutaway corners.

2  Working on one cutaway corner at a time, right sides together, refold so that the raw edges match up; stitch across to create the bag’s base, which gives it a boxy shape. See Fig 5. Turn the bag right side out.

3  Fold the button loop in half across its width. Working on the right side of the bag, matching up all of the raw edges, place the button loop centrally at the top edge of the bag back and stitch in place.
Stitch over the button loop two or three times for added security. See Fig 6.

Fig 5 Bag base

Fig 6 Button loop and handles added to the bag back

 

4   Working on the right side of the bag, matching up all the raw edges, place a  handle on the bag back and bag front. For each handle, its outer edges are 2in in from the bag’s side seams; make sure that
the back and front handles are opposite each other. Stitch the handles in place;
stitch over the handles two or three times for added security. See Fig 6.

LINING

1  With the folded edge of the pocket at the top, place the inner pocket on the right side of one of the 17
1⁄2in high x 13 1⁄2in wide fabric C rectangles. The pocket should be placed centrally across the width and the top edge of the pocket 4in down from the top edge of the fabric C rectangle. Stitch the pocket in place down the side and bottom edges. See Fig 7.

2  Stitching through the pocket and lining, divide the pocket into  compartments as desired. Sadie stitched down the centre of the pocket to give two equal compartments.

Fig 7 Inner pocket in place on the bag lining (fabric C)

3  On both the left- and right-hand  bottom corners of each 17 1⁄2in high x 13 1⁄2in wide fabric C rectangle, mark and then cut away a 1 3⁄4in square.
Matching up the raw edges, place the fabric C rectangles right sides  together. Join on the side and bottom seams, leaving an approx 6in gap on one of the side seams for turning – do not stitch around the cutaway corners.

5   Working on one cutaway corner at a time, right sides together, refold so that the raw edges match up; stitch across to create the bag’s base, which gives it a boxy shape.

Fig 8 Lining and outer bag pinned to secure 

Fig 9 Bag and lining turned right side out

 
ASSEMBLING THE BAG

1   Matching up the side seams and top edges, place the outer bag inside the lining, making sure that the handles are tucked down inside between them; right sides will be facing each other. Pin around the top edge to secure and then stitch in place with a 1⁄2in seam allowance. See Fig 8.

2  Turn the bag and lining right side out through the gap left in the lining; slipstitch the gap in the lining closed. See Fig 9.

Fig 10 Topstitching on the bag back

3  Push the lining down inside the bag. ‘Roll’ the top edge so that the seam is at the top and press. Topstitch approx 1⁄8in from the top edge of the bag and then 1⁄2in below the first line of topstitching. See Fig 10.

4   Sew the button onto the bag front to correspond with the button loop,  stitching through both the bag outer and the lining. Now you’re set to hit the town!