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Melanie Hankewich with the low down on making your own bag for the anti-pattern type.

I’m not the pattern type of girl. I think I can directly relate this to something a friend of mine told me about a dress she was making. “It just doesn’t look like it’s supposed to”. Yes, well that seems to be a main obstacle in my own sewing career.  Thus, this is not the pattern type of project. 

Your bag may be bigger than mine or have better seams. Perhaps you truly have an eye for colour. The important thing to focus on is your assets. Think of it as a lesson in life. I won’t fence you in with measurements (I don’t own a tape measure).  I won’t discourage you with terms that you’ve never heard of. This will be a simple map for the beginner on how to sew a nifty little bag to tote around whatever you wish.

You should start by choosing a type of material. Common sense should prevail in this task. My advice is to choose something that you won’t mind staring at during times of frustration.

Let's begin, shall we.

1. Fold material in half with the crease at what will become the bottom of the bag.  With the right sides facing towards each other, sew up the sides. You now have what I like to call The Envelope Bag. If you are happy here, proceed to Step 3.

2. If you would like a flat bottom or The Box Bag, then you are truly the adventurous amateur. The seams will run at a right angle to one another if done properly. I was somewhat pedestrian in my methods and spent a lot of time with a right-angle paper triangle that corresponded to the width of material that needed to be sewn. And be sure to turn your fabric inside out.  Otherwise you’ll have rough edges on the outside of your bag.  Maybe not the look you were going for.

3. Hemming should be taken seriously. That’s what my friend tells me anyway. Take a special moment to pin everything just as you want it and then let loose. Ironing the material before you sew makes this a bit easier. 

4. If you’re up for a lining in your bag then I say do it. It appears that this is the type of detail that impresses non-sewer types and shows the sewing snobs that you’re no chump. And all it takes is a repeat procedure of the previous steps. Even better is to do the lining first as a trial run of all your techniques and then hide it inside the expert version. I advise you to sew the straps onto the outside fabric before joining the lining to the bag. You can hide the thread this way if you’ve chosen contrasting material.

5. Tailor your strap length to your needs. I’m not the handbag type, so my straps are usually pretty long. For the beginner, make them wide, so they can be turned inside out easily. With right sides facing each other, sew the length and one side. Turn the tube of material inside out and tuck the rough ends inside to be sewn together and thus hiding all the edges. Pin the straps to the outside of the bad and sew a square shape and cross through the middle. This will keep them on forever. If you have a lining to sew, this is the time.

Some Handy Little Tips:

1. Be Patient. This is of the highest importance. Indulge in pinning the material before it’s sewn. Take time to check out the sewing machine if it’s making strange noises. Sometimes tightening the needle, rethreading the machine or cleaning the bobbin undercarriage is all that’s needed. I once thought if you just gave it all to the gas pedal that it would all come out in the mix.  Not so, buckaroos.

2. Plan The Journey Ahead. I don’t sew everyday and because this is a non-pattern project I highly recommend thinking about what you want to do long before you sit at the machine. You may come up with details that are better done before the lining is in, decide that you want to stuff the straps so they look like tubes or a simple solution to a mistake. I think this approach gives you a chance to plan your attack and the necessary time to think about what you’ve done, intended or not… which leads me to my next point.

3. Cover Your Tracks. I have a girlfriend who makes the greatest things and doesn’t worry a bit about the mistakes in them. There is an art to this, surely, but all it is really about imagination. Trust that you will be the only one that sees the errors. Take comfort in knowing a lot of things can be covered with patches, amateur embroidery, superfluous buttons and my personal favourite, turning a blind eye. Don’t feel the need to point out a crooked seam to anyone that takes interest in your project. 

4. Know When You’ve Had Enough.  Having said all that, one should understand that there is a time to take your foot off the pedal and give yourself a change of scene. 

5. Swearing Is Your Friend. Maybe it’s just my friend. I find that this relieves tension like a good massage. Use your own method if you wish, but my sewing machine has been called every blue word that I know and some special ones that I made up whilst thinking about it. We still seem to function without a grudge.