DIY Classic handbag | Handbag sewing tutorial
I made this bag with both vinyl and cotton fabric. You can choose to make it differently, with whichever fabrics you want. If you want it vinyl, prepare a Teflon foot and a thick needle.
(1) Start with the pattern. There are two pieces for this pattern – the main body and the flap over. Fold in half and make the pattern by these (sample) measurements:
(2) Lay the main pattern piece, the exterior, on the main fabric, mark around and cut out. You will need to do it twice, for both sides of the bag.
(3) Do the same with the flap piece, only this time you will need to cut out only one.
(4) Now the lining pieces. You will need to cut out the same pieces as the exterior, only this time out of the lining fabric.
(5) Again, same as the flap piece (lining).
(optional) Add interfacing.
(6) Attach one half of the magnetic snap to the right side of the flap's lining piece, right in the center, 4.5cm from the lower edge.
(7) Attach the other half of the magnetic snap to the exterior piece, about 10cm from the top, right in the center:
(8) The pleats around the flap. You need to make them and attach them before you sew together the flap pieces.
Cut out a long piece, longer than the length around the flap. It's gonna be about 80-90cm. The width will be about 17cm.
Fold the piece lengthwise, right sides together, and sew it like a strap. Sew this way, leaving a gap in the middle that you will close later (the two ends should be sewn closed. If you don't understand, contact me or leave a message!). Turn it inside out. Close the gap you left with your fingers and place some pins so it won't move. Now sew the strip in both sides, closing the gap as well. Now you got a beautiful piece of strip:
(9) We're not through with this strip yet. Now you will need to make the pleats. Make the pleats so the strip will fit the flap's length: Fold the strip a few times along the length, pin every pleat so it will stay in place. Now sew over the pleats, as close to the edge as possible:
Note: if you choose to make it with vinyl, it might be a little hard to do this, but I promise you, it's possible!
(10) Attach the pleated strip to the flap piece. Take the piece of the exterior fabric of the flap, and pin the pleated strip to it, toward the inside (the side where you've sewn over the pleats should be laid on the flap fabric's edge).
Stitch in place all around, making sure it lines up exactly.
Note: if it's too long, make more pleats, as many as needed, and if too short, make the pleats wider (before you sew it to the flap piece!).
(11) Pin both flap pieces together – exterior and lining pieces – right sides together, sandwiching the pleated strip between them (and also the snap). Sew all around, leaving the top section open. Now turn it inside out through the gap you left.
Note: Make sure you can't see the seams of the pleated strip after turning inside out. If you can, sew that section till you can't see anything, while keeping the shape.
Now the pleated strip is out and happy about it.
Iron the whole piece nicely; you can sew around it to make it sit better, but it's not critical.
Done with the flap:
(12) (optional) Add pockets to the lining and/or the exterior:
(13) Make a long strip that encloses the bag's body out of the pleated strip's fabric.
Note: you don't have to use the same, use whichever fabric you choose. I did it with the same.
The length should be about 100cm long, and the width – you choose. I did it 11cm wide.
Note: if it's too long, you may cut it off a little later (and it will be too long, it's just in case).
(optional) Add interfacing to that strip.
(14) Same for the lining.
These are the two strips in the picture:
(15) Pin the exterior's strip to one of the bag's main body, right sides together. Sew. Slowly with the curves!
Repeat for the other body piece.
(16) Repeat for the lining pieces, only this time leave a gap in one of the sides:
Now you can trim off excesses, very carefully!
(17) Note: I made the strap of this bag with eyelets and O-rings, which I added only after the bag was already made. If you choose to do it the same way I did, wait for the end and skip this step!
You can still make the strap itself now though. If you want a regular strap, make it now (if you don't know how to make a strap, go to" Let's Start from the Very Beginning" post) and attach it now to the bag's exterior body (to its right side), face down. Make sure it's placed correctly and sew.
This is what you have so far:
(18) Sew the flap to the exterior body piece. Find the center. It will help if you close both of the snap halves together. Place the flap on its face - right sides of body and flap facing each other. Now sew the flap in place.
Note: you need to sew it to the side of the body that doesn't have the other half of the snap! Very very important!
(19) Sewing everything together. Turn the lining body inside out, so its right side faces outside.
Place the lining body inside the exterior body, and make sure it all lines up. Also, make sure that the flap is tucked inside (and the strap's ends if you choose to make a regular one). Pin and sew all around the top:
(20) Turn the whole business inside out, through the opening you've left:
(21) Sew closed the gap in the lining:
(22) Tuck the lining into the exterior. Iron a bit neatly and sew around the top to make it look better. This is the bag without the strap:
(23) If you choose my way, make the eyelets on both sides, add the rings and sew the strap to them.
Ready for use!
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