February 2017 Sew-Together Bag Clinic

Have you ever admired the Sew-Together bags of some of our crew? How everything nicely fits in the zippy pockets and pouches, and stays together for travel! But they’re intimidating to think about making, let’s be honest. Mine sat in a WIP pile for a year. There, I said it.

Well, that extra push you might have been waiting for is coming at the February meeting, and her name is Kirsten. For those of you who don’t know, K is basically a pro at these bags – and a great person to help coach you through your first one, so that’s exactly what we’ve asked her to do. Interested in tapping into her expertise, here’s all you need to do:

1. Buy the Sew-Together bag pattern. Craftsy is the easiest place for a .pdf download, but there should be paper copies available online and from some brick-and-mortars in the area if you want to call around.
2. Get your supplies! You’ll need some interfacing and zippers in addition to your fabrics – so make sure to plan ahead. There are some great online resources for zippers if you want something special (here and here), in addition to local big box stores.
3. We highly suggest you CUT, label your pieces, and INTERFACE BEFORE the meeting. Sure, you could do this at the meeting, but you’ll want to make the most of Kirsten’s presence at the meeting – IMO, that’s not cutting out rectangles and fusing interfacing.
4. Try the pattern! Yes, give it a go. This is a great way to challenge yourself, and an even better way to come with specific questions. You might surprise yourself with your progress, and you’ll have a better shot at completing the bag during the meeting if you get a head start. As a point of reference, Kirsten spends about 2 hours on each bag she’s made, and she’s done a lot. She will have several bags in different stages to show us some of the trickier steps, but think about how much more you learn by doing! We don’t want anyone to come in with too-high expectations, so we’re throwing this disclaimer out there now that you might (probably) won’t finish your bag without starting before our meeting.

Full Supply List Sew Together Bag Materials List:

1. Exterior fabric: 1 fat quarter
2. Lining fabric: 1/2 yd
3. Pocket lining: 1/3 yd
4. Binding fabric 1 fq or 1/4 yd
5. 1/2 yd fusible lightweight interfacing
6. 18″ x 22″ piece of fusible fleece
7. 18″ zipper
8. Three 9″ zippers
9. (I do highly recommend cutting the exterior fabric piece 1″ longer than the pattern’s measurement on the longer side)

1. Sewing machine and basic supplies (thread, seam ripper, scissors etc.)
2. Zipper foot for machine
3. Walking foot if you have one(not essential, but makes things easier)
4. Iron
5. Elmer’s School Glue and thin glue tip, recommended
6. Sew Together Bag pattern and materials
7. Ruler (at least 12″ long)
8. Cutting mat
9. Rotary cutter
10. Removable marking pencil/chalk/ink
11. Wonder Clips or pins