Machine stitches
I’ve been making bags for over eight years and in
that time I’ve only ever used two machine stitches.
Zigzag stitch – every now
and again I use zigzag to
stitch over the raw edges
of fabric to prevent it
from fraying.
Straight stitch – this is
basically the only stitch
I ever really use.
Getting Started
standard
presser foot
clear
presser foot
piping foot
non-stick foot
zipper foot
seam
allowance
guide
Using Patterns
The patterns at the back of the book are all full-size, which means
there is no need for a photocopier. Some of the projects have two or
more pattern pieces (which are indicated on the patterns), others
have just one pattern piece and some projects simply use rectangles
given as measurements within the project instructions.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Get a large sheet of suitable paper. I usually use
pale tissue paper, but you can also use tracing
paper, greaseproof (wax) paper or dressmaking
paper. Iron the paper and the pattern sheet on a
low setting.
Lay the paper over your chosen pattern piece
and, using pins or sticky tape, secure the paper
to the pattern so that it can’t move around.
Take a soft leaded pencil (you don’t want to rip
holes in your paper with a hard pencil) and trace
around your pattern shape. Also trace the various
pattern markings, notches and darts if appropriate.
See Fig a.
Lay out your traced pattern pieces onto your
fabric. Align your pattern with the fabric’s
straight grain. If the pattern piece instructs you
to place it on a fold, fold your fabric as shown
in Fig b. Pay attention to the direction of your
pattern – are the pattern pieces the right way up?
Accordingly, is the pattern on your fabric also the
right way up?
Pin your pattern pieces to your fabric and
cut the fabric around the pattern shapes. See
Fig c. Alternatively, you can pin your patterns to your fabric and then trace around the outline of your pattern pieces with disappearing marker or chalk to get an outline for fabric cutting.
Transfer any pattern markings and notches from
the pattern piece to your fabric pieces using
chalk or disappearing marker. See Fig d.
a
Fig a Use a soft leaded pencil to trace the patterns and
pattern markings to get nice easy-to-see outlines, and you’ll
avoid ripping the tracing paper.
b
Fig b To place a pattern piece on a fold, fold the fabric wrong
sides together and position the fold line of the pattern onto
the folded edge of the fabric.
Getting Started
c
d
Fig c I prefer to pin and cut around the pattern pieces
because it’s faster than tracing the pattern and then cutting.
Fig d While the pattern is still pinned to the fabric, transfer
the various pattern markings onto the fabric.
Label snob …
Label your pattern pieces before and after
using them; fold them carefully, and
store in an envelope. Also store in the
envelope any notes you make during bag
construction, ready for next time.
Modifying
Patterns
If you are a sewing ‘newbie’ the thought of
deviating from a pattern may seem like a crazy
thing to do, but it’s actually very easy to make
pattern modifications to suit you (or your outfit!).
In their simplest form, bags are a front, a back
